Ball Python-no mice?

Hello, I am not a snake owner but I have been keeping a ball python at my house for a friend for almost a year now. He usually comes by whenever I tell him the snake is moving around a lot and he brings a rat and feeds him. Well the snake keeps moving around and looking up to the top of the tank (like he's waiting for a mouse) but my friend is in jail for at least the next 21 days for not paying child support. My question is, is there anything I can feed him in the mean time, besides a rodent? I asked his brother and he says to just leave the snake alone he will be fine with out food. I don't feel comfortable handling a rodent because I'm 6 months pregnant and my husband is TERRIFIED of the snake and won't go near it.

Can I give him fish or chicken? Or will he be okay for a few weeks? I don't know much about snakes at all. I don't want him to starve to death he looks so hungry.

Unfortunately, you can't feed store bought chicken and especially not fish to a ball python. You can buy frozen rats or mice at any Petco or pet store. You just thaw that out and then warm it up using hot (not boiling) water, and you can feed it that way. You don't have to use a live rodent...

He would technically be okay for a few weeks, but it's not ideal. They should eat once every 7-10 days or so...

This is important: When was the last time he was fed?

Also, to answer your question, NO - do not feed a ball python anything other than rodents. First, he likely wouldn't recognize anything else as food. Second, the nutritional value of other food items would not meet his dietary requirements.

The owner is in jail, his brother says to neglect it, you think it might eat fish or chicken and your husband is terrified of it. Just put it on Craigslist and give it to someone who can care for it responsibly...

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Originally Posted by sho220

The owner is in jail, his brother says to neglect it, you think it might eat fish or chicken and your husband is terrified of it. Just put it on Craigslist and give it to someone who can care for it responsibly...

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I think I have reacted responsibly by coming to a forum dedicated to ball pythons and asking for help. It wouldn't be fair for me to give his snake away (that he has had for 8 years) because he fell on some hard times these last few months. I prefer to do my best to take care of the snake. I have grown fond of him, just can't wrap my mind around handling rats or mice. However, it is possible that I can find someone local who doesn't mind feeding him for the next couple of weeks.

he ate about 2 weeks ago. He has always eaten about every two weeks. That's usually when he starts to move around a lot and look up at the top of the tank.

Guess I better take those Father's Day leftovers out of his tank now LOL JK.

Thanks for for your replies. I think I'll take my chances with a live rat before I boil up some rat on my kitchen stove.

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Originally Posted by ChristyAmber

I think I have reacted responsibly by coming to a forum dedicated to ball pythons and asking for help. It wouldn't be fair for me to give his snake away (that he has had for 8 years) because he fell on some hard times these last few months. I prefer to do my best to take care of the snake. I have grown fond of him, just can't wrap my mind around handling rats or mice. However, it is possible that I can find someone local who doesn't mind feeding him for the next couple of weeks.

he ate about 2 weeks ago. He has always eaten about every two weeks. That's usually when he starts to move around a lot and look up at the top of the tank.

Guess I better take those Father's Day leftovers out of his tank now LOL JK.

Thanks for for your replies. I think I'll take my chances with a live rat before I boil up some rat on my kitchen stove.

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You definitely don't boil it.....you literally just leave it out to thaw (like you would chicken?) and then get a bowl of hot water from your tap and just leave the rat or mouse in it for 10-15 minutes or so. You don't even need to step foot in your kitchen for this...

There are literally thousands of people who feed their reptiles this way, myself included, and it alleviates dealing with a live rodent...it's not as crazy as it sounds I promise.

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Originally Posted by ChristyAmber

I think I'll take my chances with a live rat before I boil up some rat on my kitchen stove.

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Please ensure that you're appropriately prepared to do so if you decide to go this route. A rat can actually cause a lot of damage to a snake if not fed properly.

Thank you skittles!

Is it safe and humane to wait a day or two just to see if I can get someone to come by and do the task or do you feel it's important that i run out tomorrow and get him some food? I wouldn't want to wait a couple of days to eat, so I think I just answered my own question...

is is there a chance he won't take a dead rat? I think he has only ever eaten live ones. I didn't even know it was an option to buy dead rodents.

I'm not sure if this matters but the box from the pet store usually has large written on it with permanent marker. And each time I've accidentally caught a glimpse of the rat it has looked bigger than a newborn kitten, for sure.

Im aware that the rat can bite the snake. He has had to return a rat once or twice when the snake refused. I was told that if he isn't hungry and you leave the rat in, the rat can hurt him.

Putting off his meal for a couple of days isn't going to hurt anything, but I wouldn't wait longer than maybe 4 or 5 days. Unfortunately if you're uncomfortable handling a live rodent while pregnant, whoever does come to feed (if you're able to find someone) will need to stick around to ensure that the rat gets eaten, or else they'll need to take it back out. Someone should be there monitoring the situation the entire time the rat draws breath, even after the snake has struck and constricted, because sometimes they can squirm around enough to get their teeth on the snake. It's best to have something long and metal (a simple screwdriver would work) to stick in the rat's mouth if it appears to be in danger of biting the snake while it's being constricted. If that happens, once the rat stops moving you can walk away safely.

They have different sizes. If you ask any employee they will be able to help you with sizes...

Like someone else said waiting a day or two won't hurt. If you can find someone more comfortable feeding it then good on you. It's good to know that you're at least trying to exhaust every option.

What region our town are you in, maybe someone on here can reach out and help you?

If you are in the Miami area in Florida I have extra rats and I'll more than happily help feed it


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I mean... I am torn here.
On the one hand, I think there are so many ways to be able to feed this snake (as in what you, OP, have already suggested - even finding/paying someone else to feed it, or suck it up and do it yourself because having had the snake for a year, I am really surprised you haven't yet - pregnant or not)...
On the other hand, snakes can go weeks without food. If the snake was just fed prior to your friend going away, I would say 21 days is fine. I don't think it would hurt an 8 year old BP, given that the snake is actually very healthy and in proper husbandry, but I don't know.
They go on hunger strikes for weeks at a time, but because of their own doing.

Like I said, personally I am torn. I think you should try your damndest to feed it frozen/thawed. But I think it would live if the feeding(s) weren't successful.

I am going to add one last thing by saying that I think you ARE a ball python owner. Even if temporarily. I think you did the right thing coming to this forum :) but I also think you should learn how to feed the snake. It sounds very possible to me that your friend may not be able to have it back... at least, any time soon.

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Originally Posted by ChristyAmber

my friend is in jail for at least the next 21 days for not paying child support. he fell on some hard times these last few months.

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I know of dead beat dads that got thrown in jail for willfully skipping out on paying for a long time. Never heard of being jailed for 21+ days for missing a couple child support payments because of "hard times". Since you brought it up,please explain.

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Originally Posted by grcforce327

I know of dead beat dads that got thrown in jail for willfully skipping out on paying for a long time. Never heard of being jailed for 21+ days for missing a couple child support payments because of "hard times". Since you brought it up,please explain.

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I do not think that should be bothered speaking about, This is a reptile forum not a small claims court. If you would like to hear I think PM would be better, just my 2 cents!

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Originally Posted by grcforce327

I know of dead beat dads that got thrown in jail for willfully skipping out on paying for a long time. Never heard of being jailed for 21+ days for missing a couple child support payments because of "hard times". Since you brought it up,please explain.

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What is there to explain? Not paying child support isn't taken lightly. It's not easy raising a child/children all on your own, my mom had to do it with me. He's not paying, he's broken the law, so he's in jail. There's nothing left to explain.

Also she said "not paying child support" not "missing a couple child support payments" you have no idea how much he may owe, and it's not of our business to know anyway.


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Originally Posted by CORBIN911

I do not think that should be bothered speaking about, This is a reptile forum not a small claims court. If you would like to hear I think PM would be better, just my 2 cents!

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If I was the OP I would have just said he's out of town for a few months...:rolleyes:

I know there are a lot of picky opinions here, but I'm going to share this anyway. A ball python can thrive on birds, just as it would rodents. I'm speaking from experience.

If it really is in need of a meal, you could consider getting a chicken/quail, or other acceptable feeder bird, and feed the snake. Not all ball pythons would take them, but I'd bet that most would.

Another option is a young rabbit. Again, not all ball pythons would take a rabbit, either. For that matter, not all ball pythons will eat rats.


The toughest part of you using something else would be choosing the appropriate size. Based on using large rats, you'd look for a meal that is likely in the 100-150 gram range.

This is just a suggestion based on previous experiences I've had when rats weren't available at all in my area. T's been quite a while since I had to go that route, as I now breed rats. Don't crucify me, people....


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Originally Posted by Skittles1101

Unfortunately, you can't feed store bought chicken and especially not fish to a ball python. You can buy frozen rats or mice at any Petco or pet store. You just thaw that out and then warm it up using hot (not boiling) water, and you can feed it that way. You don't have to use a live rodent...

He would technically be okay for a few weeks, but it's not ideal. They should eat once every 7-10 days or so...

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actually you could feed store bought uncooked chicken if you get the appropriate size piece. Years ago I had a buddy that used to feed chicken from the grocery store to his big snakes all the time.


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If u go to a reptile store the feeders they sell will be fine and the patron should even be able to kill the rat or mouse for you. Just ask.

If not im sure a local kid would love to feed your snake for free. Handleing rats and everything

ChristyAmber, when you put 10 reptile owners in a room you'll get 12 different opinions. The FACTS are that this snake will be fine without food for three weeks. Should it be offered food? Yes, it should. Is not eating for 3-4 weeks going to harm it in ANY way? No, it's not. So here's MY opinion: If you're unsure/creeped out/worried etc. then either wait until the owner returns or take it to an exotic pet store and they will feed it for you and charge you for the meal. Feeding it wrong (a boiled rat, unable to deal with an aggressive rat, etc.) is much worse than just not feeding it at all for several weeks. I think most would agree with that. Anyone who has owned a BP for more than 3 weeks has seen them go off food for long periods of time. It's a non-issue.

Now, if you'd like my opinion about how FUBAR all this situation is, I'd be more than willing to give that later, just ask. I've never been accused of being PC, more than willing to speak my mind, but that's not the purpose if this thread ;)

This is not a big deal. Relax and either wait or take him to the pet store and let them do it.

Best of luck


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