Ball Pythons are a major pest control agents in Africa. They consume mice, rats as well as birds. They are strong snakes that can ambush predators that use their bright pattern of scales and patterns for blending into their surroundings and take prey and ambush them.
As pets Ball pythons eat rodents and enjoy eating live or pre-killed predators.
However, how much should you feed your family and how often?
Feeding charts are an important instrument for owners of ball pythons regardless of their experience. They aid in understanding the connection between the size of snakes, their age, and the size of prey.
Keep reading for our complete guide to feeding a ball python. We provide the most efficient timetables for feeding (for all ages) along with tips for mistakes that beginners should avoid.
What do Ball Pythons Consume?
Ball pythons are carnivores who hunt and devour small birds and small mammals. They are native to West as well as Central Africa, they prefer African giant rats, black rats weaver birds, grass mice and rufous-nosed rodents. But, their food sources are not limited to these species They will eat any mammal or bird that is small enough to swallow.
As with all pythons type is an ambush predator which will wait for prey to arrive at them.
Pythons make use of a mix of chemical cues, movements and vision to locate the prey. Once they have found prey, they attack them and take them down with constriction. They employ their distinctive and different color patterns to integrate into their environment This is among the main reasons for the existence of numerous natural ball pythons.
Their ambush hunting method and their slow metabolism allow the snakes go on for months, if not years between meals.
Female and male ball pythons are different in the kind of prey they consume. Females tend to be more arboreal, and consequently consume more birds than mammals. Females tend to spend more time in the air and consume more mammals than birds.
Contrary to others pets snakes the ball python are not eating foods like amphibians eggs fish, or any other reptiles.
Pet ball pythons are primarily fed domestic mice, rats , and chicks.
Like wild pythons that eat different kinds of prey It is essential that your pet snake be able to eat a variety of prey too. Mice and rats constitute the mainstay of the ball python’s diet. However, occasionally adding chicks or quail or young rabbit can add variety.
| Wild Ball Python Diet | Captive Ball Python Diet |
|---|---|
| African giant rats | Domestic mice |
| The rats with the rufous-nosed | Domestic rats |
| Shaggy rats | Chicks |
| Weaver birds | Quails |
| Mouse grass | Gerbils |
| Shrews | Rabbits |
Ball pythons have the ability to endure long durations without food. Their ability to fast aids them survive a time of drought or even incubate eggs. But just because snakes can live without food for long times isn’t a reason they shouldn’t.
It is your responsibility to provide food to your snake prey that gives you a healthy diet without under or overfeeding.
The best method to be sure that your python gets the correct amount of food is to establish an eating schedule.
Maintaining a strict routine for feeding is essential in order to precisely regulate the weight of your ball python.
Scheduling helps ensure that your python isn’t starving However, it also allows you to easily track and alter the amount you feed to avoid overfeeding. Knowing when your snake last had a meal will alert you to any unusual feeding patterns, such as refusal.
Ball Python Feeding Chart
A food chart for ball Pythons can be altered as they age and grow.
Young pythons must consume more frequently than mature males who are growing at a very slow pace. Younger individuals require lots of energy to support the rapid growth of their bodies. The requirements for feeding differ between mature pythons based on whether they’re gravid, or ready to breed.
Specific requirements for food intake differ between people, but there are guidelines on how much a Python needs to eat, according to its size and the age.
| Snake Age | Snake Weight | Size of Prey | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchling | 50 – 100 grams | Hopper Mouse or Pinky mouse or rat (8-12 g) | Every five days |
| 3 months | 120-200 grams | The mouse is small or fuzzy mouse or rat (13-19 g) | Each week |
| 6 months | 300-370 g | Adult mouse or Rat pup (20-30g) | Every 7-10 days |
| 1 year | 500-900 g | 3 to 5 adult mice or one small mouse or a small (45-80 grams) | Every 10 to 14 days |
| 1.5 years | 700 – 1500 grams | 3-4 adult mice 3-4 adult mice, 1 medium rat (or 2 rats of a smaller size) (80-150 grams) | Every 10 to 14 days |
| 3 years old | 1200 – 1800 G | 5 adult mice one medium rat two small rodents (90-150 grams) | Every 14 to 21 days |
| 5 years+ | 1800-2300 G | 5 adult mice or 1 medium rat (or 2 rats of a smaller size) (90-150 grams) | Every 21 to 50 days |
Your Python determines the size of prey you can feed.
A best practice would be feeding prey to is bigger than the widest portion of your python’s midsection. It is possible to start hatchlings by feeding them pinky mice, whereas adults might be able to consume large-sized rats.
Hatchlings (Baby)
The hatchling pythons develop very quickly! Females can grow as much as 12 inches in one year while males grow 8 inches per year. To maintain their growing, hatchlings must consume a large amount of food. They must receive a meal of a every five days during the first 4 weeks of their lives.
It is also the time to ensure that their feeding response is robust and that they’re adept at striking their prey in a precise manner.
Overfeeding hatchling ball Pythons isn’t a problem due to their fast metabolism.
3 Months Old
Pythons that are less than one year old are thought to as juveniles. The growth of juveniles is still at a rapid rate. To keep this pace they require tiny mice or a the fuzzy rat once a week.
In this time of growth during this time, you might need in order to expand the dimensions of the prey your snake is able to catch often. The prey shouldn’t be bigger than the broadest part the snake’s body. which can help your snake consume the rodent without difficulty.
6 Months Old
When you are six months old, the python’s size should be between 20 to 27 inches in length and have a great appetite. It is now possible to offer an increased amount of prey for longer durations of time. One rat pup or an adult mouse per ten days is well for the majority of people.
1 Year Old
At this point female and male ball pythons begin to diverge in terms of size. Females tend to grow larger in comparison to males. This gap in size means that you might need to feed female and male Pythons with different prey. Smaller males may have 3 to 4 adult mice while larger females may have rodent.
However, you should feed prey according to how big your personal Python.
A 1-year-old, small-sized female might not be big enough to swallow a rat or a particularly large male could eat rats without difficulty.
3 Years Old
At the age of three, the ball python’s development slows down dramatically. It’s also the age that males are mature.
It is now possible to spread meals out every two weeks, and gradually increase the size of your prey. The prey should be smaller than your snake’s broadest point. Larger snakes require larger prey, however, they need less often.
Pythons at this stage often gain weight because their owners continue to follow the juvenile feeding pattern (i.e. feeding every 7 to 7 days). Be sure to limit your feeding every two to three weeks.
5 Years Old
Male and female ball pythons have reached maturity when they reach five years old. They will, however, continue to increase in size slowly for the remainder all of their life.
Your ball python’s weight should have a constant weight (unless it’s being used to breed) along with your feed routine shouldn’t require a change. Most adults are satisfied with one medium rodent, two small rats or 4-5 large adult mice every two to three months.
Females that breed
Female ball pythons can’t consume food while they lay and making eggs, and their energy requirements rise substantially when they ovulate. This is why the female that is breeding is required to be fed plenty of food prior to laying eggs.
Feed a gravid python large rat every week starting from the time she begins to show signs of ovulation until she is laid. Continue feeding her the time she can take in enough food to maintain her weight. This helps create fat reserves to last after the egg is laid when she will be guarding the eggs. Be sure that a female weighs at least 1,500 g before breeding.
Breeding Males
Contrary to females, males who breed do not require energy to mat.
Males that breed need only the slightest increase in their diet and this will be contingent upon the frequency with which they are fed.
If you just breed with a male one time it will be perfectly content with his regular food schedule. If you have him bred to more than 2 females in many days or weeks the frequency of his meals should be increased to 14 days for this period.
Ball Python Feeding
Feeding a ball Python can be accomplished by two methods that is by feeding live prey or pre-killed food sources.
Live prey may seem more natural for beginners However, rodents and mice can do serious damage to your Python. Particularly if the two animals are kept together in a tiny area.
We strongly would recommend feeding your pythons with the frozen rodents.
Although both methods are employed by snake keepers using both methods, feeding pre-killed prey is safer for your snake as well as more convenient for you.
Pre-killed meat is available frozen in pet stores across the country and is frozen before feeding. Ball pythons will happily consume frozen frozen prey, but snakes that previously ate live prey could require some time to adapt to eating dead prey.
Ball Pythons are night-time creatures, which means the ideal time to feed them is during the evening or shortly after you’ve gone dark.
How to feed a Ball Python Prey that has been frozen
- Five hours prior to feeding ( 2 hours for mice) remove the frozen food item by placing it in the freezer.
- In addition, rodents may be kept in the fridge overnight in order to let them defrost prior to eating day. Do not attempt to defrost rodents that are frozen using a microwave, since it may heat in a different way or explode.
- When the meat is defrosted put it in an airtight bag.
- The plastic bag should be placed in water that is warm, and let it heat up to around 110degF.
- Dry the rodent.
- Utilize soft tongs to grab the rat’s tail and feed the rat to your snake. Tongs stop the snake from linking your hands with food and also gives you more room for a missed strike.
- Alternately, you can put the warm rodent onto the ground of the aquarium.
- Removing the prey If it’s not consumed within 12 hours.
How Do I Feed A Ball Python Live Prey
- Choose a rat smaller than the python’s largest size.
- Make sure that the rat is not suffering from parasites and injuries.
- Use tongs that are soft to lift the rat’s tail.
- The enclosure of your python should be opened as well as the cover of the feeding tub and then dangle the rodent in the direction on its back. The snake’s movements, along together with the scent will draw your snake to strike.
- Don’t drop the rat on your snake, or let it roam free in the snake’s enclosure.
Tips and Mistakes
Ball Pythons are tolerant of mistakes in feeding, but you must do the best you can to prevent these mistakes in the first instance. A lot of mistakes result of incorrect information and are easily rectified.
Here are some of the most frequent ball python feeding errors we encounter in our students.
Overfeeding
Since ball pythons naturally heavy-bodied, it is difficult to determine when they’re overweight.
Avoiding overfeeding by adhering to a regular routine of feeding and constantly keeping track of your python’s body weight:
- Healthy people are those who have a solid form, with a triangular or rounded body in front view. They shouldn’t have an overly prominent spine.
- Obese people have a round or slightly flattened physique, are soft to touch and also have fat folds around their heads and around the cloaca.
An effective management of your python’s eating habits can help maintain the right weight. Not too skinny and not too fat.
Feeding within the enclosure
Feeding your snake inside its enclosure might not appear to be an error, but it could cause unintended behavior problems.
The ball python in your backyard will soon realize that opening doors to the enclosure means it is time to feed.
This could cause it to be struck whenever doors are opened to clean or handle.
It is recommended that you give your Python food inside an additional enclosure for feeding. It could be like a simple aquarium or a plastic container insofar as it’s adequate and secure.
After eating, take your snake back to its enclosure, and let it be until 72 hours.
Handling After Feeding
The metabolism of reptiles is slower than mammals, and require longer to digest their food.
The handling of your ball python once it has eaten is uncomfortable and can be stressful for the animal. Interrupting can even cause regurgitation.
Be sure to give your snake plenty privacy when it is eating and digesting prey.
You should leave your snake to its own devices for up to at least 72 hours after you’ve eaten or until it displays only a tiny bulge. After this your snake will be at a length that it is long enough into digestion to handle normal safe.
Power supply
Power feeding is the practice of feeding an animal more often than once per week. It is a controversial method which is employed by some breeders of ball pythons to grow their snake’s weight.
Fast-paced feeding causes weight gain and could reduce the life span of your snake. It is not recommended to do it.
Vitamins and supplements
Contrary to many reptiles for pets healthy ball pythons aren’t require any extra mineral or vitamin supplements.
If you feed high-quality rats, then all the essential nutrients are present in its food.
Summary
Your ball python is supposed to eat young rats and weaned mice as a youngster as well as adult rats and numerous mice in the adult, accompanied by occasionally chicks, quail or Gerbil.
Charts for feeding ball Pythons will differ depending on their size as well as their sex and their age. However, there is no guarantee that any chart can reveal the exact needs for your specific snake.
These should be utilized as a starting point using the average amount of weight your snake. You can tailor them to the size of your snake, based on its growing rate as well as its size.
Did we answer your concerns about food? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!
