Ball python will eat rats but sometimes not mice?

So when I got my albino bp 2 months ago, the breeder I got him from fed him hopper mice. I was fine with that but when I fed him hoppers, there were times that he would eat it and there were times he would not eat just bite and wrap around it. I even left it over night and he still wouldnt eat. I didnt have any more hoppers so I had rat pinkies and he took it right away and has never refused them. Now I'm curious can they really switch that quickly?

It goes much fatther then a snakes prefernce between rats and mice. Some only eat live. some only eat males and not females and vice versa. Some eat white colored only and vice versa. So yeah its all true and dont be suprised. Just figure out what your BP likes and go with it. Be happy though, rats have more nutrients for your BP then mice.

Usually if they strike and constrict they will eat it. Are you feeding in a different tub, or moving the tub once it strikes? I have one that if I bother it at all, it will uncoil and it takes forever for the snake to start eating the rat again. I would feed the snake in the tub, close it, make sure you hear the strike and coil, then leave the snake alone completely for an hour or so. It should eat the rodent if it coiled.

I wouldn't be surprised if your snake changed preference that fast, he may really just love rats. I know my ball python won't even take a rat that was thawed with a mouse (which I was doing to make sure my boa wouldn't get snooty when she got switched to rats). I actually had to rinse off the thawed rat in order for my ball python to eat it, lol.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Usually if they strike and constrict they will eat it. Are you feeding in a different tub, or moving the tub once it strikes? I have one that if I bother it at all, it will uncoil and it takes forever for the snake to start eating the rat again. I would feed the snake in the tub, close it, make sure you hear the strike and coil, then leave the snake alone completely for an hour or so. It should eat the rodent if it coiled.

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I've never had my girl constrict and not eat live nut with f/t it was like 50/50. I've even made my girl constrict the same mouse twice and still wouldn't eat it. She just won't do it. Then she would constrict and never eat and they were warm defrosted and not cooked. She just won't eat f/t. So I feel that a snake will always constrict to an extent if they are hungry do to instinct but won't always eat it. So just from my experience. My snake is very very picky and I wouldn't be suprised if this snake is doing the same thing. But with its age and previous owner it may like to be covered or lights on or off or who knows. They all have their own personalities and preferences. So you just have to figure them out and experiment.