For ball pythons
Ball python not eating?
Check the enclosure first, then offer a new food served warm. Some ball pythons take weeks.
$24.99 $20.00 first order, code 20OFFGC! 10 pieces · $2.00 / piece
One Medium piece replaces a hopper mouse. An adult mouse takes 2 to 4 pieces.
Buy now6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee: if your snake refuses six recorded feedings in six weeks, claim the product price back. Shipping is $6 to $9 under $70.
Check these first
Ball pythons go off food more often than most snakes, and it usually has a cause. Rule these out before you change the food.
- 1Temperature and humidity. Measure the warm end, the cool end and the humidity. A ball python kept too cold, too hot, too dry or too damp can go off food.
- 2Hides. It needs enough places to hide. If you move it to another tub to feed, try feeding it in its own enclosure.
- 3Handling. Stop handling it until it is eating again.
- 4A recent move. A new home or a changed enclosure can put a ball python off food.
- 5Shedding and season. Many snakes refuse food around a shed, and adults may stop eating in the breeding season.
- 6The meal itself. Food offered too often, or prey that is too large, gets refused.
Weigh your snake once a week. See a reptile vet if it is losing weight quickly, regurgitates, struggles to breathe, or keeps refusing once the enclosure is right. Loss of appetite can also come from illness, and a change of food will not fix that.
Based on the Merck Veterinary Manual (Disorders and Diseases of Reptiles); F. le Grange, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment of Reptile Anorexia, WSAVA World Congress Proceedings, 2014; and the ReptiFiles ball python care guide. General guidance, not veterinary advice for your animal.
Then try something new
Buy now- Shipping is $6 to $9 on orders under $70, shown before you pay. Orders that come to $70 or more after any discount ship free. Most orders are processed within 1 business day.
- Code 20OFFGC! takes 20% off a first order and is applied for you at checkout.
- 6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee: if your snake refuses six recorded feedings in six weeks, claim the product price back.
Will my ball python eat it?
Every order is covered by the 6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee. Pythons and boas vary. Some need a gradual transition that can run to 6 weeks or more, and some refuse it. The Transition Guide in every order walks you through scenting and timing one feeding at a time.
“Before he went on his hunger strike Mordecai was eating 2 Colossal Mice every 3 weeks. He loved to eat. Now with Reptile Food he is eating again and enjoying life again.”
“Took a little scenting and coaxing, but we were happy to get our ball python eating some Good Reptile sausages.”
Reviews from goodreptiles.com, word for word.
Soak, serve warm, offer.
Soak
Put the pieces in a small cup of hot water for 30 to 60 seconds, until they are soft like thawed prey.
Serve warm
Offer while still warm. Many snakes respond better to prey near body temperature.
Offer
Use feeding tongs or drop the food in the enclosure, as you would a mouse.
Is it big enough for a ball python?
It suits ball pythons on mice and on rats up to a large pup. Find the feeder yours last ate; the last column is the bag that covers six feedings. The size chart stops at large rat pups (41 to 49 g) and gives no figure for bigger rats.
| You feed now | Per feeding | Covers 6 feedings |
|---|---|---|
| Hopper mouse7-10g | 1 piece of Medium | Medium 10 count ($24.99, or $20.00 on a first order) |
| Adult mouse15-30g | 2 to 4 pieces of Medium | Medium 30 count ($49.99, or $40.00 on a first order) |
| Pinky rat5-12g | 1 piece of Medium | Medium 10 count ($24.99, or $20.00 on a first order) |
| Fuzzy rat13-19g | 2 pieces of Medium | Medium 30 count ($49.99, or $40.00 on a first order) |
| Large fuzzy rat20-29g | 4 pieces of Medium | Medium 30 count ($49.99, or $40.00 on a first order) |
| Rat pup30-40g | 5 pieces of Medium | Medium 30 count ($49.99, or $40.00 on a first order) |
| Large rat pup41-49g | 6 pieces of Medium | Medium 60 count ($79.99, or $64.00 on a first order) |
The 6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee
Reptiles can be picky, so the risk is shared. If your reptile does not accept the food after six separate feeding attempts, you can claim a refund of the product price.
- 1Make six feeding attempts within six weeks of the order arriving: about one a week.
- 2Film or photograph each attempt: the food, your reptile being offered it, and the refusal. Short videos are best; time-stamped photos work too.
- 3Email hello@goodreptiles.com within 7 days of the last attempt with your order number, the species and the six pieces of proof.
- 4Approved claims get the product price back to the original payment method in 5 to 10 business days. Shipping is not refunded.
Opened food cannot be returned; refunds are made through this guarantee. It covers orders placed on goodreptiles.com. A claim can be refused when the attempts are not clearly recorded, fewer than six are shown, or the food was not stored or used as directed.
How to offer it to a snake that is refusing food
The Transition Guide in every order brings the new food in beside the usual feeder. For a snake that is taking nothing, start with a piece on its own:
Scent it
Coat a piece with fluid from a thawed feeder, or rub it against one, then offer it as you would the feeder.
If it is refused
Leave it overnight, throw it away if it is not eaten, let your snake fast and try again. Use less scent each time it is taken.
What helps: serve it warm, offer at night with the lights low, or dip it in egg or broth.
Formulated by Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld, PhD, with two veterinary advisors.
Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld, PhD
Comparative animal nutritionist
More than 30 years as a comparative animal nutritionist, and one of very few people to have published scientific papers on snake nutrition.
Dr. James Bogan, DVM, MVS, DABVP
Reptile veterinarian
Chief Veterinary Officer of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens and a past president of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians.
Dr. Emily Grzeda, DVM
Exotics veterinarian
An exotics veterinarian with a professional interest in reptile medicine and nutrition, who keeps reptiles herself.
What the lab found
Beef, beef bone, tripe, mussel, liver, heart and kidney, with chia seeds, gelatin and egg, freeze-dried and fortified with vitamins and minerals.
- Protein
- 55.2%
- Fat
- 29.2%
- Ash (minerals)
- 16.9%
- Calcium
- 5.35%
- Phosphorus
- 2.78%
- Energy
- 4,200 kcal/kg
Dry weight basis, from the lab report published on goodreptiles.com.
Frozen mice or Good Snake Food
Frozen mice
- Take up space in your freezer
- Thaw and warm before every feeding
- Messy prep and cleanup
- Hard to travel with or stock up
- Feeder sizes vary
Good Snake Food
- Stores on a shelf, no freezer
- Soak for a minute and serve warm
- Clean: no thawing, no smell
- Easy to keep stocked
- Pre-portioned pieces, the same every time
Questions ball python keepers ask
My ball python has not eaten in weeks. Is that an emergency?
Ball pythons go off food more often than most snakes, and it usually has a cause. Work through the checks on this page, weigh your snake weekly, and see a reptile vet if it is losing weight, shows any other sign of illness, or keeps refusing once the enclosure is right.
Will a ball python that refuses rodents eat this?
Every order is covered by the 6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee. Pythons and boas vary. Some need a gradual transition that can run to 6 weeks or more, and some refuse it. The Transition Guide in every order walks you through scenting and timing one feeding at a time.
Is it big enough for my ball python?
One Medium piece replaces a hopper mouse. An adult mouse takes 2 to 4 pieces, a rat pup 5 and a large rat pup 6. The size chart stops there (41 to 49 g) and gives no figure for bigger rats.
How do I get a picky snake to take it?
Scent a piece by rubbing it on a thawed feeder, and use less scent each time it is taken. Serve it warm, offer it at night with the lights low, or dip it in egg or broth. The Transition Guide in every order takes it one feeding at a time.
What is it made of?
Beef, beef bone, tripe, mussel, liver, heart and kidney, with chia seeds, gelatin and egg, freeze-dried and fortified with vitamins and minerals. A small amount of plant material stands in for the stomach contents of whole prey. Formulated by Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld, PhD, with two veterinary advisors.
What does shipping cost?
Shipping is $6 to $9 on orders under $70, shown before you pay. Orders that come to $70 or more after any discount ship free. Most orders are processed within 1 business day. We ship within the continental US.
Is there a discount on a first order?
Code 20OFFGC! takes 20% off a first order and is applied for you at checkout.
What if my snake refuses it?
Reptiles can be picky, so the risk is shared. If your reptile does not accept the food after six separate feeding attempts, you can claim a refund of the product price. The attempts have to be made within six weeks, each one filmed or photographed, and the claim sent within 7 days of the last. The product price is refunded on an approved claim; shipping is not. The steps are on this page, and the store's full policy is linked at the foot of it.
How do I prepare and store it?
Soak the pieces in hot water for 30 to 60 seconds until soft and serve warm, with tongs or left in the enclosure. Keep the pouch sealed in a cool, dry place; no freezer. Soaked food that is not eaten keeps in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Offer it something new.
Whole prey snake food, soaked and served warm. Covered by the 6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee.
Medium · 10 count $24.99 $20.00 first order, code 20OFFGC!
6 Feeding Acceptance Guarantee: if your snake refuses six recorded feedings in six weeks, claim the product price back.
Shipping is $6 to $9 on orders under $70, shown before you pay. Orders that come to $70 or more after any discount ship free.