Animals have their personal need for nutrition in order to stay healthy. Some snakes have a wide range of foods. Others, like ball pythons are unable to do it. Baby ball pythons in the wild consume from rats to birds to tiny animals to lizards. They usually feed on rats, mice and birds.
Mostly, they feed on rodents and happily eat either live or pre-killed prey. Charts are essential for owners of all levels. The reptile does not need to eat every day because of a ball python’s slow digestive system. Ball pythons reach maturity at different ages depending on their rate of growth.
What do baby ball pythons eat?
Baby ball pythons only eat animal protein. The prey must be the appropriate size. They can’t eat like adults.
Large Crickets:
They are a good choice for baby ball pythons that deliver all of the required nutrients to the snake. Crickets last for a long time into their system. For newborns, they are perfect. Ball pythons’ bodies are adapted to rodent consumption.
Feeding on rodents comes naturally to ball pythons. Do not try to feed crickets if they are used to having other larger meals. They are not as dense food as rodents. Besides they are not easily available to many regions.
You will need huge amount of crickets both alive or dead to satisfy the reptiles hunger. Catching a lot of crickets will breakdown the ecosystem of a place. In that case environmentalists forbade catching crickets from one area.
Fuzzy Rats:
We know that rats are the superior staple food for ball pythons. Fuzzy rats are baby rats. Juvenile mice fall in this category. Ball pythons are not as picky as adult ones. Fuzzy rats are high in protein that is the most essential nutrient for baby rats to grow up. They give proper amino acids in appropriate amounts.
For carnivorous animals like baby ball pythons carbohydrates are not required. Reptiles’ digestive system is not suitable to digest carbs. Fuzzy rats are one of the ball python’s natural food sources.
Make sure they are appropriate for the ball python. Rats are not a ready food. They cannot be found in ease all over the place. Some farms sell live rats. But it is difficult to find farms in the town. Frozen rats can be an alternative food. They are available in markets and nurseries. Online ordering is also possible.
Before feeding them, make sure the rats are free from all kinds of illness.Unusual marks on the rat could be dangerous for your baby ball python. Before feeding frozen rats, make sure to unfreeze them to room temperature.
Pinky Mice:
Pinky mices have pink tint on them and they are more common for easy availability. They are a little bit tiny compared to other wildor domestic mice. This is not an uncommon breed of mouse.
Sometimes they are called pinkies that are young mice with ingrown fur. They are one of the most popular baby ball python diets. Pinkies are species that are taken as a good meal for tiny baby pythons. Snakes eat mice throughout their whole lives.
A newborn baby ball python will choke if they try to intake larger prey. Choose prey smaller than their body at mid-length. Fuzzy rats could be a cause of allergy for some baby ball pythons. In that case pinky mices could be some kind of blessing for them.
Foods like small rabbits are not suitable for baby ball pythons. They should not be given to them initially. Try some other fleshy prey first and look for their reaction. You will film the result in a few days as they are not daily eaters.
Baby Ball Python Feeding Chart
| Age Limit | Prey | Frequency of Feeding |
| Just Being Born | 1 small mouse or equivalent | Every 5 or 6 days |
| 3 months or above | 1 small mouse or equivalent | Every 6 to 7 days |
| 6 months or above | 1 adult mouse or equivalent | Every 7 to 10 days |
| 1 year or above | 1-3 adult mice or equivalent | Every 10 to 14 days |
| 1 ½ years or above | 3-5 adult mice or equivalent | Every 10 to 14 days |
| 3 years or above | 4-5 adult mice or equivalent | Every 14 to 21 days |
| 5+ years or above | 4-5 adult mice or equivalent | Every 21 to 50 days |
- Source: Wikipedia
How Do You Feed A Baby Ball Python for The First Time?
- Both feeding adult and baby ball python is quite simple. If you are familiar with feeding grownups, it would be an easy job for you.
- Whatever the food is, you can put the prey in the cage. Observe the ball python about its activity.
- As is their lazy habit, sometimes they might not be crazy to look for their food. If a prey comes near its mouth, then most likely it will swallow the prey.
- Place it near the ball python’s head. I will sense if the food is nearby.
- It is good to feed them with live ones. Live prey has a powerful scent.Their movement reminds baby ball python to eat it.
- It is alright to give them live food. In the case of frozen ones, make sure they come in the right temperature. Room temperature would be the best to feed them.
- If the baby ball python does not eat its food, try to move it towards the food so that it can have it. You can also move the snake a little bit to the prey.
- As they are not daily eaters, the food must be served once every 5-7days.
- Do not play with the ball python on the day when it eats. It will take one day for the python to digest its food. It may make it vomit up its food.
Baby Ball Python Feeding Tips
- The temperature should be maintained at a gradient of 80 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cure if it gets any kind of sickness.
- Offer an appropriately sized meal every 7 – 10 days.
- Do not give it extra stress.
- Avoid irregular food that it hates.
- Ball pythons attack and eat live rodents.
- You can offer live prey.
- Offer freshly killed rodents.
- Offer frozen rodents that have been thawed and warmed.
- Serve food that is at room temperature.
- Do not offer huge prey items to your snake.
- Offer mice or rats that are roughly the same width as the snake’s midsection.
Baby Ball Python Feeding Schedule?
For a regular owner it is not a big deal. They know what to do. We need to make sure that it is eating regularly. Newly born baby pythons may not eat for a couple of weeks. They are full from their eggs. But still they should be offered the right amount of food. A baby ball python should be fed about every 5 days once the first couple of weeks has passed.
What Do Baby Ball Pythons Eat in Captivity?
Baby ball pythons eat rats or mice for their entire lifetime. Give them different types of food like gerbils, hamsters and other exotic breeds in captivity. They should be fed with large crickets, fuzzy mice and pinky mice until they grow into adults. Different foods will fulfill their nutrition’s.
How Often to Feed Baby Ball Python
Baby ball pythons usually eat twice each week. Larger and mature snakes eat once every week or two. Veterinarians can give more specific advice about feeding based on your snake’s individual requirements. There are many kinds of breeds available in the market. They differ in meal amount.
What Do I Do If My Baby Ball Python Doesn’t Eat?
It is not uncommon for baby ball pythons to go off feed for a short period of time. This is usually due to stress or brumation.
If your baby ball python has not eaten for more than 3 weeks, you should consult with a veterinarian.
Here are some tips to help encourage your baby ball python to eat:
- Make sure that the enclosure is warm and humid.
- Offer the snake prey that is the correct size.
- Feed the snake at the same time every day.
- Avoid handling the snake unnecessarily.
- Be patient. It may take some time for the snake to start eating again.
With a little patience and care, you can help your baby ball python to eat properly and grow into a healthy adult snake.
Also Read: How Long Can a Baby Ball Python Go Without Eating?
FAQs
Why is my baby ball python not eating?
Can you overfeed a baby ball python?
What should I feed my 2 month old ball python?
What should a 3 month old ball python eat?
How many mice should I feed my baby ball python?
How long can a ball python baby go without eating?
Conclusion
The size of the food is the most important concern with baby ball pythons. The prey should be no larger than the snake’s body at mid-length. Young ball pythons may struggle more to find the food. Feeding a baby python too much can create a dangerous situation.