RP Hatchling Food

[Atrox]

I believe RP's and BP's are the same, I'm going to be getting one tomorrow and I want to make sure I get the correct food. Should a new hatchling be on pinkies?

[Lizardlicks]

Are you getting it from a breeder or a pet store? If your baby is coming from a breeder, they should be able to tell you what it's currently feeding on and how often. I believe the general rule of thumb is the prey item should be as big around as the thickest part of the snake. Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

[Atrox]

I'm getting it from a breeder, the breeder also supplies the only Reptile store in the area. He lives about 5 minutes walking distance from me, so even less travelling time for the snake.

[Lizardlicks]

Nice! He should definitely know what up with his snakes then. See what they're currently on and go with it. The snake is going to need food appropriate for its size as it grows. It's a good idea to invest in a cheap gram scale with a tare feature (to subtract out the weight of the tub!) about $15 buck from a big generic box store like Target or Walmart. Weighing your snake gives a much more accurate picture of growth than just eyeballing it, and if your noodle goes off food for a bit (which some balls do!) you can keep a lot more peace of mind knowing that it's still happy and healthy!

[Eric Alan]

Many hatchling ball pythons (royal pythons is the "across the pond name" for the same animal) need a little fuzz on their prey to get them interested, so most people skip pinkies all together. Typically, rat fuzzies are a good first meal for hatchlings. If they don't take those, mouse hoppers are a good alternative.

Like the person above said, check with the breeder - they should be able to make a good recommendation for you. My recommendation for hatchling BPs are an appropriate sized meal (as big as the fattest part of their body) every 3 to 4 days. It's really pretty amazing how much they'll eat and how quickly they grow when they're young.