Let's Discuss Dietary Requirements for Ball Pythons

[Skiploder]

From Meal size effects on the postprandial metabolic response of Bothrops alternatus (Serpentes: Viperidae)
Rodrigo S. B. Gavira1,2 & Denis V. Andrade1

"As the cost of meal digestion varied proportionally with the energy content of the meal, the relative cost of meal digestion (i.e., SDA coefficient) was not affected by meal size. Thus, the ingestion of a large or small prey accounted for the same relative energetic investment.

However, in absolute terms, larger prey still provides an energetic return substantially greater than smaller prey. In fact, whereas the difference in the absolute cost of digestion between G20% compared with G5% represents an additional investment of only 95 kJ.kg- 1, the absolute energy return obtained from a 20% prey is 1,257 kJ.kg-1 greater than that provided by the ingestion of a 5% prey (see Table I). Therefore, for a sit-and-wait snake species, the acquisition of a single large meal may still result in important energetic advantage compared to a small meal item, even if they have the same relative cost. Furthermore, the successful capture of a large prey item may result in important ecological advantages related to survival, growth, and allocation of time and energy to different activities (GREENE 1983).

Again, food for thought. Sit and wait snake species (female ball pythons) benefit from larger infrequent meals.

More active species, conversely do better with smaller more frequent meals.

One rule does not hold reign. What works for a female ball python may not work as well for a younger male ball python and certainly does not work for a cribo or other active hunter.