Ball python displaying feeding aggression when there is no food - still hungry?

[Hanno]

I have a pastel male with a great feeding response. He always rises out of his tub for food, never had a problem getting him to eat, but this week it seems to have become too much of a good thing:

I fed my pastel yesterday and then left him alone to digest. He gets one small f/t every week which he eats vigorously. He has been fine until now, and the small mouse is almost the width of his body. Today, I noticed as I walked by his tub that he was displaying a feeding response. He came at me when I opened the tub and wouldn't snap out of it until I sprayed him with water. He typically only does this when he can smell mouse in the room and is generally quite docile. Is it possible that I'm not feeding him enough, or is he just being cantankerous?

[200xth]

How big is your snake? A small mouse is too small for almost any BP except a hatchling.

[Hanno]

The pastel in question is about an inch in diameter, around a foot and a half in length. What you said confuses me a bit though. I happen to have a hatchling also, and I'm pretty sure he couldn't cram down a small; if he did he'd look like a sock with a tennis ball in it.

[200xth]

The pastel in question is about an inch in diameter, around a foot and a half in length. What you said confuses me a bit though. I happen to have a hatchling also, and I'm pretty sure he couldn't cram down a small; if he did he'd look like a sock with a tennis ball in it.

How much does your snake weigh and how much does the mouse weigh? It's easier for me to tell from two weights how big each is than descriptions which can vary from place to place.

My hatchlings get hoppers until they reach about 90g to 95g, then they are switched to adult mice. Even so, I've fed adult mice to hatchlings occassionally, and while it was on the large size and they needed an extra day to digest it, they did fine.

[Hanno]

Aha! I understand what you're getting at now, and I kind of want to strangle the guy who insisted that I go by width rather than weight. I feel like a bad pet owner for not questioning it further right away. My snake has been acting fine until recently - I hope that means that he hasn't been going hungry for very long.

By the way, thank you for responding so quickly.

[Hanno]

I am pleased to report that I've started the bugger on a second small until I can purchase larger mice

[200xth]

Aha! I understand what you're getting at now, and I kind of want to strangle the guy who insisted that I go by width rather than weight. I feel like a bad pet owner for not questioning it further right away. My snake has been acting fine until recently - I hope that means that he hasn't been going hungry for very long.

By the way, thank you for responding so quickly.

You can definitely do by width, it's just on the internet it's easier for me personally to judge sizes by weights.

Feeding by width is perfectly good, though. Just get the prey about the size of the thickest part of the snake.

Wouldn't worry about it too much. A few undersized feedings aren't going to matter much in the long run. Get his food sized correct and he'll be fine in no time.

[bcr229]

That's a rather tiny meal for that ball python. The feeder should be about the width of his body at his widest point.

Since your snake is hungry anyway, take advantage and switch him over to rats.