rats

[xXGregXx]

hey guys well my bp is about 2 1/2 feet long pretty close 2 3 ft u guys think i should try and switch him 2 small rats?

[Adam_Wysocki]

A ball python can spend it's entire life eating mice. Unless there's a reason that you'd rather he eat rats (cost, accessibility, etc) ... no.

-adam

[Dylan]

adam how many mouse do a full grown ball eat. or is 1 ever 5 days ok?

[xXGregXx]

yea but when i feed my bp a mouce it doesnt look like its feeling him up cuz i cant c a lump in his stomach so0o0 that why i was asking about the rats

[fehlend_mich]

If you're feeding him large adult mice and are unable to see a lump in his stomach, then I would (personally) switch to rats or you could try offering him two (slightly smaller than what you've been feeding him) mice. This is somewhat off topic, and I'm sure you already know, but I viewed your pictures and just wanted to say that handling a bp while shedding can cause unnecessary damage to the new layer of skin.

[xXGregXx]

wat about my pix? when i got my bp he already finished a shed i havent had a shed with him im probably going 2 switch him 2 small rats. i got another ? around his nose is a lil blue what the heck is that? lol

[Adam_Wysocki]

yea but when i feed my bp a mouce it doesnt look like its feeling him up cuz i cant c a lump in his stomach so0o0 that why i was asking about the rats

Who says that you "have to" see a lump in his stomach. Ball pythons aren't actually designed to eat every week, so feeding 52 mice a year give or take is fine. If your snake is constantly roaming his enclosure looking for food and feeding ultra aggressively every week, bump him up to two adult mice. For a male, that is plenty.

-adam

[Adam_Wysocki]

adam how many mouse do a full grown ball eat. or is 1 ever 5 days ok?

1 or 2 adult mice every 7 days is plenty for a full grown ball python that is not otherwise losing weight.

For animals that are in a breeding program that won't eat rats, several mice are required to make up for the nutritional toll that breeding takes.

-adam

[daniel1983]

I agree with adam completely. Thor is currently 27 in long, 305 grams and eats 2 adult mice every 5 days (for the past 3 feedings). I see that is just fine. And after he eats them both I don't actually see a bump.....he just looks fatter. He went into shed on a day before his feeding day this week, so he is missing a meal(first time in 5 months). I might offer 3 just to see what happens since he has not had a meal since last Monday.

[xXGregXx]

if i where 2 try and feed rock 2 mice on his feeding day how should i do it give him 1 and then wait wat an hour and give him the second 1?