How to Feed Frozen Mice to a Ball Python

Ball pythons are notorious for being picky eaters. While some eat almost anything, others refuse to eat if the food and eating conditions do not meet their standards. One of the most common food items for snakes are frozen mice. Frozen mice are better than live mice because they cannot fight back and harm the snake. However, these pythons do not come in contact with mice in the wild, so they may not view it as food. A few simple tricks can encourage a ball python to eat frozen mice every time.

Things You'll Need

  • Colored mice
  • Chicken broth
  • Towel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase colored mice. Albino mice generally do not occur in the wild, so the snake may not recognize it as food. Pythons are much more likely to eat a colored mouse.

    • 2

      Dip the frozen mouse in chicken broth. Ball pythons find this smell more appealing than the smell of a non-scented mouse.

    • 3

      Put the frozen mouse in the snake's tank at night. Pythons are naturally nocturnal and are more likely to eat at night.

    • 4

      Place a towel over the tank. Ball pythons can be timid and may not eat if somebody watches them.