Frozen rats For my snake.. HELP?

Question

Im getting a Ball python soon and i need to know HOW much an average python eats, once a month or once a week or what.

AND i need to know how much frozen rats or just rats cost!

since my bf might be buying them i might have to give him an average price of how much it cost..

help :]

Answer 1

a ball python will eat around 1 mouse a week it is important to buy the frozen kind because the live mice or rats can hurt the snake. when it is young the python will need to eat mice because they are smaller. when the python gets larger it will eat around 1 rat a week. depending on where you live you can find the price it is important to ask a pet store like pet land to get these answers because they will know more.

Answer 2

rats are about 6 dollars if it is a pet.i do not think they have feeding rats.....i would recomend feeding it mice wich are like 60 cent to a doller for feeding mice.you feed them mice about 1-2 times a week.if its a baby 1 mouse a week.you can feed it small rats but it will be more expensive and plus its the same feeding with them so your not saving time or money with the rat.good luck with the python!

Answer 3

Buying frozen feeders on line works out more cheaply than picking them up from the local pet store, but the con to this is having only one snake, and needing to worry about freezer burn.

Owning a single snake, I would recommend that you purchase frozen items 1-2 in reserve from a local source.

A rule of thumb for frozen/thawed is - if the snake refuses to eat, you can re-freeze the prey item once.  If it is refused beyond that, toss it and do the next offer with a fresh item.  Thawing and re-freezing breaks down proteins.

It's really going to depend on the age/size of the snake, as far as cost goes.  A baby will be eating pinkies, 1-2 once a week, working up through fuzzies as it grows.  A young python will be eating small mice 1 once a wk.-10 days..  A juvenile will take large mice, 1-2 every 2 wk.-3 wk.  An adult will take a small rat every 2-3 wk. depending on what feeding schedule you decide on as the snake ages.  

Many breeders recommend feeding no longer than 3 wk. between meals.  Others recommend feeding once a mo.  This is a topic you might want to research, and also discuss with your vet.

But, Ball pythons simply don't get that large.  It's doubtful it will ever take a large rat.  The rule of thumb for feeding a snake is to offer prey which is no larger than the largest part of the snake's body.  The mouse/rat should be as big around as the snake is.

http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide...

http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide...

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/pythons/a...

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules.php?...

Enjoy your new snake, and I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 4

depending on where you live. I have a 3 foot royal (same as a ball python) and he is eating 3 grown white mice a week. he is about 3.19 a week.I think i am going to try a medium rat on him. I was talking to someone online and he has the same size snake and his is taking One rat a week. It costs about the same for one rat or one mouse. either way... Long as he can eat... I am happy! I dont know how much frozen are, but live about between 1.00 and 2.00 a rat. Mouses are 1.00 for pinkie and fuzzie... and 1.o0 for adults. Rats are larger so they cost more. depending on the snake... Mine eats weekly and has not missed a meal. Even in shed. he just takes 2 mouse not 3 when he is in shed.

Good luck!

Answer 5

typicaly once every week or two weeks you'll want to feed your snake, unless it's a baby, you're looking to a little more often like every 4 to 7 days. Rat prices really are going to vary depending on where you live and where you buy them from so what you'll need to do is call local pet stores in your area to shop around. if you're looking to shop online, rodentpro is a good place but i would only order from there if you're going to make a very large order. rat price will also depend on the size of the rat so you may pay 3 for a sm, 4 for a mediu, 5 for a large, 6 xl, etc..  

Answer 6

This really depends on the age and size of your Ball Python.  Ball pythons under 6 months of age can be fed every 4 to 7 days.  They grow a lot faster at that point.  Once they get larger the feeding time can be increased to 7 to 10 days, even every 2 weeks if they have a big meal.

Just feed a rat no bigger around than the biggest part of the snakes body.  They can eat bigger and smaller, but if you get bigger they'll eat much less often, if you feed smaller they may not get enough and be hungry all the time.

I just bought a bunch of frozen Rats for my Ball Pythons from:

http://www.americanrodent.com/welcome.ht...

They're great, but they require a minimum order for free shipping.  Rodentpro.com would be a good place to go for smaller orders I think.

Lots of local pet stores will sell live feeder rats.  The most expensive I have seen them is 5 dollars for a medium rat, which is usually the largest a Ball Python will eat when it is an adult.  If you get smaller feeder rats it will be cheaper.

Also a good place to check on information and feeding and husbandry tips is:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/

J.Biz

Answer 7

     Congratulations on getting a snake soon and it is awesome that you are planning ahead.  Ball pythons can vary a bit in eating habits but generally "baby" balls eat 1 or 2 pinkies mice weekly and then move up to  one fuzzy mouse or pinkie rat a week.  As they grow more they will need adult mice or small rats at a rate of about one or perhaps two a week. It is important to feed weekly because in the fall most snakes STOP eating till spring arrives.  Your snake will do a pretty good job of letting you know it is hungry by actively searching for food. You recognizegnise this easily once get used to your particular snake's habits.

   At Bert's Pet Center in New Boston, Ohio, we sell pinkie mice for 99 cents each, fuzzy mice and pinkie rats for $1.29 each, adult mice for a $1.99 and small rats for $3.99.  

Answer 8

rodentpro.com is the best place to get what you want.

Answer 9

You'd feed them once a week or two every other week.

Frozen rats, if ordered online(Saves A LOT of money!) it will cost ~40 to 50 cents per rat, they come in bags, typically with 50 or 100 per bag. Shipping will cost about $30. It may seem expensive but when you think how long this will last you and compared to $2 per rat at a local petstore you'll save a lot.

Two good sites, good quality at good price:

Rodent Pro http://www.rodentpro.com/

Big Cheese Rodent Factory http://www.bigcheeserodents.com/