Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got several females that i'm trying to get up to size next year(500-700) range but most were feed mice up until now. I'm needing to make that switch but i'm not having much luck..thanks
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billy jean king
BugBusters

When I am switching my females I sometimes will let them female have one mouse and if it is live then right when she is done swallowing the whole thing I will throw in a rat that has been rubbed all over with the shavings from the mice container and that works for me. Or if it is pre-killed from tongs then when she is taking down the tail of the mouse I will take a pre-killed rat and grab it right behind the head with the tongs and when she open her mouth for the final swallow I gently place the head of the rat inside her mouth ( still on the tongs ) and let her start to take the rat in and the gently lay the mosue on the ground and not even close the cage ( with all the lights off ) and let her finish. Again this is what works for me, hope this helps.

Thanks,
Wyatt

TW Intl Inc.
Dallas, Tx

I have been using the 'stitching' method successfully for some time, i.e. stitching the rear end of a F/T or P/K mouse to the nose of a rat. Just a couple of stitches using ordinary sewing cotton, is all that is required. Most of the snakes get the message within three or four feeds, but even for the ones that don't catch on, they are still getting a mouse and a rat at each feed. Eric Davies

mice are food and mice will make a ball grow...period.......I have females that are 1700 grams that were fed mice for like a year and a half and bred .......period.......

I also have 600 to 1200 gram animals too.......that ate mice or rats....

food is food.....

want to switch a ball from one food to rats?......feed them rats...period...they will either eat them or die....

'nough said.......if they die they are dumb.......it's been said that no ball will starve to death and they will all eat sooner or later..........*(personally I think they are dumb enough to actually die from stavation....corns are.......)

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are they really?.....wow

This is what I have done with good success:

Most of the time, mouse eaters eat white (lab) mice. Contrary to what some say, color can matter. If you are feeding white mice, feed white rats.

For all mouse eaters (I have none now), I have a tub with live mice that I let get a bit riper than normal. I put a rat about the same size as the mouse into this tub with the other mice. The rat will root around and get that scent rubbed all over him. I put the rat(s) in the mouse tub at the beginning of the day and feed at night.

As time progresses, I leave the rat in the mouse tub for less time until it is no longer necessary. Sometimes after the first scented rat, you can drop another rat in after the first rat is gone and the feeding response will result in a quick "hit" - sometimes.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

np
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Kyle J. Stevens
Royal Variations Ltd.

Many a false step is made from standing still.

>>np
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>>Kyle J. Stevens
>>Royal Variations Ltd.
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>>Many a false step is made from standing still.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Just tried this with two of my mice eaters, The first was succesful, 250g het orange ghost took a small mouse and as she was finishing I gave her a PK rat fuzzie. I placed it in her mouth as she was finishing the mouse butt. She then finished the rat fuzzie. I'll keep you all posted on how this girl does on the switch.

My other girl 250g het ghost was finishing her mouse and I was a little slow PKing the rat fuzzie, it was still alive when I put it in her mouth. She seemed like she was going to take it then spit it out and I could not get her to open again.

I have a 2005 500g spider male and a 2004 1000g female albino that I wanted to get switched over to rats. Is it to late to try and switch over?

Thanks,

Gary

>>>>I have a 2005 500g spider male and a 2004 1000g female albino that I wanted to get switched over to rats. Is it to late to try and switch over?

I picked up an adult mouse eater a few years ago from VPI. She's now fully on rats.

Took some time, but she's there and gains all of her weight back very quickly after laying eggs.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles