Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all,

I've been having some problems switching my female jungle carpet python to rats. My normal routine of soaking the mice and rats together hasn't worked, and she just won't take it no matter how much gentle teasing I do.

She will strike at the rat and actually bite it, but shows no interest in eating it afterwards. Her body language almost indicates that she's afraid of the rat... but I'm not sure.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Sean M
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Current Collection:
1.0 Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Northern Blue Tongue Skink
0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa

Jungles are my favorite but MAN can they be picky eaters. I have had no luck switching them over unless I get them early in their life (maybe just lucky too). My advice to you is buy them in bulk when on sale (rodentpro.com) and have patience. I heard of people putting mouse scent (didn't work for me) and mouse bedding in there and tossing them a rat.

Good Luck,

Jeff
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21.21 Ball Python
1.0 Het Piebald Ball Python
4.4 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ivory Jungle Carpet Pythons
2.2 Centrilian Carpet Python
1.1 Irian Jaya Carpet Python
1.1.6 Jayapura Green Tree Python
1.1 Kofiau Island Green Tree Pythons
1.1 Columbian Boa
2.1 California Kingsnake
3.2 Cats
0.1 German Shepard
0.0.3 Eastern Painted Turtle
1.0 Mouse "He is our friend NOT FOOD"

Start off by scenting your mice with rats. When you heat them up do so in a plastic bag in hot water, dont put the rodents directly in the water, if you did. After a while of giving them scented mice, then switch to mice scented rats. I have been able to switch some majorly picky eaters, Irian Jayas are way worse than jungles.