How Many Mice Should I Feed A 6 Y/O Ball Python?

My husband is overseas and I am caring for his 6 year old ball python. He used to eat a live jumbo rat once a week.he got bested by one feisty rat about 4 months ago. I had to remove the still live rat. Since then he won't touch rats live or dead. I did start giving him jumbo live mice. How do I know when he has had enough mice? I have been giving him 3 on the recommendation of the reptile store. Tonight he when I dropped the mouse into his enclosure he lunged for it in the box. Then when I went back to check on him he lunged at the glass at me. He has had 3 jumbo mice total and is still lunging. Is he still hungry? I feed him once a week. Usually he is very docile.

3 mice in a single feeding should be plenty if you are feeding him once a week. BPs are opportunistic feeders. They will eat till they ar efull if given the chance. He was probably still in feeding mode when he was striking at the glass. Just feed him and then leave him be for a day or two. Also, it may help to handle or interact with the snake between feeding days so he doesn't associate any interaction as just feeding. Otherwise he is just likely to go into feeding mode whenever you approach.

Thanks I was guessing that he was just expecting another mouse. I don't dump all the mice in at once, but one at a time and wait for him to eat it. Or, should I dump them in all at once? I do handle him. My husband liked to wear him on his shoulders, so I have been doing that too. I do stop handling him a day before feeding.

I'm not a snake lover, but Snakey is pretty cool. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him. He lost girth when he was refusing to eat rats before I started mice. Will he gain that back now that he is eating mice consistently? I'm still learning the details to being a master Snakey raiser. of

Jumbo rats are far too large for ball pythons. Mediums are fine for adults :rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by albinos_rule

Jumbo rats are far too large for ball pythons. Mediums are fine for adults :rolleye2:

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My 5-6 month old bp downs large mice no problem..why do u say stick with mediums? Jw

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Originally Posted by megan8706

My 5-6 month old bp downs large mice no problem..why do u say stick with mediums? Jw

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Rats vs Mice - read it again. ;)

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Rats vs Mice - read it again. ;)

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Ooops! Thank you! Now I feel like a d-a for asking hahah

3 mice should be plenty. I would continue dropping them in individually, not all at once.