when is it time to move to small-med rats?

my snakes are about 2 and 1/2 to 3 ft long and a little larger around than a 50 cent piece

Small rats are the biggest a ball python will ever need for it's entire life.

Even the big girl in these pictures only feeds on what I call "small small" rats in the 40 - 50 gram range.

http://www.8ballpythons.com/images/l...97-04_2005.jpg

http://www.8ballpythons.com/images/lesser-breeding.jpg

-adam

Mines a little bigger than that, even....and Adam suggests keeping her on fuzzy rats until Novemberish. (If I remember his instructions right... LOL) Better to err on the side of feeding a little too small...than feed to big and set them off on a fast.

Adam,

When you feed an snake that size a small rat, do you feed her more than 1 in a "sitting"? And is that size of rat what is really needed to keep a snake eating on a regular basis? I have noticed a couple of my larger snakes will skip a meal sometimes and I was wondering if maybe I am feeding too big. My medium size ~800 gram snakes don't seem to care and would eat every day I think.

Neil

Dangit, Adam has some gorgeous, scrumpulous snakes....

We top out at small rats too, nothing is fed anything bigger than a small (though some of course will take the occasional multiple small). A lot of ours are on various sizes of wean rats.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Even the big girl in these pictures only feeds on what I call "small small" rats in the 40 - 50 gram range.

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40-50 gram rats are generally called 'weanling' or 'weaned' rats in the places that I pick them up....Just incase anyone was wondering...the words that get thrown around concerning rodent sizes can get you mixed up sometimes....ha ha....most places that I have bought rats from just have....big'uns and small'uns....LOL


Adam....Looks like your lesser always get the big ladies ;) I have my fingers crossed that you get a clutch like last years :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cassandra

Dangit, Adam has some gorgeous, scrumpulous snakes....

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Ain't that the truth???

wow if that snake wasnt about to breed id suggest slim fast lol!

so 10 40 gram rats per sitting? :)