To assist feed or not?

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Originally Posted by Rickys_Reptiles

Mouse hoppers? I don't know any reputable breeders that feed mouse hoppers :confusd: My hatchings eat 15g rats out of the egg, and after 2 meals they are already eating larger prey.

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Really? Gosh, I guess I've been doing it all wrong for the last 10 years. Of the 5 or 6 hundred hatchlings that I've produced in that time, nearly all of them have been started on mouse hoppers.

To the OP, I've rarely ever had to resort to assist feeding, one trick that works pretty well for me is to stuff the hatchlings tub (no bigger then a 6 quart tub like Deb said) with balls of crumpled up newspaper and leaving the hopper if with them overnight. I think it gives them a greater sense of security when they have to burrow through the substrate and can feel something touching them on all sides.

I agree with the advice you've been given, but I'd also like to add that maybe trying mice would help. Sometimes snakes have a preference. :)


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When I first fed my ball python he didn't want me to watch. I put in the fuzzy mouse and he just looked at me even though he knew it was there. I put the lid on his tub and left him covered and within a minute I heard the grab and a squeak. It was just a matter of me not looking at him. I have heard that some don't really like being watched all that much, especially when they are smaller.