Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I was just curious about how other hobbyists and breeders feed live. I have seen youtube videos where breeders just drop them in but now knowing how finicky they can be by just getting into ball pythons I was wondering how long people leave the rodents in there? Also, if a snake is not eating a certain rodent like a rat how long do people wait until trying something else like mice or asfs? And when to check back on the snake to see if they ate?

Thanks, Ken

If you are going to feed live NEVER leave the rodent in with the snake alone. It could end up being the snake that gets eaten. If the snake is going to eat it will usually do so right away. If not take the rodent out after just a few min. If the snake is in an attack posture just keep watching. If the snake shies away or ignores the rodent take it out.

The only live rodents that are safe to leave alone with a snake are ones that are still nursing and not eating solid food yet.

A
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1.0 normal BP Nicodemus
1.0 BP Moufasa pos vanilla, fire, cinny
0.4 Cal Kings 3 alb 1 het Dora Queen Ace Pearl
2.0 Alb Corn Bizaar Elixir
0.0.1 Rev Alb Nelsons Oden

Hey Ken,

Great Questions. I myself do feed live, but not by choice. I only feed live to the BPs that won't take PreKilled off the tongs. Out of 20 Snakes i have about 4 to 6 that will only eat live rats. I just open the tub enough to see where the head of the snake is and then I send the rat in towards the Snakes direction. I have found through the years that if the snake does not eat within about 10 minutes it probably is not going to eat. I think 30 Minutes is the most time I will leave a rat in with a BP. But the time is only based with my experience with the snake Eating or Not Eating. If the Rats eyes are unopened. This would be a 20 day or less old rat, you could leave this rat in overnight if you are trying to get a sub adult BP to eat. When it comes to switching food I cant really answer this. All my snakes get rats now and there is no other option.

Regards,
Bill
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0.1 Spider Lavender Albino TSK/VPI
0.1 Lavender Albino (TSK/VPI)
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1.0 PinStripe Het Lavender Albino (RDR)
1.0 Spider Het Lavender Albino (TSK)
0.3 Het Lavender Albino (TSK/VPI)
1.0 Albino 100% Het Pied
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0.1 Spinner Het Albino (TSK)
1.1 Kids (12) and (18)
0.1 Spouse (24 Years Married)
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i've seen unnatended mice do major damage in 15 minutes. quarter inch of muscle meat just gone.

keep yr eye on live rodents.

all people and all balls are different....

...I fed small to medium rats for all balls....small balls got nice meals and large balls got nice meals not huge meals...but more often if needed....

I threw the rats/mice/asf/gerbils/etc...in the cage....

remember....most balls will slap and grab the rodent right away...you will know ...who eats what and when.....sometimes you get a fluke.....you hear the slap....you write down it ate...and it actually is a miss, a scared ball, and a rat hiding UNDER the snake when you check on it.....and then a day later....a hole in the cage and an empty cage....with a $$$$ out and a rat set to destroy $$$ in the house....be watchful....

sometimes you will open the cage...rat in hand...throw it in...and it will jump out and run.....smarter rat?....

sometimes you will open cage....rat in hand...and the snake will rab you by the wrist.....on either hand....!...ouch.....! (sometimes they let go....sometimes.....!!!!)

I fed small and hopper rats....duirng that peak time of the year that you know they all eat....mediums.....I never fed an extra large rat to a ball.....

IF you know it will eat....you can kill rat....use tongs/tweezers....and feed fresh killed....always start with the worst feeders first....then go on to the better eaters....and kill one at a time....or you'll have a bucket full of dead rats and no eating balls.....

I have brought home 150 rats and needed double...and I have brought home 40 rats to the same group and had 20 left over....you need to know the balls at every time of the year....they change attitude and color all year long....

good luck...have fun....

I fed live for 20 years and lost just one baby ball.....to a small hopper mouse....must have been a wildly, crazy determined mouse.....I have had holes in racks more than I want to count...(plastic screen for raxx is a NO go...use metal mesh /wire)....
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........JY

I've been feeding live since I switched to ball pythons about 15 years ago. Surprised to see so many people trying to feed dead to ball pythons lately but seems to be working for some.

I only leave them in for about 15 min. Did stop feeding retired breeder rats after one bit my 4,700 gram founder chocolate while she was constricting (the only incident I’ve had with thousands of live feedings, now she just gets more mediums). Shame as she used to get back to size quick on retired breeder male rats nearly as big as cats.
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Randy Remington
anyone@snakemorphs.com
www.SnakeMorphs.com
FaceBook.com/SnakeMorphs

Tell the pet store you want a non-weaned rat fuzzy. These guys are still feeding from Mom and should not hurt your snake. Still, be really careful.
My experience is that teeth can injure, but so can their toe nails.