Mouse / Rat Size Chart [With Pictures & Tips]

rats to feed some pets like snakes? This is a great way to keep your pet well-fed without having to do it yourself. To help snake owners and breeders make informed decisions about the size and type of rat to feed their snakes, a rat size chart has been developed. This chart categorizes rats by weight and length, making it easier to select the appropriate size of rat for a particular snake. In this article, we will explore the importance of the rat size chart for snake owners and breeders and guide how to use the chart effectively to ensure the health and well-being of snakes.

Rat Size Chart

We have noticed that many breeders or owners of snakes like Ball Python are wondering about what to feed their snakes and what size, how often etc so we thought we would post a rats size chart that helped us when we were first starting.

I personally only feed my snake’s chicks as a treat maybe once a month at the most, or use them with no feeders as they tend to get the snake feeding (obviously if the snake is the right size to be able to eat the chick !).

The length of time that should be left between each feed depends on the type of snake and its size etc. And we will write up a basic chart and post it soon.

Mouse Size To Rat Size Conversion Chart

The chart below will help you to compare the size of a mouse to a rat. The chart is in inches, so if you are looking for the equivalent in centimeters, multiply by 2.54.

For a closer look, the following chart shows the sizes and names of Rats and Mouses :

Rat Size Chart For Snakes like Ball Python

Ball Pythons and other snakes are carnivorous animals that need food to survive. With the help of a rat, they can get the food they need without having to go hunting for it.

The rat provides a steady supply of prey for the snake, which would otherwise be forced to hunt for rodents in an environment that is not ideal for such a slow-moving animal.

In some cases, rats are bred by pet owners specifically so that their pet snake has something to eat.

The following Chart shows the age of the snake or its weight against what should be served to it as food and the number of days after which the snake should eat its following meal.

What Size Rodent Do I Feed My Snake?

today we’re talking about what size rodent you should be feeding your snake, and how to correctly size the feeder rodent for your pet, We also discuss in more detail the benefits of feeding rats to your snake vs feeding your snake mice.

so if you are a first-time breeder the choices when it comes to selecting the right size rodent to feed your snake can be quite confusing and quite overwhelming so we’re going to try and simplify this.

when we’re feeding our snakes, is to leave a lump in their body now to do this we need to choose a rodent that is approximately 25 percent larger than the thickest portion of their body

now this will vary from snake to snake because some snakes do like to have a smaller feed and some like to have a larger feed up to around about 50 percent larger than the thickest part of their body

so the main thing is we do not want to feed our snake a rodent which is far too large for them to digest or for them to stomach the risk is that they might regurgitate their feed and potentially bring up some of that stomach acids and therefore potentially burning their digestive tract and through to their trachea.

now the issue with a snake regurgitating its feet is you then need to let it rest for about a week or two before you do feed it to let any potential scars or ulcers in its throat heal now.

talking about the calorie content for rodents, rats have more calories and can accelerate the growth of your snake.

the calorie content for a mouse is 5.25 calories per gram of body weight compared to the rat which has 6.37 calories per gram of body weight so that extra calorie per gram makes your snake massive.

so we suppose the most important bit of information that we can give you, is That you have to be prepared before you bring your snake home and speak to your breeder to find out what size rodents they are feeding on.

find out if it’s a mouse find out if it’s a rat find out what the feeding schedule is and when it was last fed now all these things are important if the uh if the breeder has fed it two days before it’s been sold then you might have to wait at least a week or two before the uh snake has another feed now.

there’s always an acclimation period when you’re bringing home a snake or any kind of reptile for that matter. So be patient with your snake and be prepared with the appropriate food source and you will get happy days.

What Size Rat To Feed Snakes?

If it was the largest part of a snake’s body is approximately one inch, you have to know the snake cannot eat food larger than the largest part of the snake’s body, because if it eats prey that is larger than its stomach, it will be exposed to danger and may vomit or food may close its mouth or expose it to suffocation.

It is preferable to feed pinky mice to snakes, which weigh from 1 to 3 grams because they contain a low percentage of fat and are rich in proteins necessary for the snakes to remain alive.

It is recommended to give Snakes to other young mice whose weight are 5 grams.

How Often To Feed Snakes?

Snakes like Ball pythons are perfect for anyone who is looking for a new pet. They don’t require much maintenance and they are easy to feed. The only thing that you need to do is make sure that they have enough food in their cage every week.

We recommend feeding your snake every week, but if you notice that the snake has lost weight, then you may need to feed it more often.

A Snake can be fed once a week. They should be fed prey that is equal in size to the snake’s girth.

Some types of snakes need to be fed every day, or even twice a day. These snakes are usually larger than ball pythons.

As for the young Snake, they need to be fed at least once or twice a week.

Snake Feeding Chart

This chart is intended to give a general understanding of the average feeding schedule of ball pythons — not a strict feeding schedule. Keepers should feed their animals based on the individual snake’s metabolism and needs. Understanding healthy body weight and fluctuations in feeding schedule is vital to the proper keeping of any animal. Do not rely strictly on any chart, as individual needs may vary.

Allow your Snake to acclimate to its new home for a couple of weeks. Start your hatchling (about 15″ in length) off with a single pre-killed one-week to 10-day old “fuzzy” mouse. A smaller sized hatchling may require a smaller mouse; try a pre-killed 5-day old. Older Snakes may be fed larger pre-killed mice or pinkie rats.

If you have not had any experience force feeding a snake, you may not want to try it yourself until you have seen someone do it. Force feeding, whether of a mouse or with a formula inserted by catheter and syringe, is very stressful for the snake (and it isn’t much fun for the owner!). If your new Snake has gone several months without eating and is beginning to noticeably lose weight, take it to a reptile vet or contact your local herpetology society and ask to speak to someone knowledgeable about Snakes and feeding problems.

And you can read a detailed article on feeding ball pythons snakes, from the link >> What to feed ball pythons.

Conclusion

We all know the coolest part about owning a snake is feeding time. Watching them devour their prey whole is just fascinating! We recommend feeding your snake frozen mice or rats, thawed in warm water. This eliminates the threat of a bite from a live rodent. Some snakes may reject a dead mouse at first so there are cases when you must feed live. However, all snakes will eventually convert to frozen/thawed rodents, so keep trying. It’s worth the effort.

Food Size for Hatchlings: Small mice to small rats

Food Size for Adults: Adult Rats

The rule of thumb is that prey should be no more than 1.5 times the thickest part of the snake’s body.

Feed hatchlings every 5-7 days, and adults every 10-14 days.