If you’re new to ball pythons, feeding frozen mice can be a challenge. But it is essential that your snake become familiar with these prey items as they make an excellent alternative to live food sources.
Ball pythons should be happy to eat frozen rodents on a regular schedule if you provide them with food on an established schedule.
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Keep the Temperature in the Cage at a Comfortable Level
When feeding ball python frozen mice, it’s essential to maintain their cage temperature at a comfortable level. These snakes are cold-blooded and need an environment with a temperature gradient within their enclosure in order to thermoregulate effectively.
Ideally, provide your snake with both a warm side (the warmer end of their cage) and a cool side, so they can choose which temperature feels most comfortable for them. Doing this also helps them better replicate their natural environment.
If your snake doesn’t have a choice, heating tape or a heated mat can help heat the area of their enclosure where they like to hang out. Be mindful not to overheat your snake as this could be highly toxic.
There are various heat sources available for your snake, such as ceramic infrared heaters, radiant heat panels and deep heat projectors. However, these should only be used as a secondary heat source in its enclosure due to their weaker spectrums of infrared radiation which cannot effectively thermoregulate a snake’s body temperature.
Add a Scent
For an even more pleasurable way to get your snake to consume frozen mice, consider adding a scent. Scented cubes can be purchased at most major retailers and placed on a warmer to melt and release their pleasant aroma.
Snakes rely heavily on scent for survival, as they are natural hunters and can detect prey that isn’t even lying there. Scents also trigger memories and emotions in them.
Additing a scent to your feeding ball python frozen mice can be an effective way to motivate them to eat, even if they are picky about what they eat! In some cases, adding scent may even encourage picky snakes to strike!
If your snake is having difficulty eating frozen mice, try placing the mouse inside a ziploc bag. This will keep the mouse dry during thawing and facilitate scent transfer.
Try a Different Size
Feeding your snake a frozen mouse is an excellent way to provide them with essential nutrition without the risk of biting, clawing or scratching themselves. However, remember that this type of food may require some training for your snake; so you may need to try different approaches in order to get them interested in it.
Start by offering your ball python a small rodent, such as a rat pup. This will help determine what size prey is most suitable for them.
As your snake grows, it will need to eat larger prey items such as adult mice and rats. To ensure that you do not under-feed your ball python, start providing larger-sized rats and mice as soon as possible.
Try a Different Color
If your snake is a picky eater, you may have to try different techniques before they accept frozen mice. One such trick is changing up the color of food items.
It is not an uncommon problem for snakes to avoid eating dead or live prey, and some even develop a fear of these types of animals after they’ve been killed.
Unfortunately, some snakes will eat frozen mice if you are persistent enough to get them interested. This can be especially helpful if your snake is a baby or toddler and not yet used to eating this type of prey.
To encourage your snake to try frozen mice, thaw them out first. This will allow your snake to sense body heat from the mouse and activate their natural feeding instincts.
