I was given a ball python on Sunday (5 days ago) and have been reading about them since. I know it is a long term commitment to care for this animal and am prepared to do so in proper fashion.

The situation - a friend of a friend knows I have several types of animals (this is my first snake in a long time) and figured I'd take care of it. I have limited info on it. What I was told was it was fed once a month, 3 or 4 mice. She (don't know if its female or not, just what they told me) is about 3 yrs old, a little over 3 1/2 ft long and weighs about 920 grams. She is in 20 gal tall tank (it came with her but seems very cramped with one log hide and a water container and only has a heat lamp for heat) I've purchased an enclosure, a vision 332, and should have a my Ultratherm UTH and VE300 thermostat tomorrow to set up her new home.

My question is about feeding her. From what I've read it sounds like she should be fed more often and probably soon. She defecated Monday, so she must have been fed the week before I got her I guess?

She has only had live. I don't know what size they were feeding her or what she should be getting.

Should I try to switch her to frozen or just get her live for now till I get her in the new enclosure?

Should I get large mice or small rats (not sure what "name" they go by - I see lots of sizes at the store in the freezer) I would say she is about 2 inches at her widest.

they said she was a granite - looks like she might be a granite co-dom from the images I see

thanks for the help