A large rat a week is a lot of food for a ball python, more than enough! They don't need to eat much, even if they look curious or aggressive or whatever, that doesn't mean they are hungry at all. If he a large rat and a mouse, he will have enough food to digest and utilize for the next couple of weeks. DON/T WORRY! THEY REALY DON;T NEED THAT MUCH FOOD! It freaked me out at first too, how infrequent they eat compared to us large-brained warm-bloods.