feeder size

[Arcane86]

hi all, i was just wondering when its time to upgrade to a bigger size of rat for my ball.
shes approx 16inchs, and eating f/t rat pups.
when do i know when to switch her to a bigger size or offer her 2 rat pups or what.
thanks for the help!

[tmlowe5704]

just feed slightly less than your snake's girth

[bearhart]

I also watch post-feed behavior. If your snake remains active after the feed, seems to be looking around, and generally gives you the impression that he just had a light snack - its too little.

Also, I watch the behavior over the week. I try to shoot for a meal size that knocks him out for a couple of days and keeps him pretty chilled out until right before feeding day. If he starts hunting more than two days before feeding day then I usually feed early and/or increase the serving size.

Also, keep in mind that you can also increase the number of prey items offered during the feed. Previously, I was feeding singles and increasing the size. I've found that its much harder for the snake to swallow and really limits the amount you can feed him. Instead, I've switched to feeding 2 or 3 small prey items at one time.

[SatanicIntention]

Hun, if I did that with most of mine, they would look like scaley hippos. I have one little 300-350g baby who is intent on eating my face/hands/fingers regardless of if she has had one mouse or three. These aren't fuzzy mice or anything, just to be clear. She gets 1-2 adult mice and that's it, because she doesn't NEED anymore. It is only until the day after feeding that she actually will calm down(retic feeding response).

[rabernet]

Same as Becky here - they get fed one day a week and that's it, and fed only what they need, not what they "could" eat.


I think Adam said it best once before - his son would eat an entire bag of cheetos if he let him. Just because he CAN, doesn't mean it's good for him. Just because mine "could" eat more and more frequently, doesn't mean that they should.

And if they refuse one week and look hungry before the next feeding day - oh well - bullseye or bust for my crew.

[NickMyers03]

just feed slightly less than your snake's girth

actually you feed a little more than your snakes girth so that he has a small bulge after feeding.

find one prey item that is the correct size to fill him up but not to big. i showed you the rodent pro site and if you are feeding one now that is smaller than should be i would step up to the next size. and feed once a week as the others said..

[bearhart]

Yea mine is a very strong feeder. After tonight I'm definately convinced he can't be trusted to not over-eat (3 adults and he's only 30"). But, my decision to try feeding him this much was based on the fact that he was clearly ready to eat again by day 4. On the other hand, he was still knocked out in bed on day 2. I do still think that post-feed activity is a good indicator. But, I'm less sure about how often to feed. Weeks are a human invention and so "once a week" is convenient for us. This makes me unsure about the schedule when he's checking every little corner in his cage on day 5.

Thing is that my boy never used to be like this but I swear lately he's gone mouse crazy. He throws down small adults like nothing and as soon as he's had a good "movement" he's is ready and rarin'. Maybe he needs a 12-step program or something. Maybe I do...

[rabernet]

actually you feed a little more than your snakes girth so that he has a small bulge after feeding.

Actually you don't. I never want to see a bulge when I feed, if I have, I've overfed.

Smaller appropriately sized weekly meals will lead to a more consistently feeding snake (I have sixteen ball pythons in my collection that ate the entire winter, I did not experience the dreaded "winter fast" with any of mine).

Mine consistently put on 75 to 100 grams a month during their first year of growth.

Ball pythons are opportunistic feeders and if given the chance WILL eat more than they require. That will lead to more frequent food refusals over the course of a year, often for a few weeks to a few months at a time.

As I said before, just because they can, doesn't mean that they should. Most ball pythons in captivity are overfed. They certainly don't get 52 meals a year in their natural environment.

[rabernet]

But, my decision to try feeding him this much was based on the fact that he was clearly ready to eat again by day 4. On the other hand, he was still knocked out in bed on day 2. I do still think that post-feed activity is a good indicator. But, I'm less sure about how often to feed. Weeks are a human invention and so "once a week" is convenient for us. This makes me unsure about the schedule when he's checking every little corner in his cage on day 5.

Based on your limited experience with owning a ball python, what indicators makes you believe that he's clearly ready to eat by day 4? Are you sure you're interpreting his actions correctly as hunger motivated?

Sure, he ate when you offered the food, because it was there, and ball pythons are opportunistic feeders, until they've had too much - and then they fast to catch up. Their wild instinct makes them eat when food is offered, because in the wild, it may be weeks, even months before they get another prey item. In captivity, they get meals handed to them 52 times a year.

Once a week is not just convenient for "us". Once a week is recommended from the years of hard work and studies done by folks like the Barkers, Kevin and Kara, BHB, etc - folks who are truely students of ball pythons with years of data.

I don't see any need to re-invent the wheel and second guess them, they've been working with these animals much longer than I have - why would my individual ball pythons have any different requirements than the thousands that they've collectively worked with and studied?

[NickMyers03]

each and every herper has their own method of feeding and so on. all of my snakes eat every time offered ( and only offered once a week ) unless in shed. only 2 do not eat while in shed. i have added a picture of my Mojave produced by Ron Crawford at RCReptiles.com and you can see a "slight" bluge about 1/3 down his body. people think that bulge means huge like a female in ovulation but this is what i am talking about. also given that he is turned the arch in his back makes it look larger than it is but you can see what i am talking about.