I have 44 Ball Pythons now and ONLY feed mice. My most recent addition, an 02/03 Hypo male who had only eaten rats his entire life, and the breeder didn't think he would switch, ate mice the first week he was here.

I feed them because I only feed live and they only get SO big, unlike rats. I can also keep more of them in a smaller area. I also prefer to vary the amount the snakes get each time so they aren't always expecting 2 or 3 or however many they get.

Also, I have pet rats and I'm not about to bring unquarantined rats into my house. It would be like bringing plague-infested fleas into my house and hoping I don't catch it and die.

I buy about 220-260 mice every month, but at 45 cents apiece, it's not breaking the bank at all. I can deal with $100 a month to feed that many animals.