Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can i feed my ball python green anoles? he's about 22 inches long. thanks

I hate to disappoint you, but ball ptyhons don't eat lizards. Only rodents. At 22 inches it should be able to eat rat pups or large mice.

Quig

rodent eaters? I heard a story of a pet shop losing a ball python, only to find it several weeks later inside the iguana cage swallowing one of the babies. I don't know the validity of the story, but it seems possible.

As far as feeding a ball python green anoles, that would be expensive. Even if you live within their range the effort put forth catching them wouldn't outweigh the cost of just buying a rat or mouse.

Cole Maas

Cole, to my knowledge they're strictly rodent eaters. I've never seen or heard of them eating anything else. Not that it isn't possible, but I guess you'd have to try it to find out.

Quig

ive seen reports that WILD BP's will eat almost anything in the wild, rats, lizards, birds, even other snakes if they get hungry enough.

so all i can say is whats the harm in trying her?
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mother to ,1 female great plains rat snake - "rockey". 1 male amel corn - "SN4". 1 female bairds rat snake - "copper". 1 female normal ball - "queenie". Pair albino striped king snakes - "tom and jenny". 1 male normal Cali. king - "wallace". 1 female rock pebbler - "fudge". 2 female roborovski hamsters - "speedy and sprite". 2 Florida Cooters - "tiny and titch". 1 male African Grey Parrot - "george". 4 cockateils, 3F, 1M, - "squeak, arnold, piere, peppy". 1 female german shepard - "roxy",

I wouldn't try it. Wild caught green anoles are bound to have some type of internal parasites that you are going to transfer to your prized pet. What would be the point of taking that risk?

There is no way a 22" ball is going to be well fed on anoles. It should be eating a couple of mice weekly. Whats wrong with mice? Anoles have no meat to them, you are just going to malnourish your snake, if you dont have what it takes to feed your snake, sell it.

Though ball pythons in the wild do eat other things other than mice and rats (gerbils is another thing that comes to mind) anoles (I am assuming you mean the American green anoles) are very small lizards compared to ball pythons, also quite fast so I doubt they would be something ball pythons would eat in the wild (not to mention not having this particular species in the areas ball pythons are found in the wild). Being small, it would take several anoles per feeding to meet the dietry requirements of a ball python, maybe even as much as a half dozen. It would be more expensive to buy feeder lizards for ball pythons, assuming you can get them to even eat the lizard.

I deffinitely have to agree with the other posters that feeding anoles isn't healthy for your ball python for all reasons quoted. Too small, parasites contained in wild anoles, trouble of acquiring enough to feed your python and the added point, the snake may not even eat it if offered. Though a variety of food items isn't a bad thing, there are plenty of more appropriate prey items to offer a ball python, rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, chicks, small rabbits and even small guinea pigs.
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PHLdyPayne