What size prey do you feed your adult BP's?

10-15% is usually a guide for a growing snake. I don't see many people (I've read a lot of these threads) feeding ball pythons anything more than 120 grams or so. 120 grams is the highest end of the weight range of their staple 'natural prey' - the ASF rat. They CAN take larger, but that usually results in feeding strikes. I'd rather feed 8x 100 gram rats at one a week than feed a 160g rat and have them go off feed for 2 months. I had to experience this first hand for it to sink in. I plan to stick to 80-120g rats once a week because of this.

10% - 15% only applies to hatchlings and juvis. Not for adults.

My adults eat small rats weekly. Some big girls may get a medium or two smalls depending.
Anything larger than a medium rat isn't necessary.

Does the same 10-15% rule apply to growing boas? Just to double check, the recommended size prey to feed my 1300 gram female is one small rat every 5-10 days?

I'm not sure about the weights but my adult (about 6 years old) female eats small to medium rats every other week. Usually just one but sometimes she'll take a second the next day, it depends.

I've always thought the best rule was go by the fattest part of his body measuring food size.

I feed 15% up to 500 grams then after that males get a 50ish gram rat every week and females get a 100ish gram rat, so long as they are good about taking. If they're more comfortable with smaller, I'll offer smaller prey items in multiples. But if they're good eaters and they're taking f/t, that's the plan. I feed weekly because I work afternoons and evenings five days a week, so it's easier to just offer every week.

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Originally Posted by chosen2030

Does the same 10-15% rule apply to growing boas? Just to double check, the recommended size prey to feed my 1300 gram female is one small rat every 5-10 days?

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Boas <> Ball Pythons, the boa metabolism is slower. My boas get a feeder that is no bigger around than they are. Once they're eating small rats they get fed every 7-10 days depending on their body condition, if I plan on pairing them, how much "hunting" behavior I observe, etc. If they're big enough for mediums the interval goes to 7-14 days.

I have been following the 10-15% rule mainly because I was always coming home with rats that are too big. Now that my girls are around 1200g I am finding my best feeder hesitant some weeks and even refusing occasionally when that rat is 150-170g. I think they want to make sure it is prey they can over power and the head has to fit too.

Based on the last few weeks I think. Am going to stop with 120g rat so I don't have refusals.

I have been afraid of under feeding mainly because I had one go off feed for 6 months and then we bad mites and that meant another couple month before everyone was feeding again.


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I only have two adults. My pastel gets smalls. My big normal girl gets smalls most of the time but every once in awhile I give her a smallish medium.

I feed 10-15% while they're hatchlings. Once my males reach the point of being able to take a small rat that's the largest I offer. My girls get medium rats when they're big enough. I don't plan on feeding larger prey.