Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an 05 female at 30" and 450g. She has fed on mice (live and p/k) since I got her in November. At her size now, she is taking 4 to 5 mice every Sunday. I want to switch her over to rats, but she show no interest when I try feed rats. She will either rub all over them and smell them or try to push them away with her head. I really want to start her on rats, what can I do?
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0.1 CB 2005 Normal Ball Python @ 2.5' /415g
Grey Boaphile 221D, Exoterra Lg Desert UTH, 2 Lg ESU hide boxes, Ranco digital thermostat, 18" fluorescent light, Lg water bowl, 60# indented paper as substrate

I have a rat I got today, and killed it myself. It has been sitting in the snake cage for about 3 hrs. Can I freeze it and try again tomorrow?
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0.1 CB 2005 Normal Ball Python @ 2.5' /415g
Grey Boaphile 221D, Exoterra Lg Desert UTH, 2 Lg ESU hide boxes, Ranco digital thermostat, 18" fluorescent light, Lg water bowl, 60# indented paper as substrate

don't freeze it..just put it in a baggie and try tomorrow at night right before you go to bed and leave it in

or fridge.....warm it up and try it.......and maybe try fridge again....

sooner or later you will have to throw it out or freeze it.

...if it didn't eat rat today it probably won't tomorrow...

some never eat rats......

mice are good food............

..really
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you think????

Mine don't eat rats either but after they kill and eat their mouse I have a big rat pup (or whatever size rat you need) ready. Just before they finish the mouse and do that last yawn I hold the rat's head in their mouth. They just continue swallowing and then you can do it again and again if you want until they don't accept any more.
Give it a try!

personally I like mice better, but I want her to be a big girl when she grows up (2000g ). every rat i have attempted to feed her end up pooing all over the place, and they smell disgusting. mice are easier, but i want to maximize her potential to grow big. anyone else?
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0.1 CB 2005 Normal Ball Python @ 2.5' /415g
Grey Boaphile 221D, Exoterra Lg Desert UTH, 2 Lg ESU hide boxes, Ranco digital thermostat, 18" fluorescent light, Lg water bowl, 60# indented paper as substrate

Mine refuses to eat anything but mice and teeny baby rats.... and he's full grown.

Might just be a preference. Like, I like bacon, but not ham. It's not all the same, maybe rodents have that variation too.

I'd say try rubing the mice on the rat and see if that works for you. Giving the rat the sent of the mice. I have not tried it but read this on here. Hope this helps
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2.2.0 ball python (aragorn, frodo, arwen,`eowyn)
1.0.0 columbian boa (squiggles)
1.0.0 rat snake (alabastered)
0.1.0 corn snake (baby)
0.0.2 whites tree frog (trevor, kirmet)
0.0.5 pacific green tree frogs
3.2.0 cats (rockie, bs, brownie, lerrado, kole)
1.3.0 kids (dilyen, dakota, chyanne, sierra)
Brian n Chrissy
"snakes are kind of like potato chips, you cant have just one"

you might try letting him go without for a couple weeks or so till he's good and hungry. I know new snake owners don't like the thought of the little one goin' hungry, but trust me he can go longer than you might think . Then try a rat pup or one the size of a large mouse. If he's hungry enough he should take it.

Quig

after 2 months once devi started eating after 2 months of fasting.....she started eating mice.....fed her mice til she was eating good about 4 feedings.... on the 5th feeding i fed her a rat pup the same size of the mice i was feeding, she ate it.... the next feeding i gave one a tad bit bigger....she refused, so i dropped a mouse in she ate it..... the next feeding a waited longer dropped a rat pup in she ate it...... so changed each feeding from mice to a rat pup..... just when we were getting to a good size rat she went blue.......just my luck....LOL...
but she is moving to rats at a nice rate being she was a problem feeder....

Did I say frozen thawed rat? I feed a live mouse first then continue with F/T rats. You don't want to try this method with live rats!!!

if you intemd to breed you own prey ie mice you will find mice smell worse that rats, i have bred both being i have both corns and bp's...... the rats never develope a smell a fast as the mice do...... plus rats are more friendly than mice in my opinion....

To all people that have problems with rodents smelling put a couple drops of vanilla extract in their water. It breaks down the ammonia and really helps. You can get it bulk and it doesn't have to be pure it can be imitation. I buy bulk frozen and pick-up live from a locale pet store. They give me a pretty good deal on them too.