Match prey to the snake
RSPCA guidance recommends prey slightly wider than the snake's widest point and offering it with tongs. Weighing the snake and watching body condition are more useful than increasing prey whenever a meal is accepted.
Commercially raised frozen-thawed prey avoids the injury risk of a live rodent. Do not use wild, poisoned, medicated, spoiled, or unknown-source animals.
Use age as the starting rhythm
The RSPCA baseline is every five to six days for young royal pythons and every seven to fourteen days for adults, adjusted to the individual snake's weight and condition. This is a starting point, not permission to ignore a changing body condition or health problem.
Handle feeder rodents as raw animal food
Frozen feeder rodents can still carry germs; freezing does not kill all Salmonella. Store, thaw, and prepare them away from human food, use dedicated utensils, wash hands, and clean the feeding area afterward.
Give the snake a quiet post-feeding period according to its care plan. Repeated regurgitation, swelling, bleeding, breathing change, marked weakness, or collapse needs reptile-veterinary advice.