eating

viper99 · 11-23-07, 04:56 PM

today i feed my 1 month old ball python a rat fuzzy she ate it right away is a rat fuuzy big enough for her or is it to big

PDXErik · 11-23-07, 05:04 PM

What kind of lump does it make in the snake? Any at all? Is the skin stretched?

There should be a small visible lump where the rat is, but it should not stretch the skin to where the scales are separated. Consider the thickest part of the snake, the rat shouldn't be any bigger around than that.

On the other side, before you feed a snake a potentially "too-large" meal is the time to ask, not right after.

I just drank some bleach, is that bad for me? It should be "I'm thinking of drinking some bleach, is this a good idea?"

gonesnakee · 11-23-07, 05:31 PM

A fuzzy rat is an appropriate size meal for a young BP yes, Mark

mykee · 11-23-07, 10:25 PM

That whole "lump in the belly" story is more a guideline than a steadfast rule. It was put in place to set a "norm" for feeding.
I feed many many many ball pythons in a week and not one has a bulge when it's done eating. The larger you feed the more stress on the snake to digest it, which could lead to a regurg, which could lead to a fast.
I have found, after years of playing around with sizes, that too small is much better than too big. I also find that balls are willing to eat more often when fed a smaller meal and will therefore retain more.

viper99 · 11-23-07, 10:59 PM

all that it had was a small little lump that was barly visible from the rest of the body

PDXErik · 11-23-07, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viper99

all that it had was a small little lump that was barly visible from the rest of the body

Just the right size, then.

What I do, is watch my guys. If I see them roaming around alot, looking like they're hunting (it does look different than exploring), I'll feed them, I don't watch a time schedule (for the small guys).

Sometimes they get fed twice a week, sometimes once, sometimes thrice.

As long as they're poopin and hunting, they'll get fed.

It sounds like you have appropriately sized prey. Just watch their behaviour for your next queue.

You can stick to a "once a week" schedule, and I do that for the big guys, but small, growing snakes sometimes need more than "maintanance" prey.

They sure do kick ***, don't they?

viper99 · 11-23-07, 11:16 PM

ya im just happy that she ate for me this week dependindg on if she seems hungry or not i might get her another fuzzie or hopper rat