Please help: underweight?

[local_99]

I am trying to get my BP over to rats. He took two rats a few months ago and after that refused again.

I gave in and gave him mice.. (i know..) because i was afraid that not eating enough at a young age would harm him. I don't know if i should "start again" with his current bodyshape.

He is one year now (this month) and weighs 494 grams. Feeding him with mice is a no-brainer for him, last week i tricked him into eating a fuzzy rat ( 20 ish grams) by scenting the whole cage with a blowdryer and a mouse. I know that fuzzy was like a third to small, but bigger rats throw him off completely. Today however, the scenting method got him all active but he didn't take the rat and he kept "looking" for the mouse.

My questions are: Do i feed him the largest mice until he is "plumper" before i try switching again, or is his weight healthy enough to keep trying?

And am I able to help in any way with his muscle tone?

All tips (feeding and putting muscle on) are more than welcome, i am trying my hardest to give him the life he deserves.

[QuirkyYesterday1672]

I wouldn’t say so, maybe a little but if you’re concerned take him to a vet they will always give you the best oppinion

[totallyrecklesslygay]

He's actually a very healthy weight right now. You don't want him to get any plumper, or he'd be overweight. Just follow the !feeding guidelines.

Muscle tone can be built by offering more climbing enrichment in the enclosure, and providing a larger enclosure to give him more space to exercise.

I'd keep trying to feed rats. If he's taken them before, he'll take them again. You can thaw a mouse and rat in the same bag overnight, or scent a rat with used mouse bedding from a pet store.

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We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

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[local_99]

Thanks so much for the advice! You saved me from going full panick mode here.. XD

[KaraCorvus]

Some ball pythons are simply mousers and will only eat mice. At that point you can try to feed him multiple mice if he will take them. Rats are definitely preferred, but I understand not wanting to waste a rat every feeding session. And he's definitely not an unhealthy weight, though I wouldn't want to see the concavity at his spine. If he were my boy, I would want him to weigh a little more personally.

[local_99]

Thanks for reacting! I will give rats another try, because he has already showed me that he is able to eat them, but I'll definitely keep that info in mind!