{"topic_id":"exotic_nutrition_ball_python_feeding","category":"exotic-pet-nutrition","context":"---\ntopic_id: exotic_nutrition_ball_python_feeding\ncategory: exotic-pet-nutrition\ntitle: \"Ball python feeding — obligate carnivore; whole prey mice/rats; pre-killed frozen-thawed; separate cage\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"RSPCA pet care advice (https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html) — non-Open-Access; paraphrased derived fact summary per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3.\"\nsource_file: [\"https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html\", \"pdf-raw/exotic-c-2026/petmd_ball_python_feeding.txt\"]\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-04\ntokens_estimated: 106\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 7\n  passed: 7\n  date: 2026-08-04\nrecovered: false\npath: exotic-pet-nutrition/exotic_nutrition_ball_python_feeding/01_exotic_nutrition_ball_python_feeding.md\nsource_document: \"RSPCA — https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"RSPCA\"\n  title: \"Ball python feeding — obligate carnivore; whole prey mice/rats; pre-killed frozen-thawed; separate cage\"\nretrieved: \"2026-08-04\"\nref: \"RSPCA pet care advice (https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html)\"\ndoc_type: \"animal-welfare-org consumer version\"\nneeds_review: false\nlicense: paraphrase\ncopyright_note: \"Source RSPCA pet care advice (rspca.org.uk) is © RSPCA and not openly licensed; per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\"\nauthority_tier: T4\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T4:welfare-org\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n\n# Ball python feeding — obligate carnivore; whole prey mice/rats; pre-killed frozen-thawed; separate cage\n\nSource: RSPCA pet care advice (rspca.org.uk), a copyrighted animal-welfare organisation. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.\n\n## Claims\n\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Ball pythons are obligate carnivores and need to eat whole animals to get the right nutrition; most keepers feed appropriately sized mice or rats.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Only pre-killed prey that has been frozen and thawed should be fed, because live rodents can severely injure or kill a snake.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A separate feeding cage is recommended so the snake associates the cage with feeding rather than the handler's hand.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Ball pythons are nighttime feeders.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Prey should be about the same width as the ball python's body at mid-body; for example, a snake whose midsection is 1½ inches in diameter should be fed prey no wider than 1½ inches.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Juvenile ball pythons are fed about once a week, adults about every 1–2 weeks, and baby ball pythons every other day.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Fresh, clean water should always be available to a ball python and be replaced daily.\n","sources":["exotic-pet-nutrition — Ball python feeding — obligate carnivore; whole prey mice/rats; pre-killed frozen-thawed; separate cage (retrieved 2026-08-04)"],"source":{"authority":"exotic-pet-nutrition","title":"Ball python feeding — obligate carnivore; whole prey mice/rats; pre-killed frozen-thawed; separate cage","url":"https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html","retrieved":"2026-08-04","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"RSPCA — https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html","verification_file":"[\"https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html\", \"pdf-raw/exotic-c-2026/petmd_ball_python_feeding.txt\"]"},"source_document":"RSPCA — https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html","source_file":"[\"https://www.exoticpetvet.com/ball-python-care.html\", \"pdf-raw/exotic-c-2026/petmd_ball_python_feeding.txt\"]","trust":{"authority_tier":"T4","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"paraphrase","display_grade":"C"},"tokens_estimated":106,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}