Dead or Alive?

[junkie_grungie]

This is my first time here and I was wondering if anyone can tell me if my python likes dead or alive mice. I tryed feeding it a mice but he would not take it, instead he would avoid it. As soon as the mouse was still he went to the location where the mouse was and was about to strike but then I think he realized the mouse was still alive. Can this mean that my python likes dead then alive?

[Tim_Cranwill]

It could mean that it's not hungry or it doesn't want to eat a mouse.

A few questions for you...

- How long have you had the snake?
- Where did you get it from?
- What was the snake being fed before you got it?
- What time of day did you try feeding?
- What is the snake's enclosure like, i.e. temps, hides, size, type and etc?
- How often have you been holding the snake?

You'll need to give a bit more info before anyone will be able to help you much... :)

[knads06]

I got my bp last week from the pet store and they said they have yet to feed it either. Like everyone said i put mine in its new home and am attempting to leave it alone for a few days before i feed it. So should i go with a pinkie mouse since my bp is really small or something a lil bigger???

[Tim_Cranwill]

Bigger...

A pinkie is NOTHING for even a runt ball python. Go with a hopper mouse or a rat pup... If you can get it on rats right off the bat, you're saving yourself a couple dozen headaches in the future. :)

[mykee]

Don't even waste your time or money on mice. Go with rats and you'll thank yourself in a years time. Try a large fuzzy rat, maybe 20-25 grams.

[knads06]

Do they sell FT little rats?? How much bigger are these rats then a pinkie? All my friends said they started their BP's on pinkie's and one still feeds her two year old bp pinkies. Just had to feed him about three or four..

[daver676]

Originally posted by knads06
Do they sell FT little rats?? How much bigger are these rats then a pinkie? All my friends said they started their BP's on pinkie's and one still feeds her two year old bp pinkies. Just had to feed him about three or four..

OMFG knads. You started a huge post on this earlier. Your friends are ****ing WRONG! Go read a book FFS!!

[Big Mike]

A healthy BP should be able to eat adult mice or rat pups right out of the egg.

Do yourself & your friends a favor and do some research.

[dave68]

yep ignorance is bliss, just not for the poor snake!!

[Tim_Cranwill]

I bet your friends don't have years of experience keeping and breeding ball pythons. People on this forum do... trust US and inform your friends of their errors....

[knoerr3232]

I have read these posts and have a question...Tim? I have a baby ball and I fed him a fuzzy last Sunday...two pinkies the Sunday after (pet store had no fuzzies)...and I was going to feed him another fuzzy this week. Should I get something bigger this time and if so, how big? He is about 18-20 inches long. The only concern I have is, he will not eat prekilled....can a small rat do any damage, as I have heard and read that live prey can hurt a snake.

[Tim_Cranwill]

If you got a pinkie rat (rat pup) or a hopper mouse, the risk will be almost non-existent.

There will come a time when you will want your python to eat f/t rats. So you might want to consider trying to change over now before the snake gets too stubborn! :D lol


http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~cranwill/faq9.html
http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~cranwill/faq7.html

These articles might help you get off to a good start. :)

[knoerr3232]

Ok, I will try pinkie rats or pups. Sometimes I am limited in choice...(our pet store doesnt sell a lot of snakes). I also read somewhere that two or three small is easier to digest than one whole. If I cant get a pinkie rat, should I get a regular size mouse, gerbil etc.?

[knoerr3232]

By the way, thanks for the info.

[Auskan]

Originally posted by knads06
Do they sell FT little rats?? How much bigger are these rats then a pinkie? All my friends said they started their BP's on pinkie's and one still feeds her two year old bp pinkies. Just had to feed him about three or four..

I bet that 2-year-old BP is also much smaller than it should be if it had been fed appropriately. Try weighing and measuring it, and then compare to other snakes of the same age, and that should be "proof" enough for your friends that they need to research the needs of their pet a little more thoroughly.

[nita]

You can also look up online breeders and then order frozen food for your snake. There are many rodent breeders that will ship you frozen rats. Another plus to feeding frozen thawed. I'm working on transfering all of mine to FT. With the 7 BP's I have and 1 Blood (my brothers not mine) to feed live I have to pay a minimum of $26.00 a week in mice and if I want gerbils even more cause I have to get them at a petstore and I buy mice from a breeder so they are cheaper. If I get them all switched to frozen rats it works out to less than $17.00 a week and I don't have to run every weekend to find live food I keep them stocked in my freezer. Not to mention safer for the snakes. By the way my adult balls that are rescues will eat 5 adult mice a week without a problem!! They are small for their age as they were fed improperly and are smaller than a 3yr old bp should be and 2 of them are over 10yrs old!!