Larger Meals or More Frequent Feeds? And NAR snake

[NimbusPrime]

Hey guys! I have a 7 month old (he's 7 months and a week exactly! Sorry proud mommy moment ) mojave ball python who's currently feeding on live adult mice. He weighs, from my last vet visit, a little more than 400 grams. He eats one mouse ever five days. He lives currently in a 10 gallon tank on aspen bedding (looking to upgrade here pretty soon, he's getting bigger!). Hot side stays around 88-90 and the cold side is around 75. The humidity is 50-60% with an increase when he's shedding. He's shedding well, eating like a champ, and defecating regularly.

So my question to everyone is should I bump up his prey size or just keep up his current feeding regimen? After a meal, he hardly has a bump in his belly like you would expect. So, what should I do? Two mice at a feeding? Feed him ever four days instead of five? I'm not sure. On all other aspects his health is perfect. So, any feed back on this question would be extremely helpful!

As for the NAR (not acting right). My little buddy shed about a week ago and it came off in one piece and he looks gorgeous. But, ever since he shed, he's been acting...well not himself. I know that's kind of funny to say about a snake but I've noticed he's less social (or less tolerant of handling you could say) and more jumpy. He keeps sleeping outside of his hides too, which is strange. He's just...not himself, you know? Like my mom always likes to tell me, you can tell when your kid, animal or not, just isn't doing right.

I fed him today and he struck and constricted his mouse then let it go. I had to wiggle it in his face again to get him to eat it. He struck again and ate it. But, it took a long time for him to swallow it. It almost seemed like the mouse got stuck when it was still in his throat and not all the way down. It got me really worried. He got it down all the way though and seemed fine. I gave him a warm soak and he drank quiet a bit from his bath water. He stayed in the water but didn't poo. He's acting better right now, more like his usual self, but I'm still worried. Any thoughts or am I just worrying for nothing?

Thanks so much for your help guys! Anything to quell an overly anxious mother. Ha ha.

[Inarikins]

At 400 grams, he should be eating a prey item twice the size of a single mouse. So two mice, or if you can get him to switch, a rat weaner (or crawler).

What's your husbandry like? How are you measuring your temps? Can we get a picture of your enclosure? If you're feeding F/T is it possible it wasn't warmed up enough? I've had snakes strike and constrict but not actually eat it because it took them so long to get to the eating point it cooled down and they no longer considered it prey. Also, soaking isn't necessary. It's stressful and I don't do it unless I find a snake cuddled up with poop and/or covered in blood from exploded food items (gross I know).

[NimbusPrime]

Unfortunately I'd have to two mice then. Feeders are not readily available in my are (all I have is Petco). He won't take F/T, only live. I've tried several times but he's a finicky little thing. But when its live food he eats like a champ.

I'm measuring temps with prob thermometers and a hanging one on the cool side. Like I said his temps are 85-90 on the hot side and about 70-75 on the cool side. His humidity is about 50-60 but bumped up last week because he was shedding. The cooling thing isn't really the problem since its live prey and he took it after a little encouragement. He doesn't seemed too stressed by a soak, it actually seemed to help. I try to clean him off after eats since he usually get peed and pooped on by the mice. I haven't soaked him in a long time and I thought it would help some and it seemed to.

[Inarikins]

Your temps sound off. Your hot-spot should be 88-92 and your ambient temps should be 78-82. It sounds like he's stressed due to improper temps and the soaking. Don't soak and try to correct your temps. What are you measuring your temps with? Do you have a UTH and if so how are you regulating it?

[NimbusPrime]

Well, I mean it is in that range, closer to the 90, I just gave you a range that it stays in. The ambient temps are mostly an estimate based on the room temp the tank is in. I use a UTH with a thermostat to regulate the heat. He's only been soak once in the past /month/ I really don't think that's the main problem. The temps are in the range they should be. I don't think that is the problem. He's never had any problems before and his tank's always been like this.