Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My boa has been eating frozen/thawed rat pups (with fur) for some time and I just wanted to jump her up one size. I was feeding my ball python that is currently feasting on small to medium rats and my ball left the meal alone....Not being wasteful I placed it in my boa tub to see if she would take it but I doubted that she would. I returned 20 mins later to find it 3/4 consumed. I am happy she ate it, but are there any negative effects to a size jump in food? Not sure if I should keep her on these sized rats now or go back down a little...Thanks for your time

The rule of thumb I follow is to feed items that are just large enough to leave a visible impression. That usually means just slightly larger than the widest part of the snakes body. But occasionally feeding items that are larger than usual size isn't a problem at all. I'm fairly certain that wild boas aren't size-selective with their prey.