Prey size

I've read many different care sheets and things but every time I go to the pet shop to pick out Hyde's meal I think even the juvinile small rats look too big. I just can't get that story about the wild burm in FL that ate the aligator and exploded. I keep thinking my little glutton will try to eat something too big and rupture himself. Can someone take a look at this pic and tell me if you think he's ready for small rats or should I just stick with two mice (thats what he's gotten his last two meals). Thank you!

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/files/2/5/5/7/10.JPG

oops, was gonna put this under general in the ball python area, must of made a boo boo somehow. hmmm... and I don't know how to move it either. Sorry!

Its so hard to tell from the picture but as long as the prey item is as thick around as his thickest section than it will be fine. No worries and no need to over think things. Your BP won't explode!

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here but a good size rat pup is about equivalent to an adult mouse (not a huge one, just a normal adult), then you go up to wean rats then to small rats, etc. I know it was hard for me to find wean rats locally so those I always had to order frozen until we started breeding our own.


~~Jo~~

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here but a good size rat pup is about equivalent to an adult mouse (not a huge one, just a normal adult), then you go up to wean rats then to small rats, etc. I know it was hard for me to find wean rats locally so those I always had to order frozen until we started breeding our own.


~~Jo~~

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Pretty close. Although everyone sells their fuzzies/pups/wean/smalls etc at a different size. One local place has smalls that are about half the size of Rodent Pros smalls.

With ball pythons, I've had great success feeding smaller meals than is the rule for most other boids. My biggest females (4000+ grams) only get small rats. If you're snake is eating 2 mice every 7 days and that works well for you, there is absolutely no reason to change it! ;)

-adam

Very true Jamie. My one female breeder rat is nursing a litter of 7 pups right now and they are HUGE lol. Maybe though because there is only 7 they are little piggies. My other female has a litter of 12 so I would think her pups will not be as large in size as this other group. It will be interesting to compare sizes to see if it has anything to do with litter numbers.


~~Jo~~

my bp looks about the same size as yours and i feed her a pink rat every week or so. My bp is 20" longhttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif

What is the procedure for feeding two mice? Do I just wait untill he finishes one and then dangle another defrosted one in his face? Should I wait some time between feedings? How do you guys feed two mice to your bp?

The procedure for feeding multiple rodents is the same as feeding one. But after the first rodent is down and the snake starts moving around again, offer a second the same way that you did the first.

Once mine constrict, I generally give them 10 min or so before I check in. If they are moving around, I drop in the next mouse...if not, I wait a little longer. It is pretty simple.