22 year old BP eating frequency

[bpbabie]

Hi there! I have a 22 year old ball python who has been hunting a lot lately. I've read from many people here that you're not supposed to feed them mice more than once a week or rats more than once every other week, but I'm a little worried about the frequency of her hunting. My mom has also been harassing me about it and telling me that I need to be feeding her every time she hunts. Tonight she said that the snake is feeling light, so I just wanted to ask again; if a snake has had odd eating habits all her life, and now she's hunting a lot, should I continue not to feed her until the 1-2 weeks is up?

[Lord Sorril]

should I continue not to feed her until the 1-2 weeks is up?

Ball pythons can increase activity for a variety of reasons: hunger being the most common. The feed only once/week rule is designed to minimize the stress to the snake and its digestive system. I would recommend waiting to your next feeding interval and offering multiples and/or a larger prey item with greater total mass.

[GoingPostal]

What's the normal frequency and size of the meals? What's the snake weigh? Don't feed more than once a week, even that is really not enough time for the digestive changes to occur and go back to normal. I wouldn't feed more than every 10-14 days. It's possible she's not hunting at all, but maybe temps are off or have changed with the seasons, something new in the house, etc...