My ball python's pinkies are too small. Should I feed more or bigger?

Feed your ball python an appropriately sized rodent once a week. "Appropriately sized" means prey items that are no bigger in circumference than the ball python is at its largest circumference. A snake that is eating twice a week is likely eating food that is too small so yes, I agree with you, you should probably increase the size of prey. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It may be a combination of being in a small cage and a new environment. Ball pythons are notorious for not eating if stressed. Make sure the temperature is correct also. A cold snake will not eat. Wait a few days, then offer a pinkie at dusk of in the evening. Gently tap her nose to elicit a strike. Cover the cage for more privacy/security. You can also try scenting the pinkie with some used gerbil bedding. Ask the local pet store if you can have some from the gerbil cages.

Hello! Snake feeding requirements are more based on size and weight than on chronological age. So generally, yes a corn snake under 1 year should be eating pinkies and older corn snakes will typically start eating small mice, then larger mice, it can depend on the individual. I would recommend taking Franklin to a reptile vet for a wellness/new pet exam and they can give a much more specific feeding recommendation based on their exam findings. Since I can’t see Franklin, it’s hard for me to give you a specific instruction about size and number of mice or rats to feed, though I suspect that he should be eating more than just a pinkie every 2 weeks. Good luck!

Consider bumping him up to a juvenile rat (or small adult) once a week. An exam with an experienced herp veterinarian would also be recommended to diagnose illness or injury. Frequently, either may result in behavioral changes or sudden aggression.

All pythons vary in eating. Most eat weekly but based on shedding and weather they can eat less often. Most pythons grow based on their enclosure. If you want to have it grow bigger try a bigger enclosure and good husbandry (substrate,lighting,water) are super important.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are lots of reasons why a snake might go on a hunger strike, but it sounds like you've narrowed it down to a food preference. Rats are a bit more nutritious and ideally preferable over mice, but mice are also a perfectly acceptable option. Some snakes simply prefer them, in which case you are welcome to keep feeding Luminescence mice, and depending on her size she may simply need multiple mice per feeding as she grows. If you want to encourage her to switch to rats, you can try rubbing a dead mouse or mouse bedding on the rat prior to offering it, to give the rat a more familiar scent. Keep trying - but don't stress if the end result is she ends up staying on mice. Hope this helps!

Thank you for reaching out about your ball python - she is really cute! There are a few things you can try/check for the appetite. Often times, when we are seeing issues with appetite, the first thing we try to do is check the husbandry and ensure that it is as perfect as it can be. Sometimes in between seasons the temperatures can get off in the enclosure, and I would recommend checking that first. Also, the humidity can affect the shedding intervals, in addition to the temperature. I would recommend evaluating the temperatures in the enclosure with digital thermometers to ensure that they are appropriate. Also, based on how she looks in the photos, she appears to be in fair body condition, so she may also be regulating herself as far as her weight/appetite goes. This would be a bit of an exception for a ball python, as most of them will overeat and become overweight. But, there are exceptions to the rule and maybe she is one of them! For the prey items - I like that you are using a separate container, and that you are warming the prey items in warm water. Please ensure that the water gets them to body temperature for rodents, which is around 100-102F. Often snakes will eat prey items that are cooler than that, but if a snake is being picky I try to encourage owners to get them measure the temperature to ensure it is warm enough. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and if she doesn't eat despite all of these changes, I would recommend a veterinary visit for her!