Use this Ball Python quick feeding chart to select the correct size frozen rats, frozen mice, and other feeder rodents based on your snake’s weight. This guide includes feeding frequency, target prey weight, and recommended feeder sizes, including frozen jumbo mice, medium rats, and colossal rat options for growing and adult ball pythons.
Why Choose the Proper Feeder Size for Ball Pythons?
Ball pythons grow healthy when prey size matches their body weight and body width. Feeding prey that is too small may lead to poor growth and nutritional inconsistency, while oversized prey can increase the risk of stress, regurgitation, or feeding refusal.
A common reptile feeding guideline is:
- Feed based on weight + schedule (by weight class).
- Choose a prey item that totals ~10% of your ball python’s body weight (and no more than ~1.5× the snake’s width).
- Adjust feeding schedules as the snake matures.
Using appropriately sized Frozen Rats and Frozen Mice supports healthy muscle development, smoother sheds, and better feeding response over time.
Shop feeders: Frozen Rats | Frozen Mice
Step 1: Find your feeding interval (Ball Python)
In a weight-based schedule:
Ball Python chart (weight → target grams → Big Cheese feeder options)
| Ball Python Weight Class | Recommended Schedule | Target Prey (≈10%) | Best Big Cheese Options (by weight) |
| Up to ~60g (hatchlings) | ~5 days | ~4–6g | Fuzzy Mice (4–6g) |
| 60–100g | 7 days | ~6–10g | Fuzzy Mice (4–6g) or Hopper Mice (7–12g) |
| 100–200g | 7 days | ~10–20g | Hopper Mice (7–12g) or Small Adult Mice (13–17g) |
| 200–350g | 7–10 days | ~20–35g | Adult Mice (18–29g) or Jumbo Mice (30–39g) |
| 350–500g | 10–14 days | ~35–50g | Jumbo Mice (30–39g) or Colossal Mice (40–90g) |
| 500–700g | 14–21 days | ~50–70g | Weaned Rats (30–45g) (small end) or Small Rats (46–84g) |
| 700–1000g | 14–21 days | ~70–100g | Small Rats (46–84g) or Medium Rats (85–149g) (small end) |
| 1000–1500g | 14–21 days | ~100–150g | Medium Rats (85–149g) |
| 1500g+ | 28–56 days | 150g+ | Large Rats (150–279g) (common) |
Maintaining a consistent feeding interval with quality Feeder Rodents helps regulate digestion and feeding behavior.
Step 2: Use ~10% of snake weight to pick feeder grams
To determine the ideal feeder size:
Target prey weight (grams) ≈ Ball python weight × 0.10
For example:
- A 300g ball python should eat prey around 30g
- A 1000g adult ball python typically needs prey around 100g
Once you determine the target prey weight, choose Big Cheese feeder rodents whose listed gram range matches your target.
Ball Python feeding chart (weight → target grams → Big Cheese feeder options)
Use this quick-reference Ball Python chart to select the best frozen rats, frozen mice, or other appropriately sized feeder rodents for your snake.
Pinky 3–9g, Fuzzy 10–18g, Pup 19–29g, Weaned 30–45g, Small 46–84g, Medium 85–149g, Large 150–279g, Jumbo 280–399g, Colossal 500–900g (some 900g+).
Optional: add variety (ball python friendly)
You can add quail and chicks as variety prey options (along with rodents).
If you want to offer variety: Day-Old Chicks | Quail
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