How to Feed a Ball Python

There are various ways to feed a ball python, and different people have success trying different things. Of all domesticated snakes, ball pythons arguably make the best pets because they are docile and they require relatively little maintenance. Many ball python owners, however, struggle with feeding their snakes. Ball pythons are finicky eaters with stubborn personalities, and this can become a frustration. The following are realistic tips that come from the experience of handling healthy ball pythons, and they've been known to help people bring seemingly impossible pets into recovery.

Things You'll Need

  • Rodent
  • Water dish with fresh water
  • Clear habitat or separate feeding area
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Instructions

    • 1
      Wait until your ball python is large enough before switching from mice to rats.

      Choose what to feed your ball python, and how frequently, depending on its size. The best choices are mice or rats, which are available at your local pet store. Young ball pythons are often the most difficult to feed, and require only one "pinky" (baby mouse) every one to two weeks. As a ball python grows you may increase the size and frequency of feeding; a 2- to 3-foot-long snake will eat one mouse a week. Your ball python will range in size depending on its sex, as a male will reach about 5 feet full-grown, but a female python will reach upward of 9 feet. A full-grown ball python can generally eat one rat per week, which is more than enough. It's important not to overfeed your ball python; even if they are willing to eat, it is unhealthy to feed one too much.

    • 2
      Live prey will struggle and sometimes harm your snake.

      Choose the type of prey. Your options are live prey, pre-killed rodents, or frozen-thawed rodents. Pre-killed or thawed rodents are safer, as live prey could harm your ball python (by biting or clawing), or frighten it. Some snakes, however, will refuse to eat pre-killed rodents. They are natural predators and it is not within their instincts to hunt dead food like scavengers would.

    • 3

      Change the environment. If you plan to feed your ball python in its usual quarters you should remove all obstacles---apart from the water dish---a few hours before introducing the rodent. Another choice is to use a separate feeding area. This keeps your snake's habitat clean of rodent excrement, but some picky pythons will not be willing to eat in a foreign area. It's best not to handle your snake before feeding it; even the friendliest snake will not be in predatory mode after being handled.

    • 4

      Introduce the rodent. Start by turning the lights off. Ball pythons are nocturnal and hunt at night so you must replicate that environment. Drop the food in, and never dangle the rodent for your snake to grab---this is uncomfortable for the snake and can end badly for your fingers. Once the food is dropped in, the snake will respond to live prey based on movement and smell. With dead prey the snake will respond to the smell, and will investigate when ready. You should not prod or interfere with a snake that is hesitant; it can be a slow process. Try to limit movement and noise in the area around the feeding tank.

    • 5

      Don't worry if your snake isn't eating. Ball pythons sometimes go several months without eating anything, and that's natural. It's best to simply wait and try again in a week. It's also important to remember not to attempt feeding your ball python while it's in the process of shedding.