Am I feeding my ball python the correct size?

[Bayalicious]

Hi y'all I had some questions and concerns about feeding. Some backstory I got Luna the ball python two weeks ago from a couple off of craigslist that they didn't hold her enough and wanted her to go to a better home where she'll be handled more. She came with her tank and hides and everything I only needed to buy more mice! They said they got her 7 months ago so she's around 8-9 months old, I weighed her recently and she sits around 208g after feeding, (I weighed her after 2 days). Her acclimation period was 5-6 days as she never left her old habitat. Thankfully she ate for me a medium mouse on schedule that they were feeding her on Tuesdays. This is her second feeding with me and I've noticed this time that she is more active right after she swallowed. She is currently still crawling all around her tank looking for more food and I'm wondering if I should give her an large mouse or small rat. I'm feeding her a 18g adult mouse.
I included pics to guage how big she is. Also enjoy the funny pic I got from tonight's feeding XD.

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[nikkubus]

She looks pretty skinny. I'd get her eating large mice (20-30g) for right now but switch her over to rat pups after she is stable at your house (about a month of eating without refusing). Them "not holding her enough" was probably what she would most prefer. Snakes don't enjoy being handled, though they can learn to tolerate it. I would not be handling her except when absolutely necessary until you get her switched over to rats and she has eaten them a few times. Getting her up to correct proportions is important and handling is only going to stress her and increase the chances she refuses food. I tend to feed every 5 days up until mine are about her size, but because she is behind, she should probably be eating every 5 days until she has the appropriate build, then back to every 7 days.

Switch her to weaned rats every 7 days once she hits 350g, which shouldn't take very long if she isn't refusing, and then small rats at 500g+ every 10-14 days.

Don't handle her within 48 hrs of eating. Start with brief handling, just a few mins at a time a couple times a week. When she seems like she is starting to get comfortable you can gradually increase the time you hold her. Do your best to always put her back when she is still pretty calm. If you wait till she acts up, it will reinforce her being that way to get put away.

[Bayalicious]

Okay that's what I thought too, she is skinny. I will get large mice for next week. I have only held her maybe 4 times and she doesn't seem stressed or seem to care, most of the time she crawls out of the tank to greet me when I change her water or clean up poop. Thank you for your advice I will try that and get her weight up! I have one medium mouse left in the freezer, can I give her that on top of the mouse she already ate or wait off until next week as she is still looking around the tank for more food. I'm thinking waiting until next week but just asking for confirmation.

[Erie_herps]

I second nikkubus' post 100%. Handling doesn't mentally do anything beneficial for the snakes, however it can stress them out. Wait until you get ~3-5 consecutive meals without refusal before handling. Until then don't handle at all except for necessary handling (ie maintenance). Unfortunately too many craigslist ads say that they didn't handle it enough or have enough time to "play" with it. Reptiles would be better not being handled or bothered but it is useful to handle them for exercise and so they don't get fat.

[nikkubus]

I have one medium mouse left in the freezer, can I give her that on top of the mouse she already ate or wait off until next week as she is still looking around the tank for more food. I'm thinking waiting until next week but just asking for confirmation.

To feed two in a row you have to do it immediately or it can cause regurge because the stomach acids aren't potent enough after starting to digest the first. Go ahead and wait 5 days, feed the medium, and in 5 more days do a large.

Here is this to help you know when to slow back down to 7 days:


Unfortunately, this doesn't show more underweight than "slim", but if you look at her spine, you will notice how the skin kind of hugs it instead of a gentle slope. She isn't severely emaciated, but certainly underweight.

[Bayalicious]

Okay I'll wait until next week, thank you. I bought a 3 pack so I had to use it all first. I will start her on large in two weeks then. Thank you for your help. The guy I got her from told me she eats medium mouse and I wasn't sure because it did look like she could eat bigger. I appreciate your advice and help!

[Bayalicious]

To feed two in a row you have to do it immediately or it can cause regurge because the stomach acids aren't potent enough after starting to digest the first. Go ahead and wait 5 days, feed the medium, and in 5 more days do a large.

Here is this to help you know when to slow back down to 7 days:


Unfortunately, this doesn't show more underweight than "slim", but if you look at her spine, you will notice how the skin kind of hugs it instead of a gentle slope. She isn't severely emaciated, but certainly underweight.

So I'm at Petco right now because there isn't reptile stores near me that sell frozen, and turns out I am feeding her large mice, the bag label says adult mouse 18g and the next size up would be small rat at 40g. I'm unsure if I should just get the small rat or keep with the adult mouse. There's no bigger mouse than the 18g one.

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[nikkubus]

So I'm at Petco right now because there isn't reptile stores near me that sell frozen, and turns out I am feeding her large mice, the bag label says adult mouse 18g and the next size up would be small rat at 40g. I'm unsure if I should just get the small rat or keep with the adult mouse. There's no bigger mouse than the 18g one.

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I'm not sure what all petco offers, but ~25g would be perfect. "small rat" are generally way too big, do they have rat pups?

[Bayalicious]

No there selection sucks! It goes hopper mouse 8g adult mouse 18g and then small rat 40g. I only have one snake so it's not worth bulk ordering online.
I did call one reptile store and they have adult jumbo mice 18-20g so about the same with Petco. They didn't have any smaller rats either.
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[nikkubus]

Even just getting one bag at a time, these days it seems to be cheaper to do rodentpro than petco because they are so much cheaper per rodent. I think petco charged me $15 a piece for small rats while I was waiting for my rodentpro order, not sure in your area, where a bag of 20 plus shipping these days is only 3.50 per.

A small rat is way too big. For right now just get some more 18g mice to buy you some time as well as make sure she bulks up a tad before trying to switch to rats. I would consider buying a bag of rat pups from rodentpro or similar to arrive before she runs out of the next 3 pack of mice.

You could try finding a snake breeder in you area that is willing to sell you partial bags of rodents. That's what I did when I just had a couple snakes, found someone by posting an add in CL "looking for someone to go in on rodentpro order with me to reduce shipping costs". Might be someone here willing to do it too, could post in the classified section to see.