I've got a ball python that's reached the stage where she'll take two or even three F/T mice a week, and I've been thinking of switching her over to rats.



Last night, I happened to have a small, live rat on hand and substituted that for the first mouse. I know all the hype about not feeding live, which is why I typically don't feed live. Well, I thought maybe if my ball actually "hunted" the first rat and took it that way, she'd get a taste for it.



Turns out, it worked like a charm. She ate the first, then took a second freshly killed rat.



Maybe it made no difference at all and she would have taken rats just as easily as mice. But, if you've got one that isn't interested in F/T rats it might be worth trying. Sure worked for me. Now she's happy as can be with dead rats.

[ Hide Replies ]

• Switching from mice to rats - boredfoot, Thu Dec 14 20:58:52 2006
• RE: Switching from mice to rats - KellyTCS, Thu Dec 14 21:31:02 2006
• RE: Switching from mice to rats - nboles1215, Thu Dec 14 21:32:08 2006
• RE: Switching from mice to rats - CaseyWagner, Thu Dec 14 22:37:55 2006
• RE: Switching from mice to rats - nboles1215, Thu Dec 14 22:42:07 2006
• no fair!! - icywolf, Thu Dec 14 22:53:37 2006
• RE: no fair!! - amarilrose, Fri Dec 15 10:53:24 2006
• I avoid the whole issue.... - thebigsquease, Fri Dec 15 08:50:14 2006
• RE: I avoid the whole issue.... - icywolf, Fri Dec 15 09:02:43 2006
• RE: I avoid the whole issue.... - icywolf, Fri Dec 15 14:09:56 2006
• Yes, mice are nasty - amarilrose, Fri Dec 15 15:55:16 2006
• RE: I avoid the whole issue.... - Amelia, Sun Dec 17 13:00:46 2006