Rabbits?

I am new to the site, but I've owned my Ball Python for almost a year now. I got him as a hatchling and how he is almost 2 feet long. I know that most of the people that work at pet stores are highly undereducated about most of the reptiles that they sell, so I take their advise with a grain of salt. I have been feeding my BP small rats every week, and it's going great, but he is growing very fast (it seems faster still since I moved him from a 15gallon to a 30 gallon tank coencidence?) and I am concerned about what to feed him in the future. I have asked many people that either own BP's themselves or pet store emps. and i have looked on many sites, and most people say that after he graduates from small rats he will go on to full size rats then multiple rats then rabbits. When I first bought my BP I asked the place that I got him from what he would eat when full grown, and they said just rats. But after doing research more and more I hear rabbits. I really don't want to feed him a rabbit as I used to raise and breed rabbits myself, and don't know if I could stand to do it. Any advise or alternatives would be majorly helpful.

They can eat rabbits but you don't have to feed them that.you can just feed him or her rats.

Feeding rabbits is unneccessary. I've never heard of a ball python too big for a rat.

You ball python will be just fine on 1 small rat a week for its entire life. I have never heard of anyone ever recommending rabbits. Where did you see this?

I could search for a site again, but mostly from people that own BPs themselves at pet stores.

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Originally Posted by uniquendividual

I am new to the site, but I've owned my Ball Python for almost a year now. I got him as a hatchling and how he is almost 2 feet long. I know that most of the people that work at pet stores are highly undereducated about most of the reptiles that they sell, so I take their advise with a grain of salt. I have been feeding my BP small rats every week, and it's going great, but he is growing very fast (it seems faster still since I moved him from a 15gallon to a 30 gallon tank coencidence?) and I am concerned about what to feed him in the future. I have asked many people that either own BP's themselves or pet store emps. and i have looked on many sites, and most people say that after he graduates from small rats he will go on to full size rats then multiple rats then rabbits. When I first bought my BP I asked the place that I got him from what he would eat when full grown, and they said just rats. But after doing research more and more I hear rabbits. I really don't want to feed him a rabbit as I used to raise and breed rabbits myself, and don't know if I could stand to do it. Any advise or alternatives would be majorly helpful.

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A verryyy looonnggg time ago 1984 (YIPES!!) I had some bps full grown. I never fed them rabbits just the extra large rats. That seemed to hold them fine once every couple weeks. I think rabbits are more for the 6 foot plus boas ... someone please correct me if I am wrong on this.

Peace!!

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Originally Posted by uniquendividual

I am new to the site, but I've owned my Ball Python for almost a year now. I got him as a hatchling and how he is almost 2 feet long. I know that most of the people that work at pet stores are highly undereducated about most of the reptiles that they sell, so I take their advise with a grain of salt. I have been feeding my BP small rats every week, and it's going great, but he is growing very fast (it seems faster still since I moved him from a 15gallon to a 30 gallon tank coencidence?) and I am concerned about what to feed him in the future. I have asked many people that either own BP's themselves or pet store emps. and i have looked on many sites, and most people say that after he graduates from small rats he will go on to full size rats then multiple rats then rabbits. When I first bought my BP I asked the place that I got him from what he would eat when full grown, and they said just rats. But after doing research more and more I hear rabbits. I really don't want to feed him a rabbit as I used to raise and breed rabbits myself, and don't know if I could stand to do it. Any advise or alternatives would be majorly helpful.

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Rats all the way :cool: .

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Originally Posted by uniquendividual

I could search for a site again, but mostly from people that own BPs themselves at pet stores.

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They must have ball pythons confused with burms. Even a newborn rabbit is a big meal for ANY ball python.

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Originally Posted by uniquendividual

I could search for a site again, but mostly from people that own BPs themselves at pet stores.

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Key words (people from the pet stores):confused: :confused: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I have a large female ball python and she could take a small rabbit but why bother rats are just as good for them.

Here is one site that recommended rabbits as an adult BP, and this is just after 1 min of searching: Here

Right under the question should i feed my ball python rats or mice.

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Originally Posted by uniquendividual

Here is one site that recommended rabbits as an adult BP, and this is just after 1 min of searching: Here

Right under the question should i feed my ball python rats or mice.

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Pay no attention to that caresheet....some of the info seems a bit sketchy...

Here is a good one :)
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

Well thanks alot guys, I was so afraid that I would have to go through the agony of watching Spike kill a rabbit. Thanks again.

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

They must have ball pythons confused with burms. Even a newborn rabbit is a big meal for ANY ball python.

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Actually, a newborn rabbit is smaller than a mouse.
When my boy went off his feed all winter, and refused everything, he was finally tempted by a "pinkie" rabbit.

OK, first of all I worked in a pet store for six years and consider myself pretty knowledgeable, so don't let one oneducated unknowledgeable pet store emp ruin for the rest..;). Second of all, unless it was a very small not-even-weaned rabbit, I doubt there's many BPs that would be big enough to eat rabbits (unless you're counting Adam's super ginormous ones!) Rats are plenty big enough...

You can happily feed an adult BP on rats (no need to exceed a small or small/medium size) or on multiple mice it's whole life and have a lovely sized adult. No need to feed rabbits or jumbo rats or anything like that.

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Pay no attention to that caresheet....some of the info seems a bit sketchy...

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That caresheet wasn't that bad, I've seen worse. It had pretty much all the main points as the one you offered. The home remedies stuff on it I have heard before, but you can't win'em all! lol

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You can happily feed an adult BP on rats (no need to exceed a small or small/medium size) or on multiple mice it's whole life and have a lovely sized adult. No need to feed rabbits or jumbo rats or anything like that.

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I agree completely, but it's all preference too. You might have a rabbit farm next door too. Why not? Right? Me, I have many Boas (which some are very big) and I don't feed them rabbits...only xxxl rats. For me it's cheaper and more readily available.

Good luck!

Holy crap. The people who feed with rabbits must have the world's biggest BPs. Last time I checked, the world's best snakes get on the average of 3-5 feet long, and I would assume by the girth of my slightly overweight 3+ footer that there would be no possible way an average BP could even fathom eating a rabbit. I mean, mine has a hard time with gerbils (that is, when I lived in a state where it wasn't ILLEGAL to feed "companion" rodents to your snake, so I'm sure bunnies are out of the question too). For cryin' out loud, my friend has an anaconda who doesn't even need to eat rabbits!

My guess is the biggest you'll ever have to worry about MIGHT be adult rats, if he gets REALLY BIG. Next time you feed him, look at the part where the food is inside of him. That should be the widest spot on his body. If he's older than a few months, chances are that he'll be able to eat anything about as big around as that part of him (not including arms and legs). I know that my babe can eat rats about that wide, maybe even a few millimeters wider to accomodate for fur. And to tell the truth, if your baby thinks it's too big to eat, he won't eat it. But you'd be surprised... I've over estimated food size at the store and thought it wouldn't go down when I got it home, but had no problems.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../8/biggirl.jpg

This girl here has taken a few scented rabbits before,
but she normally gets her large rat every week or two.
But with it being so unnecessary to feed such large meals why bother.....
:grabbed: ? lol.

Firstly, I feed rats or mice, and would probably never feed a rabbit to my BP, but only because they are not easily available and cheap! Everyone seems to think rabbits are far too big but surely there are small rabbits? I found this pic instantly on google of a baby rabbit, surely its not too different in size from a large rat?...it is quite a lot cuter though!

http://brucearmstrong.net/holly/phot...7s%20hands.jpg

Well it is more of the fact that they can be hard
to get hold of,Can be pretty expensive,and that
there's just no need to feed them rabbits......

oooh Tefoe, that's a really nice lookin' girl, rabbit snacker or not..:D