Do ball pythons prefer mice or rats?

Ball pythons are carnivores that hunt and eat small mammals and birds. In their native range in West and Central Africa, they prefer African giant rats, black rats, grass mice, weaver birds, and rufous-nosed rats.

Should I feed My ball python rats or mice?

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.

Do ball pythons like mice?

Pet ball pythons eat frozen mice or rats. Ball pythons in captivity acquire food much easier than in the wild, but their diet must still be as sufficient inside cages as they are in their natural habitat. Pet ball pythons can eat a carnivorous diet, including large crickets and live or frozen mice or rats.

Should my snake eat rats or mice?

Their diet depends on the species. Some eat warm-blooded prey (e.g., rodents, rabbits, birds), while others eat insects, amphibians (frogs or toads), eggs, other reptiles, fish, earthworms, or slugs. Snakes swallow their food whole. The most popular pet snakes usually eat prey such as mice, rats, gerbils, and hamsters.

Do ball pythons only eat mice?

Ball pythons in the wild eat a wide variety of rodents aside from mice, and they also eat small birds. In captivity, you can try to feed them any appropriately sized, commercially bred rodent. This includes domestic mice or rats, multimammate mice, gerbils, and hamsters.

See Ball Python growth rates change feeding RATS vs MICE

What can I feed my ball python besides mice?

How long should I leave a rat with ball python?

The longer the prey item is left with the snake, the more desensitized the snake becomes to the prey item. Rule of thumb: Don't leave live prey with an unattended snake for more than 15 minutes at a time.

How often do ball pythons poop?

In ideal conditions, your snake should complete the digestion of a meal after 6-8 days, defecating shortly after. If your snake has not defecated 2 weeks after eating, you may want to help them out.

How do I know if my ball python is hungry?

Snakes will let you know when they're hungry. They will start prowling their enclosure and their tongue flicks will increase in frequency and number.

What does a ball python bite feel like?

While their teeth are quite sharp, ball pythons don't have strong jaws. Accordingly, bites typically feel like a series of tiny pinpricks.

Can you overfeed a ball python?

Power feeding means feeding a ball python more than once a week. This is a controversial practice that is used by some ball python breeders to rapidly increase their snake's weight. Power feeding quickly leads to obesity and can shorten your snake's lifespan. It should not be done.

How Long Can ball pythons go without eating?

Smaller snakes tend to feed more often than larger ones, but species like the ball python can go for as long as two years without needing a meal.

What can I feed my snake instead of mice?

Should I feed My ball python at night?

Ball pythons are often very shy snakes, and they are nocturnal, so they do best if offered their prey item at night, in the dark. It is best to leave a ball python alone to eat and try not to disturb it at feeding time. Some ball pythons feed better in a small paper bag.

Why is my ball python poop white?

Ball python white poop

White waste that you see in your ball python's poop are urates – white, yellowish colored soft chalky and round urine in solid form (kidney waste). Sometimes, your ball python might only produce urates, so you might think that it's poop.

How often do ball pythons drink?

Ball Pythons drink water on a regular basis and seem to appreciate being given fresh water and a clean bowl every few days. Some will even drift over to it and drink straight away. In general, my adult Ball Pythons drink around once a week. Hatchling Ball Pythons will drink slightly more often, usually every few days.

When should I switch my mouse from a rat to a ball python?

You should start with feeding your hatchling baby ball python smaller mice fuzzy or hopper mice for the first few feedings. However, most people get a ball python that's over 100 grams, and you can start switching to rats straight away.

Will ball pythons eat fish?

While these snakes can and do consume birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles from time to time in the wild, for the most part, the majority of their prey items come from the rodent family.

Can ball pythons eat mealworms?

Feeders: Crickets, roaches, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, or other invertebrates. They can also eat small rodents of appropriate size, but offer these sparingly, if at all.

Can you refreeze a rat if your snake doesn't eat it?

The problem is, that to get a lot of snakes to feed, then the mice/rats have to be warmed to at least room temperature. Often they are left in the snakes enclosure overnight where it is warm. Personally, I wouldn't refreeze them and use them again, unless as you say, they've been in the fridge all the time.

Will ball pythons eat frozen mice?

Some pythons transition from live prey to frozen prey with little or no problem. Others initially refuse defrosted food and require special feeding techniques. A juvenile or adult snake won't allow itself to starve to death and will eventually eat a frozen mouse.