Python Diet

Pythons are hugely popular pets among snake lovers, but they need special care and attention beyond what other common pets require. A python feeds by wrapping itself around an animal and then constricting until the animal asphyxiates. It then consumes the animal whole and has no need to eat for a long period of time. You need to be very careful with what and how you feed your python to ensure that it will eat on a regular basis.

  1. Time Frame

    • Pythons swallow their entire meal whole and spend several days digesting whatever type of animal that they have eaten, so their eating habits are much different than any other type of pet. Almost all types of pythons eat only one time a week but some may eat even less often, such as only one time a month, especially if they are consuming larger animals that take a longer time to digest.

    Types

    • Small rodents are the food of choice for both domesticated and wild pythons. Pythons are notoriously picky eaters and will generally only eat one type of rodent such as mice, rats, or gerbils. Pet stores sell live animals, as well as frozen rodents that have been pre-killed and must be thawed before being fed to the python.

    Size

    • The size of the animal will directly affect how likely the python is to eat and how long the digestion process will take. For the best results you should feed your python a rodent that is about the same size around as the python's midsection. Don't worry if the animal is much larger than the python's head, as the snakes are capable of swallowing incredibly large things.

    Function

    • Wear gloves or use a towel when placing the rodent inside the python's habitat so that animal's scent isn't changed by the oils in your hands. Place the animal near the python and in a small enclosed area where the python will not be distracted by other moving objects so that it is most likely to eat it quickly, as pythons are known to lose interest in eating if there are other outside stimuli.

    Considerations

    • Pythons are less likely to eat cold food, so you should completely defrost a pre-killed animal and then warm it up to its normal body temperature by placing the rodent inside a plastic bag and then cook it for a few moments in boiling water. Studies also suggest that pythons that eat live animals tend to be more likely to attack animals or people, so most pet stores will strongly recommend that you only use pre-killed animals to feed your python.