Reader question: “I have a new ball python that I just got over the holidays. I am feeding it mice right now. Can my ball python eat lizards, or should I stick with mice? I have access to both of these food sources. I’m just wondering which one is best from a health standpoint.”
You would be better off sticking with rodents, since that’s what these snakes eat in the wild. If a ball python is hungry enough, it might eat lizards. But that is not its primary food choice in nature, so it might refuse to eat.
Additionally, feeder rodents are more readily available. There are many reputable breeders that provide healthy (i.e., disease- and parasite-free) rodents for ball pythons and other snakes.
That’s the short answer. Here’s a more in-depth response:
Feeding Lizards to Your Ball Python: Not Recommended
Ball pythons come from a number of countries in West Africa. In nature, these snakes mostly eat small mammals. Their diet primarily consists of shrews, mice, and African soft-furred rats. From an evolutionary standpoint, ball pythons don’t recognize lizards as food. They are genetically predisposed to seek out rodents and other small mammals as prey.
So, can your ball python eat lizards and still live a healthy life? That’s hard to say. Unfortunately, there are no long-term studies on ball pythons that eat a predominantly lizard-based diet. But logic would dictate that these snakes will do better on a captive diet that more closely resembles their natural diet.
Anything you can do to duplicate the ball python’s natural environment will benefit your pet snake. This goes for the snake’s diet as well. And in nature, ball pythons generally do not eat lizards. They eat rodents and other small mammals.
You said you’re currently feeding your snake mice. I would recommend sticking with that, and maybe “graduating” up to rats as your snake grows larger. Generally speaking, rats have more muscle mass and overall density than mice, so they’re a good source of fat and protein.
Margaret Wissman, an exotic pet veterinarian, wrote the following in Reptiles magazine:
“Boas and pythons … are carnivorous animals and should be consuming appropriate-sized rodents for proper nutrition. That is the basic fact of owning one of these types of snakes.”
I fully agree with Ms. Wissman on this matter. I believe ball pythons (and all snakes for that matter) should be fed prey animals that at least resemble the ones they would be eating in the wild. You might not be able to get your hands on African soft-furred rats to feed your ball python. But you can easily find “generic” feeder rats through sources like Rodent Pro, Layne Labs, and other providers.
As for size, try to obtain rodents that are about the same size (in diameter) as the thickest part of your snake — or slightly larger than that. This is a good general rule for choosing prey size. This is another problem with using feeder lizards; they’re generally too small to satisfy a healthy, adult ball python.
Do you have questions about this subject? Feel free to leave a comment below. Do you want to become an expert in ball python care and maintenance? Download our e-book!
Bottom line: Can you feed lizards to a pet ball python? It’s not recommended. Stick with purchasing rodents from a reputable supplier. Your snake will be better off in the long run.
The post Can My Ball Python Eat Lizards, or Should I Stick to Mice? appeared first on Reptile Knowledge.
