I have a roughly three foot ball python...he eats about 4 mice a week all in a row. can I feed him rats yet?

He is insatiable with eating and we want to make sure he is getting enough nutrition he is very active. He takes regular BMs and is not skinny..(ie no worms, mites etc) He eats 4 4inch mice in a row every week. we were wondering to cut cost a little could we feed him rats...how big is too big?? HELP!!I have a roughly three foot ball python...he eats about 4 mice a week all in a row. can I feed him rats yet?
At three feet and eating so many mice a week, I'd say he's overdue an upgrade.





When you're selecting feeder animals, look at the head and shoulders of the animal because this is the portion your snake will have to contend with. Rats may look bulky and ';too big'; but I can assure you that's not the case. So long as it isn't more than 1 and 1/2 times the girth of your snake, it should have no trouble consuming it.





I feed my adult snakes each a medium or large rat every 2 weeks unless I'm fattening them up after egg laying, in which case I feed weekly. My younger snakes are all fed weekly. If you change your feeding schedule in addition to your feeder animals, I'm sure you'll be happy with the change in your feeder bill.





Hope it helps and good luck with your snake.I have a roughly three foot ball python...he eats about 4 mice a week all in a row. can I feed him rats yet?
A 3 ft. Ball should not be eating weekly.





This is a topic you need to google indepth, and also one to discuss with your vet. How fast did this snake get to be from baby to 3 ft.? Some adults only reach 3 ft. max. Power feeding (feeding too much and too often) can lead to serious health issues.





The rule of thumb for feeding a snake is to offer a prey item (and I hope we are talking about Frozen/Thawed, or fresh killed) no bigger around than the largest part of the snake's body.


http://www.anapsid.org/ratbites.html


http://www.redtailboa.net/forums/feeding鈥?/a>





So, if the largest part of his body when he is not full of food is the same size around as a large mouse, or small rat - that is the proper size.





A 3 ft. ball should be fed on an average of every 2-3 wk. Typically, 1-2 prey animals of the correct size should be offered per feeding (and fill him up).





If he has been tested for parasites, then you might want to increase the prey item size, and decress the frequency of feeding.





Good luck, and I hope this has been helpful.
The food should be slightly bigger than the thickest part around him. Remember that snakes are oppurtunistic eaters - meaning they will take food when they get it. This may mean that he doesn't need more mice - he is just eating them because you are offering them.





Go ahead and move up to small rats - go by how big he is in the middle and try leaving it at that.





Best of luck.
It sounds like he needed rats a while back. I assume he is eating full grown mice and not ';hoppers';. Rats just starting to run around with their eyes open are not much bigger than mice. Get one of those and try it. It might help to rub a mouse on it first (honest). If the snake manages it with no problems try one a bit bigger next time. You will get the idea qucikly and REMEMBER they are DESIGNED to eat prey that looks way too big. A tree foot ball pythin should have no problem with a jusvenile rat. Good luck.
Ask your vet, or find one that has experience with reptiles.