Food Size??

I'll try to make this short (I tend to ramble). How do you know what size of animal to feed your BP? I thought it was done by body size (just slightly smaller than the biggest part of the body). Pet store guy says to go by head size. I can't imagine feeding a full grown bp a mouse the size of his head. My bp is still young, but i knew fuzzies wheren't cutting it. I asked for the next size up, but he said a hopper was too big. I just gave him two fuzzies, which he took with a quickness. I trust this forum over a pet store guy, no matter how many snakes he has. Let me know how you determine food size. I do think two fuzzies will cut it for now. I just want to know when to upgrade. I don't want baby bp getting hungry. lol.

Pet store guy is dumb. Feed to the girth of the thickest area of your ball python.

Some people also say 10-15% of body weight is a good way to go also. I have found that for my girl, if I use the first method for sizing food, I end up being right at 10% body weight anyways.

I believe the head rule tends to be more for colubrids that do not have the shape head to body ratio as ball pythons. Most pet store folks don't know their butt from a hole in the ground when it comes to specific species care unfortunately.

Pick a prey item that is about the same size around as your bp's biggest girth when empty (that's not full of food or poop). If you are not sure, go smaller until you are better able to eyeball prey. On most rodents their biggest girth is their hips and butt.

I knew it! a fuzzy is about half the size of my bp's girth. poor guy. lol. well, he seems pretty happy with the two. digesting in his hide all night and today.

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

I knew it! a fuzzy is about half the size of my bp's girth. poor guy. lol. well, he seems pretty happy with the two. digesting in his hide all night and today.

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he'll be hungry tomorrow lol

Pet Store Guy is about the least informed person you will ever talk to about your BP. I would not recommend ever feeding anything larger than your BP is around, but you would be amazed at what they can fit in their mouths!

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Originally Posted by Slim

Pet Store Guy is about the least informed person you will ever talk to about your BP. I would not recommend ever feeding anything larger than your BP is around, but you would be amazed at what they can fit in their mouths!

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That is exactly what i said, but i became tired of arguing with my nonsnake friends. I decided to get some back up with people who knew something about snakes. And the next time someone tells me a pet store owner knows everything "because they own a pet store" I'm just going to punch them.

I fed my 524g BP a 138g rat yesterday... It was a little big, but she was fine with it.

I started my BPs with hoppers when I got them (and they were fairly young) so you should be fine with hoppers.

Most pet store people are stupid. I've leaned that the hard way. They have given me a TON of crap information like "feeding the size of the snakes head" or "If you feed your snakes a rat they don't need to eat for a month!"...and BOTH of those suggestion result in the pet store making less money. o_0 Anyway, now I'm beginning to think they sexed my female wrong...

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Originally Posted by Slim

Pet Store Guy is about the least informed person you will ever talk to about your BP. I would not recommend ever feeding anything larger than your BP is around, but you would be amazed at what they can fit in their mouths!

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Snakes can dislocate their jaws. It's pretty cool. :snake:

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

Pet store guy is dumb. Feed to the girth of the thickest area of your ball python.

Some people also say 10-15% of body weight is a good way to go also. I have found that for my girl, if I use the first method for sizing food, I end up being right at 10% body weight anyways.

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Most of them are, how ironic.