Correct Rodent Size for BP?

[Aidenfree50]

Hello everyone, so I have a question concerning what size rat to feed my ball python. I have had my Super
Mojave BP for a little over a year and I got her when she was a year old. I started out feeding her small
mice consistently and have slowly went up to a medium sized rat. She currently weighs 1,116 grams and I
just fed her her first medium sized rat which weighs 85-149 g. I had previously been feeding her smaller
rats every 7-10 days and was wondering how many days I need to wait to feed her again now that she's on
a medium sized rat. I'm asking because every chart/article online tells me something different and was
hoping someone could help me figure out the correct amount of days in between each feeding.

Also does she seem to be around a healthy weight for her age? She is 28 months old and weighs 1,116
grams. When I got her she was extremely small and the seller told me she was given back to him because her first owner was not feeding her properly and I've always wondered if she was behind in her growing
because of that.

Best,
Aiden:)

[Waterman]

To wouldn’t go any sooner than 14 days. I have a bp that just started eating mediums…going 3 weeks between myself.

[Snow Balls]

2 weeks should be fine, or a small weekly


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[Hugsplox]

2 weeks should be fine, or a small weekly


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Agreed, I have my male on a 2 week schedule on what my shop calls mediums. I've said this before but sometimes it's hard to give feeder size advice because different pet shops and f/t supplies label their rat sizes differently. My guy eats "mediums" but by weight his feeders are what most would consider smalls.

[Bogertophis]

...When I got her she was extremely small and the seller told me she was given back to him because her first owner was not feeding her properly and I've always wondered if she was behind in her growing
because of that....

I just want to add that you shouldn't try to make up for the past by over-feeding- it won't help. Feed well but don't over-do it- snakes are best grown slowly with patience- they'll "get there" in their own time, even if someone under-fed them in the past.

[Snow Balls]

Agreed, I have my male on a 2 week schedule on what my shop calls mediums. I've said this before but sometimes it's hard to give feeder size advice because different pet shops and f/t supplies label their rat sizes differently. My guy eats "mediums" but by weight his feeders are what most would consider smalls.

Same thing with my local shop, their weaned rats are gigantic and look identical to their small rats. I've found that most f/t suppliers are pretty accurate across the board with sizing

[Bogertophis]

I would also add that it's better to feed a rodent that's "too small" than to feed one that's too big. And please realize that snakes survive in the wild without regular meals, much less any reference to size charts & carefully-weighed rodents.

[CloudtheBoa]

My bp was 1,400 grams when I finally got him on a regular feeding schedule. During the 3-4 year period where he may have eaten a dozen times (quite literally), he was maybe 1,100-1,200. I ended up settling on rats 40-80 grams every 2-3 weeks, because the usual 80-150 gram medium rats just meant he wanted to eat every 2 months. He held a heavier weight and never missed meal eating the smalls every 2-3 weeks vs the mediums however often I could get him to take them. He was 13 when he passed, so maybe a baby is more ok with bigger prey items, but I personally would just be feeding smalls every other week myself.