Most adults are happy with a single medium rat, two small rats, or large adult mice every one to two months. Female ball pythons do not eat while laying and incubating eggs and their energy needs increase significantly while ovulating. Because of this, a breeding female will need to be fed lots before she lays. Feed a gravid python a large rat once a week from when she first shows signs of ovulation until she lays. Continue to feed her for as long as she will eat to maintain that weight.
This helps to build fat reserves for the time after laying when she guards the eggs. Make sure a female is at least 1, grams before breeding. Breeding males only need a slight increase in their feeding and this will depend on how often they are used. If you only breed a male once, he will be fine with his normal feeding schedule. If you breed him with more than two females over a span of several days or weeks, increase his meals to every 14 days during this period.
Using live prey can feel more natural to beginners, but mice and rats can cause serious harm to your python. Especially if both animals are confined together in a small space.
While both methods are used by snake keepers, feeding pre-killed prey is both safer for your snake and more convenient for you. Pre-killed prey is sold frozen in most pet stores and can simply be thawed out prior to feeding. Ball pythons are happy to eat frozen-thawed prey, but snakes that have previously eaten live prey may take some time to adjust to dead prey. Ball pythons are nocturnal, so the best time for feeding is in the evening or just after you have turned out the lights.
Ball pythons are forgiving of feeding mistakes, though you should still do your best to avoid them in the first place. Many mistakes are the result of misinformation and can be easily corrected. Because ball pythons are naturally heavy-bodied it can be difficult to tell if they are overweight. Not too thin and not fat. Feeding your snake in its terrarium may not seem like a mistake, but it can cause some unintended behavioral problems.
It is best to feed your python in a separate feeding enclosure. This can be something as simple as a plastic bin or empty fish tank, provided it is secure and large enough. Reptiles have slower metabolisms than mammals and take longer to digest their food.
Handling with your ball python after it eats is unpleasant and stressful for them. Interrupting can even cause regurgitation. Leave your snake alone for 72 hours after eating , or until it shows only a slight bulge. After this time, your python should be long enough into digestion that normal handling is fine. Power feeding means feeding a ball python more than once a week.
It should not be done. How can I tell how old she is and sex? We have had her since January. She is healthy, sheds great, colorful, etc.. She was a great eater of frozen thawed large mice. I started feeding her 2 days a week back to back large mice. She will eat that every time! Everyone in the pet store in the snake department are telling to keep trying to feed her weaned rats.
I have tried everything. Getting a larger feeding tank, soaking the rat she likes wet mice. Someone told me I may have to switch to live! Also said mice are like dessert and they are very high in rat? I can see her spine a little bit. Do I say to hell with offering rats and feed her the large frozen mice do they make x large mice? Back to back? You may also be able to get a friend who has experience performing the procedure do it for you.
I am able to leave it at one house if necessary. I really appreciate it. As for handling him, it really depends on the snake. The 5 to 10 minute guideline is just that — a guideline. You just have to see how your snake adapts and go from there. If he continues to remain healthy and feed regularly, you can gradually increase the amount of time you spend handling him. Thanks for pointing out that pythons can drink water from a dish.
Preparing a dedicated place for it at home will make feeding it a lot simpler to do. Your email address will not be published.
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In The Wild. Feeding Chart. How to Feed? Python Not Eating. Drinking Water. Many people that find feeding a snake a just-killed rodent unsavory or inhumane, are able to purchase pre-killed, frozen rodents of appropriate size for feeding their snakes once they have been converted over to eating dead prey.
Do you think that you would be able to feed your ball python pre-killed frozen, defrosted prey? If not, then I urge you to rethink owning a ball python. You cannot turn your ball python into something it is not. If you truly cannot feed your snake rodents, then perhaps you should find yourself a different pet. Guinea pigs make great pets! So do bearded dragons they eat vegetation and insects. But other than egg-eating snakes, all other snakes consume live prey of some type, in the wild.
Ball pythons, like other snakes, eat varying sizes of prey depending on how big they are. Smaller and younger snakes may eat large crickets, but should ideally be eating pinkies and fuzzies until they grow larger.
Adult ball pythons will eat adult mice and rats when they get big enough. Some ball python enthusiasts feel strongly that you should only feed various life stages of rats throughout your ball python's life and never offer any insects or mice.
Typically a snake will easily consume prey that is as wide as the widest part of your snake. Therefore, if the middle of his body is one inch wide, he should be able to consume a large mouse that is one inch wide without any trouble. With that being said, some snakes prefer smaller prey, and you may need to experiment with prey size to see which it prefers.
Feeding prey that is too large will result in regurgitation or even the prey getting stuck in his mouth or esophagus. When in doubt, feed the smaller prey option rather than the larger one. Your snake may be the best one to answer this question for you but typically an adult snake over one year of age will eat once every 10 to 14 days. Younger snakes should eat more often since they are still growing.
They should eat at least once a week, or even once every 5 to 6 days while growing. If your snake doesn't want to eat weekly, it is okay to wait longer to feed him again the next time. Also, if your snake seems to be overweight the tail should slowly taper to a point, not have an abrupt change in width from the vent to the tip , you should wait longer in between feedings to prevent obesity issues. Aside from major medical conditions, snakes can refuse to eat for a multitude of reasons.
Being too cold is a common problem for many pet ball pythons, especially in the winter months, but is easily corrected by providing a heat light.
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