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feeding
My ball python has moved up to small rats for food. He has been eating them for a few weeks now, but now I see when i put one in her cage she keeps backing away when the rat gets close. Is it safe to leave it in the cage?
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 Originally Posted by dmigs717
My ball python has moved up to small rats for food. He has been eating them for a few weeks now, but now I see when i put one in her cage she keeps backing away when the rat gets close. Is it safe to leave it in the cage?
It can be if you're responsible about it.
I feed live and haven't had any serious incidents yet.
Some responsible live feeding tips:
1) Feed the appropriate size food. I like smaller and more frequent meals than larger and less often. Weanlings and small rats are safe and harmless(to some extent). They're also not as conscious to danger as an adult would be. Adult rats can pack a nasty bite and are much stronger at fighting back, which is why "smaller and more frequent" is the way to go. I feed all of my adults weaned/small rats once a week. And multiple smalls for the big girls. A medium size would be the max appropriate live size for a ball python.
2) Keep the feeder well fed and hydrated. They're less likely to see your snake as food. Hungry rats are dangerous rats. They will eat your snake if left unattended for extended periods of time. This is the reason for most snake killing incidences.
3) Don't dangle the live feeder. This puts them in panic mode. A freaked out feeder is a dangerous feeder. Gently place the feeder into your enclosure. Calm feeders are good.
4) Monitor your feedings and keep a tool, such as tongs, on hand to assist your snake in case the feeder tries to bite down during a constriction. I use a chop stick to stick in the feeder's mouth if its in a bad position.
5) Don't keep the feeder in with your snake longer than 30 mins max or so. Some people have a shorter time frame. If he doesn't eat within that time frame, take out the feeder and save it for next week.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Last edited by satomi325; 11-12-2012 at 12:26 PM.
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Re: feeding
Could not say it any better! I completely agree with the above response. I much prefer smaller consistent meals rather than big meals. Good luck!
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 Originally Posted by satomi325
x2
0;O
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