Poor guy!Well, I'm glad he survived the ordeal with the rat, but it's always hard when something like that happens, and they get scarred both physically and psychologically.
First of all, how are you measuring your temps? If you don't have a digital thermometer, I would recommend going out and getting one asap, because if you're using those stick on dial ones, those temps could be off. Second, he definitely needs those 2 hides you were talking about, one on each end, and make sure they are big enough that he can fit into but not huge. They should still be small enough so that he feels secure. Also, there needs to be more of a temperature difference between the warm and cool sides, the warm end is perfect at 90-92, but the cool end should be more like 80-82.
Four months isn't that long for a ball python, especially an 8 year old (of either gender) during the winter season. I would say he's probably still getting over his breeding fast, and just to keep offering every week. He also could still be re-adjusting after being moved from your friend's house to yours. From those pics it definitely looks like he could take a large mouse and maybe a small rat, but if he's afraid of rats then there's not much you can do.
Making sure the temps and humidity are correct, and adding those 2 hides should help too!! Good luck
Reply With Quote