Ball Python Breathing Heavily

[AlexisEverette]

I adopted a ball python recently. He's 4 years old and the family who had him before said they were feeding him jumbo rats. I fed him a few medium rats until I could find bigger feeder rats. I gave him a large rat and he seemed to be breathing really heavily after. He also sometimesjust randomly opens his mouth really wide. I havent noticed any clicking to indicate RI. Is this normal?

[blk02ssmonte]

They will randomly kind of "yawn" or it was re-aligning his jaws after he ate. The breathing could have been from the feeder. By the sounds of it the prey is too big for him. There are some exceptions but most of the adult ball pythons will eat a medium rat. None the less what is the husbandry? Temps, humidity, enclosure?

[jbzapanda]

Jumbo rat seems like a huge prey item for a ball.. even for a female. Do you mean mice? And I agree with what was said above

[AlexisEverette]

Jumbo rat seems like a huge prey item for a ball.. even for a female. Do you mean mice? And I agree with what was said above

No, I mean a rat. And as I said, the family BEFORE me gave him jumbo rats. I just gave him a large. It wasn't too big. It was slightly smaller than the largest part of his body.

[PitOnTheProwl]

No, I mean a rat. And as I said, the family BEFORE me gave him jumbo rats. I just gave him a large. It wasn't too big. It was slightly smaller than the largest part of his body.

An adult ball python does not need more than a small or medium rat. Anything larger can be over feeding.

[bcr229]

An adult ball python does not need more than a small or medium rat. Anything larger can be over feeding.

Thank you. Males should be fine on a schedule of one medium rat every 2-3 weeks.

Now that said, depending on the source there can be a wide size variation between a vendor's "large", "extra large", and "jumbo" rats, which is why I weigh them before feeding those sizes to my boas and retics.

[AlexisEverette]

Thank you. Males should be fine on a schedule of one medium rat every 2-3 weeks.

Now that said, depending on the source there can be a wide size variation between a vendor's "large", "extra large", and "jumbo" rats, which is why I weigh them before feeding those sizes to my boas and retics.

He's still hungry after two medium rats. He will attack my hand and constrict it.

[JodanOrNoDan]

He's still hungry after two medium rats. He will attack my hand and constrict it.

This is not "normal" behavior. I max my males out on small rats. Can you post a picture of your animal and possibly weigh it?

[bcr229]

This is not "normal" behavior. I max my males out on small rats. Can you post a picture of your animal and possibly weigh it?

It can be if the snake is still in food/hunting mode after eating. It can take them up to 48 hours to settle down.

[JodanOrNoDan]

It can be if the snake is still in food/hunting mode after eating. It can take them up to 48 hours to settle down.

Wow. I have never seen this with a male especially with that size prey. I have only had this happen once and it was with a female that had just went back on food after laying.