View Full Version : Royal Python Feeding Suggestions
Hi there
I have been feeding my four-foot, three-year old male royal python, one large mouse every week.
Whilst he is a reasonable size for his age, I would like to think about fattening him up a bit. I have spoken to a pet shop about this and they have suggested feeding him a large rat every month.
Does anyone have any ideas as to whether or not this would be a safe option.
Cheers
Indea:o>
Yes of course it would be. A python that size can eat a large rat each week! :D
Marisa
Big Mike
08-19-03, 03:59 PM
First bit of advice...don't get advise from a pet shop. There are exceptions but it seems that most pet store employees lack the knowledge to give out helpful advice about reptiles.
A good rule of thumb is to feed a prey item that is as fat as the fattest part of the snake...every 7-10 days. For older snakes that can be increased to every 14 days or so. Ball pythons can usually eat a full grown mouse every week right from the time they are hatched so I'm guessing your snake might be underfed. Switch to rats if you can. One large or jumbo rat would make a good meal. 3-5 mice would be OK too.
DO NOT FEED LIVE PREY. If you are feeding live prey, switch to dead (frozen/thawed is easiest).
sapphire_moon
08-19-03, 04:08 PM
Please do not take offence! Did you research before you got this animal? Or even afterwords (sp?)...no offence but ovbiously not! As big mike said, he is probably underfed.......and could probably take a large rat every week......my 3ft bp is on 1 small rat every 4 days....until I can get some medium rats.......You might want to look up some caresheets, as if you are not feeding properly you might be doing other things differently...don't take offence.....just my opinion/advice!
Take a look into getting the ball python manual. It's a great guide. Some of the info is a little out of date and a little general but the survival basics are in there.
lilyskip
08-19-03, 05:23 PM
rats are a lot more nutritious than mice. I'd definitely start feeding rats...you'll probably see a growth/girth spurt!
Invictus
08-19-03, 06:18 PM
Originally posted by Big Mike
A good rule of thumb is to feed a prey item that is as fat as the fattest part of the snake...every 7-10 days.
That is NOT a good rule of thumb. If you follow this rule of thumb, you are underfeeding your snake. I'm sick of hearing this myth.
The food you feed your snake should leave a significant enough lumps in the belly that from 10 feet away, someone could look and say "Wow, that snake is full!".
Especially for a heavy-bodied snake like a ball python, you should be feeding it items that are at least 1.5 times the widest part of the snake. Then sit back, watch your snake grow, and watch his feeding response skyrocket.
sapphire_moon
08-19-03, 07:41 PM
Invictus------question...The prey item IS supposed to leave a lump???? I've heard that.....but I guess the more "popular" idea is something that is no bigger than the biggest part of the snake...I feed my 3ft 3in male bp a small rat.....no lump.....but he is round....until next check he is getting a small rat every 4 days......then he will be to medium rat..then I usually feed every 6-8 days...If you feed till there is a lump do you feed every week, or every 2 weeks? I guess I'm afraid that he is going to get something to big for him to eat.....or get over weight......what do you suggest?
TheRedDragon
08-19-03, 07:44 PM
Yes, it is. Our BCI looks like a beer bottle after we're done feeding him.
Here's an example of prey size in relation to snake size:
<p>
http://www.angelfire.com/myband/slaughter/snakes/Trin_Feed_3.jpg
<P>
That's our female corn snake, she gets fed 2 adult mice mice once a week.
<p>
http://www.angelfire.com/myband/slaughter/snakes/Anubis_Dinner2.jpg
<p>
That's our yearling BCI who is now on juvenille rabbits. He takes them down with no problem.
If you're not leaving a significant lump in your snake's belly, you're most likely underfeeding it.
<b>Indea: </b> Yes, you should DEFINITELY be feeding your Python rats instead of mice. That will fatten him up in no time
sapphire_moon
08-19-03, 07:52 PM
Oh no......I feel so horrible now!! So I could feed and leave a signifigant lump and feed once a week???? My male BP is round, and getting rounder and gaining more and more weight....what do you think a 3ft bp should weigh????
TheRedDragon
08-19-03, 07:55 PM
Sapphire Moon: BP's are heavy bodied snakes, so, yes, you should be fattening him up. I'm not entirely sure how much one should weigh at 3ft, but, I do know that you can most likely feed him Juvenille Rats once a week.
sapphire_moon
08-19-03, 09:18 PM
juvenille rats??? Is that the same size as medium rats???? The rats I'm feeding him now are a little smaller, by about 1 in (in length) as the "your reply" box at the bottom of threads.....
Hi guys thanx for all the advice. I have only had my adult snake for about two weeks, and I did a lot of research before I got these snakes. I had my first snake when I was fourteen.
The shop I got him from said that they had been feeding him a large mouse a week, so I have been doing that for two weeks, but have decided that I wanted to fatten him up a bit. So thanx again guys for all your advice.
Cheers
Indea
TheRedDragon
08-20-03, 02:31 AM
Originally posted by sapphire_moon
juvenille rats??? Is that the same size as medium rats???? The rats I'm feeding him now are a little smaller, by about 1 in (in length) as the "your reply" box at the bottom of threads.....
Yup, that's about the size we were feeding ours, if slightly larger. But, now we have our BCI on Juvenille Rabbits which are larger still.
MontyPython
08-20-03, 03:08 AM
Wow, looks like i have also been underfeeding my ball python. Time to switch to small rats. Do rats come in the same size as mice, ie. fuzzy, hoppers?
Thanks
BOAS_N_PYTHONS
08-20-03, 03:47 AM
INDEA:
I gotta agree with people here, even my 4 Ball Pythons just under 2 months old eat now full adult size mice, and will be on rats as soon as they gain some weight and size.
Not saying power feeding but a 4 foot Ball feels nothing in the tummy with a adult mouse, its like a diet there.
Get some bigger food it should show some girth after a feed that is a good size food, don' t go crazy and stuff it with a rabbit....lol.
Cya...
Tony
TheRedDragon
08-20-03, 09:48 AM
Originally posted by MontyPython
Do rats come in the same size as mice, ie. fuzzy, hoppers?
Thanks
Yes, you can get rats as pinkies, fuzzies, etc. They're just quite a big bigger than the mice. :)
snakehunter
08-20-03, 10:26 AM
yes, you can get them from rodentpro.com
I would definitely feed more. A full sized rat every week would be no problem for him.
BurmBaroness
08-20-03, 10:50 PM
What you want to watch is, the larger the prey item, the less often it needs to eat. My adults BP's eat a MED rat every 7 days, no sooner, so that they have time to properly digest a meal that size. Feeding too often can cause health problems down the raod, as the snake's digestive system will not have time to replenish the natural gut flora that aid in digestion if fed too often. My neonates get an adult mouse every 5-7 days, depending on the size of the baby, and they are all nice and healthy.
lilyskip
08-21-03, 01:07 AM
the key is to make sure you've got the heat high enough to facilitate digestion of big prey items. 90-95.
Proper heating is a must, and Invictus is right there should definately be a lump. Most top BP breeders start thier hatchlings on rat pups.
Thats what I have started my hatcling on. He was a pain at first and wouldnt take then I took him to a shop and they force fed him and touch wood since then he has taken to his rat pups.
MY BP is about 24 inches long right now maybe a little longer. and I'm feeding him 2 pinkie rats every 5 days. Should I feed him a medium rat every 5 days?
I'm amateur still so I could be wrong but I would think that since hatchlings can eat adult mice you're could handle a rat pup and maybe, maybe a medium mouse. Wait for expert advice before you make a move on that though lol.
Hi all
I have been away on holiday for two weeks, and I have come home to find that my adult ball pythons is eating well and he even managed a huge hamster (that was comical), but sadly the pet shop that was looking after my baby royal called to let me know that he dies whilst I was away.
annoying_alien
09-09-03, 04:38 PM
I only have one snake right now, which is
about 2 1/2 months old.
I feed it an adolescent mouse every 6-7
days.
HetForHuman
09-09-03, 04:43 PM
Originally posted by annoying_alien
I only have one snake right now, which is
about 2 1/2 months old.
I feed it an adolescent mouse every 6-7
days.
Like everyone here said before, you should be feeding at least an adult mouse every 5-7 days. possibly even a rat pup or fuzzy.
i know breeders that give ball pythons an adult mouse for their first meals.
you should try to step him up to adults man.
a hatchling Bp can easily eat an item propotional in size to an adult mouse (25-30g). If you can, and I suggest it, feed your BP's rats from day one. A fuzzy rat (20-25g) every 4-5 days should work well. I have 6 hatchling BP's right now, and they range in weight from 101-170g, and they all eat rat fuzzies ranging in wieght from 25-35g. It is unfortunate that outdated falacies such as "no wider than the widest part" and "once every 5 days for a juvi and once every 7-10 days for an adult" are still believed to be common practice. I personally believe that a new BP Manual should be written, including all of the new information regarding husbandry. Herp knowledge moves ahead by leaps and bounds, and unfortunately, a book written in 1998 is, for the most part, outdated.
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