I agree with Amy. Much better that your snake be picky and prefer rats, than that he get a taste for mice.



Another reason this is good for you is that (my theory anyway) with a young rat the prey item has more nutritive value for your snake than an equivalent weight in mice. My reasoning in saying this is that if you were to feed mice, you would be feeding older animals that have a full coat of hair, and fully ossified long bones (adult skeletal structure) versus softer bones (more cartilage) that are not finished growing in a young rat, which may be more digestible.



My sister-in-law argues with me on this that perhaps the undigestible portion of the rodent may be beneficial to the snake's digestive tract. She may well have a point, which is why I bother to put that out there, and I can't claim to have all the answers.



I do understand the negatives of feeding rats: availability, and mostly that if you don't breed your own, or buy frozen in bulk, they are more expensive.



In the long run though, it is much better that your snake likes rats than mice.



Good luck to you!



~Rebecca
-----
0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)

1.2 Ball Pythons

[1.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]

[0.1 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]

[0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]

0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

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