Why is it better to feed prekilled mice rather than live mice?
- Live mice, and especially bigger prey such as rats and gerbils can possibly harm your snake. If the rodent were to attack your snake, it can cause skin damage as well as eye wounds and so forth. Also, rodents can carry parasites such as mites which can transfer to your snake. To avoid the risk of indtroducing new parasites to your snake, you can freeze the mouse. The freezing process eliminates most of the parasites present on the rodent. back to top

How often should I feed my ball python?
- As juviniles, ball pythons should be fed approximately every 5 to 7 days. As adults, feed them on a regular shcedule of 7 to 10 days apart. If you notice a sign of obesity in your snake, gradually lengthen the number of days in between feedings until it reaches its desired weight. back to top

My ball python won't eat frozen or prekilled mice.
- There are a couple of things you can try. First, if the prey has lost its body temperature, your snake may not recognize the rodent as a source of food. Thawing it in normal room temperature may not be warm enough. Try placing the mouse in a small container of hot water(not hot enough to burn your hand) for approximately 3 minutes. Take the warmed rodent and introduce it to the mouse. Try dangling the mouse by its tail in front of your snake's face to attract attention. back to top

What do the feces and urate look like?
- The feces don't look much different from feces of other animals. It varies in size depending on the size of the snake, but the color is of chocolate brown. It should be firm and not runny. Urate resembles the feces in terms of shape. It is a hard off white clunp, not what you would expect as urine! Sometimes, the urate is mixed in with the feces, but generally, they are excreted separately. back to top

How can I tell if my ball python is male or female?
- The best way to determine your snake's sex is by haveing an experienced reptile veterinarian probe the snake. In this process, a lubricated sex probe is inserted into the cloaca (vent at the lower end of the body). The specimen is a male if the probe can be pushed in towards the tail for a distance of 8-10 scales. If the distance is only 2-4 scales, then it is indeeed a female. Do not attempt to sex your snake if you lack experience. You can severely damage the inner tissues of the body if you are not careful. back to top