How Many hoppers Should I feed my Ball Python in one feeding???

Question

i just got em and i think the guy at the petstore said to feed em 1 time a week and 3 hoppers ( thawed) per feeding. does that sound right.... plz help i feed him 2 so far

Here's a link - to a vid of my python

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3AGMpw8_v4

Answer 1

As long as you have provided the proper temperatures he should have no trouble digesting an adult mouse. Doubling or tripling up on smaller rodents means he is taking in a much larger amount of fur and the other less nutritious parts relative to the amount of "meat".

Answer 2

There isn't an exact no-no rule on feeding various prey items in one sitting, but frankly pet stores know shoot of what they are talking about. If your python is 6-8 months old, he is past the hopper stage.My smallest python is 2 months old and he eats a weanling (15g/17g- 3/3.5") just fine.

The rule of thumb for feeding is to: measure your snake around his widest part and get a rodent that is roughly the same size.

Adult mice will be better than hoppers if you insist on mice, though baby-small rats will be a much more nutritious source of food as he continues growing, and it will save you the hassle of waiting around for him to swallow one so you can feed the next.

If you measured well, there should be no  trouble with larger prey, it may look too big for his head size, but that is just how snakes are.

Answer 3

please dont feed him crickets or grasshoppers mice and when he gets older rats they may be a bit more expensive but they really make it more healthy. and why do you keep your snake in a box

Answer 4

why not just feed an adult mouse or small rat? there's no need to feed several small food items when you can just feed one larger one.