First Tag ..... odd behavior too

[Argentra]

Well, he shouldn't be getting fuzzies at all. And that 'large' mouse is more like a weanling in weight! Sigh... The frozen pre-packed mice at Petco and Petsmart are BAD BTW, don't get those! They're also WAY overpriced.

Hmm, I would ask around here and see if anyone who breeds their own mice, or knows of a store that sells good feeders, lives near you. Chain stores should be a last resort for snake food...

[bigballs]

he could still be hungry but you did mention that he may be going into a shed and you also said he was very active squirming around your hands when you held him and that is not normal behaviour for him. because of one or maybe a combination of those reasons he may have been feeling a little stressed when you where handling him and i think he stuck at you in defence and not because of hunger. maybe give him a little time to get through his shed and try feeding again next week.

just a feelin...

[ThuSandman]

I'm in the Jackson, MS area. And yep... those were from PetFart. I've looked at mail order but shipping is so much and you have to buy in such quantity it seems. What weight mouse/rat should I be feeding him ya think? I don't want to get a whole BOX since as he grows I'll need to move up in size as well.

Well, he shouldn't be getting fuzzies at all. And that 'large' mouse is more like a weanling in weight! Sigh... The frozen pre-packed mice at Petco and Petsmart are BAD BTW, don't get those! They're also WAY overpriced.

Hmm, I would ask around here and see if anyone who breeds their own mice, or knows of a store that sells good feeders, lives near you. Chain stores should be a last resort for snake food...

[Jakob]

he was probably defending your honor. he knew that you had a hold of him and when he saw that floating Rogue Hand to his right he decided to protect you! im pretty sure everyone will agree with me!! (whatever)

when you say that you were holding him with your left hand and your right hand was just to the side of your left...does that mean you werent holding him with your right and it was just suspended next to him inside his cage? this might have been an issue.

[blackcrystal22]

I'm in the Jackson, MS area. And yep... those were from PetFart. I've looked at mail order but shipping is so much and you have to buy in such quantity it seems. What weight mouse/rat should I be feeding him ya think? I don't want to get a whole BOX since as he grows I'll need to move up in size as well.

He does eat frozen?
You could buy them online, shipping is a price but some places like American Rodent have shipping deals and it's free to some states. :]

[frankykeno]

A good site to get a feel for sizes of rodents (my rats though are larger than there's at all stages ) but at least it will give you an idea.

http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp...el=frozen_mice

Your snake likely needs two per week of the size you are feeding since they are closer to weanling mice than to "large adults".

What you observed with the head peeking out behaviour is called "lurking". Snakes like ball pythons that are ambush predators do this in order to remain in a safe place but be alert to prey moving near them. Normally you'll see lurking when they are hungry and either want to hunt or building up to hunting. I often see it in our snakes for about 24 hours prior to feeding night as they gear up to a feed. Sometimes a snake will just do it to peek out at the world but if they are doing it constantly, then it usually means...."when is dinner coming by?"

Now combine that with the fact that your snake is likely going into shed and you pretty much have the recipe for a tag. Not your fault, not the snake's fault, just a combination of circumstances that you can be more aware of now.

To learn about shedding here's a great link.....

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=28794

If the shed goes wrong......

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403

Welcome to the Bite Club!

[frankykeno]

I'm in the Jackson, MS area. And yep... those were from PetFart. I've looked at mail order but shipping is so much and you have to buy in such quantity it seems. What weight mouse/rat should I be feeding him ya think? I don't want to get a whole BOX since as he grows I'll need to move up in size as well.

You might check into local reptile shows. Often rodent feeder people vend at them. Also check under our Feeder forums to see recommended suppliers. Usually if you buy 100 mice you get a discount but make a list and phone around for the best bang for your buck. Personally I like www.themousefactory.com They aren't the cheapest out there but back when I fed f/t I was impressed with the quality of their rodents, their customer service and the quick processing and delivery of my orders.

If you are feeding adult mice then he'll never outgrow them. He may well need multiples of them as he matures but that's fine to do. Male BP's don't need a huge prey amount to stay healthy and most snakes in captivity are fed well above what they'd ever catch in the wild.

[Argentra]

Joanna said it: You can get a large order of 'large adult' mice because he'll never outgrow them, you'll just be giving him more in a feeding as he grows.

Lots better than my corns... I can only get 25 of any size at a time since they grow out of smaller ones quickly. Luckily Willard's Rodent Factory vends at the RMRExpo which is every 4 months.

[ThuSandman]

Once again.... thanks to everyone for their help!!
He is STILL very "active" so I am just leaving him alone for now. Just ordered some nice meeces from rodentpro as ya'll suggested. I'll have to feed him once more before they arrive. I think they don't ship again until Tuesday. So I am thinking I will feed him two of these so called Large Adult Mice I have.... since they appear to be almost HALF the size of a REAL Large Adult Mouse.