Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 831

0 members and 831 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,905
Threads: 249,104
Posts: 2,572,100
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, Pattyhud
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15
  1. #1
    Registered User Scirlygirl's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-04-2013
    Posts
    215
    Thanks
    42
    Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts

    New prey items, what do you think?

    So I'm thinking about trying different rodents for my ball pythons. But I want your opinions on the following:

    1. Rabbits (kits not adults)
    2. Guinea pigs (small ones)
    3. Hamsters
    4. Gerbils
    5. Quail/chicks

    How healthy are they? Surely in the wild they eat other things besides mice and rats. I would be purchasing frozen so no live. Also what are your experiences with these? Did your snakes prefer them over mice/rats? Did they go better on any of them?

    Thanks in advance!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Wapadi's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-26-2010
    Location
    Coronado, CA
    Posts
    667
    Thanks
    913
    Thanked 244 Times in 179 Posts
    Pound for pound rats are the second most nutritious meat on the planet.
    Quail being number one.


    And balls eat rodents in Africa so why mess with a sure thing. Surely all of the ball python breeders in the world are not doing it wrong
    Loads of balls around here
    1.0 Hubby, 1.0 New Son, 1.0 Dachshund







  3. #3
    BPnet Royalty KMG's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-09-2012
    Location
    Tx
    Posts
    5,633
    Thanks
    1,032
    Thanked 2,944 Times in 1,958 Posts
    Images: 55
    You have a source selling those cheaper than mice or rats?
    KMG
    0.1 BP 1.1 Blood Python 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa 1.0 Aru Green Tree Python
    0.1 Emerald Tree Boa 0.1 Dumeril Boa 0.1 Carpet Python 0.1 Central American Boa
    0.1 Brooks Kingsnake 0.1 Speckled Kingsnake 1.0 Western Hognose
    0.1 Blonde Madagascar Hognose 1.0 Columbian Boa

    1.1 Olde English Bulldogge 1.0 Pit Bull

  4. #4
    Registered User Scirlygirl's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-04-2013
    Posts
    215
    Thanks
    42
    Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts

    New prey items, what do you think?

    Quote Originally Posted by KMG View Post
    You have a source selling those cheaper than mice or rats?
    Maybe I just have the money


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Scirlygirl; 07-23-2014 at 07:55 AM.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Scirlygirl For This Useful Post:

    andyroof1979 (07-23-2014)

  6. #5
    BPnet Senior Member Archimedes's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-29-2012
    Location
    York, PA
    Posts
    2,073
    Thanks
    922
    Thanked 859 Times in 614 Posts
    Images: 1
    In the wild, they nest in ASF burrows, eat the inhabitants, and move to a new ASF burrow. honestly why shell out extra cash for feeders when you can use it to buy another snake and feed them what they're born and bred to eat?

    not to mention that getting a BP hooked on something like gerbils can end up in a much higher bill than i'd care to pay, seeing as they're mostly bred as pets. and it's a struggle and a half to get them back to rats, should you ever make that choice.
    Last edited by Archimedes; 07-23-2014 at 08:03 AM.
    1.1 Ball Pythons
    a) Calliope 0.1, Banana Ball, 2018/19 season, 600g
    b) Geralt 1.0 Chocolate Sable Mojave pos. Trick ball, May 27th 2020

    3.2 Cats (Fury, Leviathan, Walter, Chell, Amelie); 2.0 Dogs (Bjorn, Anubis); 2.1 Ferrets (Bran, Tormund, Arya); 0.1 Beardie (Nefertiti); 0.1 Slider Turtle (Species uncertain) (Papaya); 2.0 Hermit Crabs (Tamatoa, Sushi); 0.1 Conure (Mauii); Two Axolotyls (Quetzl and Unnamed); Two Tree Frogs (Pluto and Colossus); One Anole (Zeus); One Crestie (Noferatu); 3.0 Guinea Pigs (Paco, Poncho and Piccolo); 0.1 Pink Toe T (Azula)

    Fish:
    1.1 Oscar Cichlids (Rocky 1.0, hx2020, Red Fire, and Bubble 0.1, hx2019, Tiger), 1.1 Convict Cichlids (Hurley and Sloane), 0.1 Strawberry Peacock Cichlid (Comet), Two Plecos, Rubby the Rubbernose Pleco and Trinidad the common Pleco, 2.0 Upside Down Catfish (Poseidon, Neptune), One Red Parrot Cichlid (Firefly), 1.0 Betta Fish (Jenkins),
    2.2 Cherry Barbs ("The Worst"), 1.0 Electric Blue Acara (Goldeneye)

  7. #6
    Registered User Scirlygirl's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-04-2013
    Posts
    215
    Thanks
    42
    Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts

    New prey items, what do you think?

    Quote Originally Posted by Wapadi View Post
    Pound for pound rats are the second most nutritious meat on the planet.
    Quail being number one.


    And balls eat rodents in Africa so why mess with a sure thing. Surely all of the ball python breeders in the world are not doing it wrong
    I have a couple picky eaters. Trying something new could work. Of course they eat rodents in the wild. I just listed a bunch of rodents. It's not like ball pythons in the wild eat white rats. If I want to switch my prey items for my picky eaters I have that right. I Never said it was wrong to just feed snakes rats. Goodness.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Scirlygirl; 07-23-2014 at 08:00 AM.

  8. #7
    Registered User Scirlygirl's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-04-2013
    Posts
    215
    Thanks
    42
    Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts

    New prey items, what do you think?

    Quote Originally Posted by Archimedes View Post
    In the wild, they nest in ASF burrows, eat the inhabitants, and move to a new ASF burrow. honestly why shell out extra cash for feeders when you can use it to buy another snake and feed them what they're born and bred to eat?

    not to mention that getting a BP hooked on something like gerbils can end up in a much higher bill than i'd care to pay, seeing as they're mostly bred as pets. and it's a struggle and a half to get them back to rats, should you ever make that choice.
    Are ASF more appetizing do you think? I have a couple picky eaters that aren't eating for me since adopting them back in March. Honestly, I appreciate everyone trying to look out for me by telling me to do rats because it's the most effective and cheap. But rats aren't working and I will spend money on my snakes so they eat again. All my other snakes are on rats so I have nothing against feeding them rats. I just want to know which is the best prey items besides rats


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Scirlygirl; 07-23-2014 at 08:10 AM.

  9. #8
    BPnet Senior Member Bluebonnet Herp's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-28-2012
    Location
    Helotes, TX
    Posts
    1,161
    Thanks
    1,405
    Thanked 475 Times in 315 Posts

    Re: New prey items, what do you think?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scirlygirl View Post
    Are ASF more appetizing do you think? I have a couple picky eaters that aren't eating for me since adopting them back in March. Honestly, I appreciate everyone trying to look out for me by telling me to do rats because it's the most effective and cheap. But rats aren't working and I will spend money on my snakes so they eat again. All my other snakes are on rats so I have nothing against feeding them rats. I just want to know which is the best prey items besides rats


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I've heard that ASF are like cocaine for BPs and once they're hooked on those, there's almost no going back to something else. I take it that they almost never refuse an ASF but will refuse everything else once they're started on them. Most people who feed them to their BPs will do so because they breed the ASF themselves and have an ample supply of them, instead of buying them so often for a higher price.

  10. #9
    Registered User Spike89's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-30-2014
    Location
    Lebanon, OH
    Posts
    193
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 41 Times in 33 Posts

    Re: New prey items, what do you think?

    Hmmmm how would one aquire these ASF rodents? Sounds interesting.

  11. #10
    Registered User Spike89's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-30-2014
    Location
    Lebanon, OH
    Posts
    193
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 41 Times in 33 Posts

    Re: New prey items, what do you think?

    Never mind for frozen ASF you can get them from americanrodent.com

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to Spike89 For This Useful Post:

    RustlewoodReptiles (08-05-2014)

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1