Yep, another feeding question

[Snape]

Alright, I've had my BP a year, he was 3 months when I got him, he's now just about 3 ft long and a month ago I started him up on small rats. They are perfect size-wise for him as they're the same width, and they're pretty meaty rats regardless. Anyway, I JUST fed him today and I went to check on him just walking by his tank and he popped his head out like I hadn't fed him yet and was ready for the next rat! I really don't think I should be going to two small rats a week, but, any suggestions?

[JLC]

Just let him wait until his next feeding. Adult ball pythons can easily thrive on one small rat every seven days. If you think about it, that's way more than they would actually catch and eat in the wild. He'll be fine.

[Snape]

He's just such a little eating animal. He'll eat anything whenever, I just hate when he's half way out of his hide every time I walk by and he almost springs at me.

Yesterday when I got the rat home, he hopped out of his hide and took a shot at the glass before I even had the rat out of the box he was in, lol! Then the rat got in and before it knew where it was, it was done.

Even when I first bought him, when I didn't know much about husbandry, I put him in his 10 gal let him sit for about 5 minutes and then dropped a mouse in there with all my friends sitting around watching, took him about 2 minutes before he attacked it and got it. Which by everyone else's standards, is pretty rare.

[JLC]

Hehe...just be glad you got such a great eater!! It beats pulling your hair out every week or two trying to figure out exactly what the heck it is they want!

[ama1997]

Just be careful that he doesnt grab you hand thinking its a rat.

[Snape]

He's pretty obvious on his feeding aggression. When he's going to attack, he sticks his head and upper body out flying at any movement, otherwise he's jumping away from me getting under his hide as much as possible.

Cute little guy! Has never even come close to striking at me, yet demolishes each meal, first snake and the best!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

BP do stay in feeding mode for a little while even after they ate. If given the opportunity of course your BP would likely eat another one, however this does not mean he needs to.

An adult does not need anything more than one small rat a week.

My biggest BP don’t get anything larger than 1 small rat a week (45/65 grams) and they are thriving and eating with consistency.