Can i feed my bp a variety of prey items withiout him getting "addicted" to a certain one? And if u can, what are the food options?
01-09-2013, 09:52 PM
DooLittle
Mice, rats, asf (African soft furred) rats. To me, mice would be least desirable since when the snake gets big he will need to eat multiples. Same with asf's. People say that they will imprint on a prey item. I have fed asf's and rats. Some of them would go back and forth no problem, some of them would turn their nose to the asf's. Imo, since balls can be picky eaters anyhow, I would find the prey item he will eat, and stick with it.
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01-09-2013, 10:04 PM
Gerardo
Re: Ball python diet
When I first got him he was eating live mice. Then he got a little bigger so I decided to switch him to young live rats and he didnt hesitate for a second in striking the rats. Ive seen then switched him over to fresh killed young rats (some of the live rats got aggressive) because its safer for my snake.
01-09-2013, 10:11 PM
BHReptiles
Re: Ball python diet
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerardo
When I first got him he was eating live mice. Then he got a little bigger so I decided to switch him to young live rats and he didnt hesitate for a second in striking the rats. Ive seen then switched him over to fresh killed young rats (some of the live rats got aggressive) because its safer for my snake.
After seeing my precious baby normal (well...she's 400g) get a few scales shaved off by a rat (because I wasn't quick enough with the tongs) yesterday, I'm considering feeding pre-killed. When I get a place of my own, I'm going to breed my own food and use a gas chamber to kill them first.
If he's eating rats and taking fresh killed, I'd feed him that. You can also try to feed him a F/T rat.
01-09-2013, 10:18 PM
satomi325
You can feed a variety if your snake will take it. One member feeds rats and chicks. However, I would choose prey items very carefully. I would advise against gerbils and hamsters. They're serious crack for BPs. Even more than ASFs. Plus they're expensive and have gnarly teeth.
I wish my adults would eat rabbit kits. But they're stuck on their rats. Rabbits make BPs grow like weeds.
Aggression is heritable. So if you ever have aggressive rats in your breeding colony, cull them immediately. And pro tip: Feed appropriate sized prey. Smaller items are safer if you're feeding live.
