What do ball pythons eat?

Question

I am planning on getting a ball python sometime soon. I'm nervous about it because i've never had a snake before. One thing I don't really know is what they eat. I know they eat mice, but some people say use pink baby mice and I've heard some people say use little fuzzy mice. I'm getting a hatchling so I need to know what I should get, where I can get it ( I don't live near any pet stores), and how often to feed it. And if they can eat anything else.

Answer 1

You should only feed it mice or rats depending on the size.



If its a baby feed it pinkies or small mice. If its a pretty big size you can feed it a rat.

Answer 2

Ball pythons should be fed rats, and only rats. From the day a ball python is born it is able to eat pinky rats. The general rule is to feed your snake 1 rat per week, and when older you can feed once every 2 weeks. You want to feed a prey that is the same thickness as 1.5 times the thickest part of your snakes body.



Rats are much more nutritious than mice and mice often won't fill your ball python up. These snakes are not satisfied with mice for very long, so you might as well just start off feeding rats! My boy is only 3 months old and already eats weaned rat pups, which are bigger than an adult mouse.



Unless you get a snake that is already being fed frozen/thawed food (which can be bought online), you will need someone nearby who breeds feeder rats. Do plenty of research on ball pythons and make sure you know absolutely everything before you get one! They are a long responsibility (can live more than 30 years!)

Answer 3

A hatchling is not to be fed till it sheds for the first time ever. Mostly all baby ball pythons are sent to market at 6 months of age and are already feeding on fuzzy or hopper mice. The size of the rodents that you feed your snake will be about equal in size to the widest section of your snake's mid point belly section. Feed every 5-7 days. Ball pythons fit intermediate experienced snake owners best. Ball pythons feed on appropriate sized rodents all of their lives. Feeder rodents can be purchased on-line like at Rodent pro.com for example. If obtaining food for your ball python is going to be an issue that could cause your snake to go hungry for the most part, then maybe a different pet might be considered.

Answer 4

Any snake generally is a cannibal, and we can't constantly predict the conditions a good way to cause that. Some species are identified for it, however even simply here on Yahoo I've obvious as a minimum two folks within the last month upset that their ball pythons are eating each different. Between that, stress-related immunosuppression (snakes are solitary, being stuck together is traumatic) and parasite issues there is no just right rationale to *ever* residence multiple snakes collectively. Assuming, of path, you're not looking to breed them. Your pal relatively wants to get a further tank and separate out the remainder two. The probability of an escape is there, of direction. So, take a flashlight and determine underneath everything. Mainly dark spots (below the fridge or range). They can get at any place. Certainly one of my rosy boas acquired out and was once hiding in my bookshelf at one factor... Preserve looking, might be sit down out a thawed mouse somewhere and maintain an eye fixed on it from a distance (if the snake hasn't eaten in a at the same time). I am hoping, for his or her sake, that it is an escapee and no longer a meal. Excellent success discovering her.

Answer 5

You'll have to find either a pet store or local food-mouse/rat breeder in your area, otherwise getting food will be a pain. Getting a connection with someone who is more familiar with snakes in your area can also help you determine what to feed your snake, and (judging by size) when you need to start feeding him/her something larger. Like everyone else said, start with pinkies for a baby snake. Usually you feed a snake once a week. I'm sure you can Google search a lot of advice about feeding ball pythons, and I'd recommend you read up on things like fresh vs. frozen mice and such as well. Good luck with your new snake when you get it!

Answer 6

I would start it on pinky rats. Eventually your ball python will get large enough that an adult mouse won't be a big enough meal, and it can sometimes be difficult to get ball pythons to switch from mice to rats.



Only mice or rats, nothing else. Don't try feeding it hamsters/gerbils/etc, as it could develop a preference for those rodents and they would be more expensive.



You could try posting on your local craigslist to see if there is anyone nearby that breeds rodents for their own snakes, and would be willing to sell some to you. Otherwise you'll have to order from a rodent breeder online, which will be a bit more expensive with shipping. If you do that, you'll want to buy many rodents at once to make shipping worth it, and you'll need freezer space and a way to keep the rodents properly packaged so they don't develop freezer burn.

Answer 7

As with most pythons and boas balls are way too big for pinkies even as hatchlings. Hatchling ball pythons are usually fed hopper mice with the size of prey growing as the snale does.

Answer 8

Just mice, and the occasional small child when they get up to size. The developing bones are a great source of calcium for your growing snake.



Enjoy your ball python!

:D

Answer 9

The new borns eat pinkies then move on to fuzzies then small hopper then hoppers then small mouse then adult the rat pinkies and so on the same as the mice hope this works