What is my ball python trying to tell me ??

[tttaylorrr]

I have 2 thermostats in there, and also another one for humidity.

i think you're confusing thermoMETER with a thermoSTAT. a thermoMETER just measures temperature, a thermoSTAT regulates a heat source and does so using a probe connected to the thermoSTAT.

you NEED a thermoSTAT with a UTH: they can reach over 100° easily and quickly and kill your snake. burns are not a matter of IF but WHEN with an unregulated UTH. here is an amazon link to an affordable thermostat or you can run to a home improvement store and pick up a lamp dimmer for ~$15. PLEASE unplug the UTH and get something regulating it ASAP. a snake will be fine without belly heat for a day or two if the ambient temperatures are within proper range.

[zina10]

Welcome and it looks like you are off to a good start, apart from a couple of hiccups.

Adult mouse and small rat isn't a big size difference.

Some BPs will eat both, but usually they form a preference. And if mice are offered, that preference is often mice!

The only problem with that is that over time, even a adult mouse is sort of a "small" meal. You would have to more then one in one setting to make up for that.
Not all BP's will eat more then one rodent in one setting. So you see where that can potentially turn frustrating. I don't think its so much that rats are higher in nutrition, but that with ONE appropriate sized
rat you can give all the nutrition needed, but with only 1 Mouse you will eventually be short on nutrition, unless your BP will eat more then one in one feeding.

For that reason I feed all my BP's rats from the get go. Never offer mice. For me this has worked just fine.

Since you already ordered the mice, you can feed them off. If one becomes to small a meal, see if your snake will take 2. You possibly risk your snake not taking rats after being used to mice that long, too, but then again, you might be lucky and he won't care one way or another

And yes, your snake IS nervous of you right now, that is why he won't take the food from you yet. In the wild, they are at their MOST vulnerable while they eat. They can't defend themselves, they can't get away easily. Until they feel safe, they will not eat.

Your snake will get used to its new home and routine and may get comfortable to "grab" food from you, but even leaving it in the cage is no big deal. Some just prefer it that way and its actually kind of nice for the handler too. If you have one of those snakes that shoot out of their tub (or cage) to grab the rodent midair before you can even open the enclosure halfway, that will get your heart beating, hahaha..

edited to say: ThermoSTATS are crucial. They are one of the items that are non-negotiable when keeping Ball Pythons..the one TTTaylorrr linked you too is a great one at a great price. But yes, to many snakes end up with nasty burns on unregulated Under tank heaters. Remember, they are supposed to be set around 90 degrees. Our bodies run on 98 degrees Fahrenheit. So if a heat mat feels "warm" to us, or even almost hot, it is waaayyyy to hot for a Ball Python. A cheap temperature gun (can be found for around $15) is a great tool, too, you can take instant temp readings. Of your heat tape, substrate, etc etc

[tttaylorrr]

Adult mouse and small rat isn't a big size difference.

in my head there is i can't even remember the last time i've seen a mouse. sorry for getting that wrong!

[zina10]

in my head there is i can't even remember the last time i've seen a mouse. sorry for getting that wrong!

Well, it depends on where you get it from.
If you buy them in stores , you often get "weanling" rat sized, if you buy a small one. Then its definitely like a large/adult mouse.
If you order online frozen ones, a small rat can be up to twice the size then a large mouse. But usually, about 1 1/2 or so.

In my experience

[sneksNferts]

Lol, I was gonna say, an adult mouse the size of a small rat seems like a biga** hulk of a mouse. I think the rat pups in my freezer are about adult mouse size.

[zina10]

Adult can mean young adult or retired breeder. Which varies in size.

An adult mouse can be around 40 grams.

A small rat (depending on where you get it) can be around 35 to 80 grams. In petstores you often get that on the lower end, with frozen ones usually around 60 grams.

There are simply pretty wide variances. Best bet is to go by the snakes size and aim for leaving a small bump. Usually meaning the rodents girth should meet the snakes girth, both at their widest size.

[sneksNferts]

I only know the sizes at Petsmart and Big Cheese lol.

At BC, a JUMBO Mouse is 30-50 and a small rat is 50-90