Reptile & Amphibian Forums

sorry they are not great, i had to use my camera phone.

I went ahead and tried giving him a live rat today, he had no problem with it what so ever. but i must say i felt absolutely awful, the rat screamed. I felt really bad, but i just chalked it up to nature.

It's weird... They told me at the pet store (where we got the last rats) that they dont "knock them out", which is weird since they killed the first ones we got. I wonder if i will need to use live rats now since they wont kill them for me at the store now.

Be careful your rat does'nt turn the tables on your JCP.
Those front teeth are way sharp, and can do a lot of damage.
Every so often, the rat wins.
For the safety of your snake, pre kill, or feed f/t.

Yeah- I'd definitely thump the rat a couple of times on the head to at least confuse/cripple him. They can wreak havoc even if your snake tags him, but misses the head...

//Todd

yeah I always like to take the rat by the tail and whack it against the wall or whatever pretty hard before I give it to the snake, I would hate for one to bite any of my babies.
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1.0 Spotted Python
1.0 IJ Carpet Python
0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Variable Kingsnake
1.0 Savannah Monitor RIP
0.0.1 Emperor Scorpion

Put the rat in a paper grocery bag, twist up the end and wack it on the floor or a countertop,hard.

What if i kept him in the little box from the pet store, then put him in a large ziplock bag, that way i dont need to hit him on anything and he just sort of passes out from a lack of oxygen. I dont know...

n/p
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

Just quicker, but certainly less traumatic.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

If you really want to kill them painlessly, use carbon monoxide (CO).

Just put the box next to the tailpipe of you car for a minute or so.

The CO will bond to red blood cells and block O2 molecules.

The mouse or rat will be high as a kite and not even know which way is up by the time they die.

I always use the "tail" method.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

Wow- he's a beauty!

//Todd

way cool! how long is he/she? looks like maybe 4-5 foot. i have a 7 foot male that wont' eat right now. that is a neat set up you got there also. what size tank? mine is in an 80 gallon tank. doing good. thanks for photos.

He is a couple inches over 4', the tank is 4x2x1.5 (75 gal?).

I have 4 hanging plants across the back, and a vine the runs along the front of them (before i put the vine there he would try to crawl across them and they wouldnt hold him up and he would just fall).

Then i have 2 vines wrapped that run from a back corner to the front center then back to the other corner, a couple little cave/hiding places. I'm really happy with him and the setup.

You know what, he might actually be closer to 5 feet.

He was out and extra active today really exploring his tank and he was more stretched out than usual.

I love that he has become so much more active since i got him, i think the previous owner might have let it get a little too cold for him, i didnt seem him out and about when he was there.