How to Feed Python Snakes

Pythons, like all snakes, have a very slow metabolism and eat a lot less often than warm-blooded animals. Babies of up to a year old should be fed once a week because this is the period they grow fastest. Older snakes should be fed every 10 days to two weeks. Pythons are ambush predators and feed on small mammals and an occasional bird. There are no vegetarian snakes. They pick up scent particles in the air with their tongues and can detect the presence of prey with heat-sensing pits between the scales around their mouth; this enables them to hunt in the dark. They kill their prey by coiling around it and restricting its breathing. They then swallow it whole, head-first. These facts are all relevant to the "how" of feeding a python because they guide caretakers to the best food and the best ways of feeding.

Things You'll Need

  • Food animal
  • Forceps or tongs
  • Warm chicken broth
  • Towel or cage cover
  • Hand protection
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select an appropriate food animal for the snake's age and size. Rats are better food for snakes than mice because they have a higher protein content. Rats can be bred at home or bought from a pet shop at any stage, from tiny newborns (called "pinks" or "fuzzies") to adults. They can be fed to pythons fresh-killed, or frozen and thawed. Frozen rats are also available commercially via the internet. Get colored ones, since white or albino rodents occur seldom in nature and may not look like food to a python.

    • 2

      Choose a food animal that is no wider than the snake's body. If the prey is too big, the python may reject it, or may swallow it and then regurgitate it.

    • 3

      Prepare the food animal. Thaw frozen ones completely and warm to rat body temperature. Stun or kill a live rat humanely with a blow to the head, done most easily by taking the animal by the tail and swinging it sharply against a hard surface. If this bothers you, try frozen rats; however, some pythons will take only fresh-killed food that is still moving. Do not put a live prey animal in with any snake, since the prey may defend itself and hurt the snake in the process.

    • 4

      Grasp the food animal with forceps (kitchen tongs will work), preferably by the tail, and hold it a few inches in front of the snake. Watch the snake carefully for signs of interest, such as coming forward or flicking its tongue. If the snake is interested but hesitant, wiggle the food gently to suggest lifelike motion. If the snake takes the food, release the tongs immediately.

    • 5

      If the snake is interested in the food but will not take it, dip the food in warm chicken broth and offer it again. This may add a more appetizing smell and encourage the snake to eat. It also moistens the food and makes it easier for the snake to swallow.

    • 6

      If the python will not take food from the tongs, lay the food down within easy reach of the snake and move back from the cage. The snake may be intimidated by the presence of what it perceives as a competitor.

    • 7

      If the snake will not eat immediately, leave the food in the cage and put a towel or other cover over the cage. Some snakes do not like to be watched while they eat. Leave the food in the cage for several hours before you check. If the python still has not eaten, remove the food, as it will have spoiled and snakes do not eat carrion.

    • 8

      If f the snake still will not eat, wait until the next scheduled feeding period and try again -- it may just not be hungry.