Appropriate Feeding Portion

[ThyTempest]

Hey everyone,

Probably tired of all of my posts by now, but I like to be very informed before I make a commitment. I will be getting a rescue bp in just a few weeks, and I want to know what kind of feeders I should get. Since I would only have 1 snake, I ruled out breeding my own mice, and he wont take f/t, but I would prefer live anyway. I will probably end up buying all of my feeders at a reptile expo, probably 1-2 months of feeders at a time.

I dont have an actual measurement yet, but I would say he is a little under 3 feet right now, and with a diameter thats seems a little under 2 inches. If these seem really out of proportion, let me know and I can try to get some better measurements.

Would rats grow too quickly to be a viable option, since I would be housing them for at least a month. If not, then I will probably go the rat route so that I dont have to feed multiples anytime. Thus said, if I feed adult mice, is he big enough to need multiples yet, and if so, how many/what is the rule of thumb?

Thanks

[azak323]

rats do grow very quickly, so it's hard to keep them at the right size for a while. i've had this one rat for about a week now and he's already doubled in size. The best way to tell what size food to feed your snake is to feed him something that is about the same width as his girth. So, if your baby's mid-section is about as big as a mouse, then go with a mouse. if it is about the size of a rat, go with a rat. capiche?

[ThyTempest]

rats do grow very quickly, so it's hard to keep them at the right size for a while. i've had this one rat for about a week now and he's already doubled in size. The best way to tell what size food to feed your snake is to feed him something that is about the same width as his girth. So, if your baby's mid-section is about as big as a mouse, then go with a mouse. if it is about the size of a rat, go with a rat. capiche?

I know the whole width of the snake bit, but would that mean if the snake is twice as big around as the mouse, then 2 mice, or because they are significantly smaller, would more be needed?

[azak323]

yeah, thats about right. if he's not quite big enough for a rat but bigger than a mouse, go ahead and offer him 2. Chances are if he's not hungry anymore after the first one, he won't eat the second one. You could even offer him a third if you think he's still looking for more.

[NightLad]

Great advise so far. I don't feed multiple, so I can't help you there, but I thought I'd offer this size/feeding guide if you've not already seen it online.

[azak323]

awesome chart! i'll be using that myself.

[BMorrison]

Sticky the chart?

[azak323]

it's definitely useful!

[SatanicIntention]

If it's an adult male, go for 2 adult mice. It will be helpful to weigh the snake when you get it to know how much to feed.