Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how many of you are feeding your corns rats? Mine was eating rat pinks/fuzzies regularly now, she only wants mice. Any suggestions to get her back on rats? Should I just wait her out or try something else?

Thanks for any responses,
Miller
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0.1.12 Florida King ('00 Pearl,'06 Hatchlings)
1.1 Eastern Kings (2004 Orca & Sugar Pie)
1.0 Black Milksnake (2005 Bubba)
0.1 Okeetee Corn (Pumpkin)
1.0 Chow Chow (2003 Papi)
0.1 Cats (Shug)

I use to breed rats, so I always had them on hand, and yes I used rats.

OK, in order of the least amount of trickery to most.

1 Put a rat pup in a mouse cage for a day, to pick up the scent.

2 Wash the rat pup with ivory soap wash well, do the mouse cage or rub on a mouse. (I know people that do this)

3 Do first part of #2, brain a mouse and run on rat.

OK, diff method

Feed a small mouse, enough so you can still feed more. As the snake finishes, hold a dead appropriate size rat and let him continue on the rat. This is really a power feeding trick. but do it once or twice (diff feedings), then as he is getting a good bit on 3rd feeding, wiggle the rat, although dead, he should constrict it then eat it. Seems to get it use to the meal. I use to do this on burms to get them off chickens.

If a real good feeder, let him eat a small mouse, if he is really ready for a second he may pop a rat just because he is so excited.

Honestly never did these with corns, but many other snakes years ago.

Good luck

If the rat is too big it may just be scared of it. I am feeding my albino ratsnakes rat hoppers to get some weight on them for breeding season. They eat anything though. When I decided to switch my bp over to rats I first offered him the rat, after 15 minutes of sniffing it and being startled by it (would only eat live) I took a mouse and rubbed it all over the rat. He ate it in about 2 minutes after that.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

Thank you both for your recommedations. I will try them and see what happens.

Miller
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0.1.12 Florida King ('00 Pearl,'06 Hatchlings)
1.1 Eastern Kings (2004 Orca & Sugar Pie)
1.0 Black Milksnake (2005 Bubba)
0.1 Okeetee Corn (Pumpkin)
1.0 Chow Chow (2003 Papi)
0.1 Cats (Shug)

I'd stick with the mice for a while. If your snake was eating rat pups and fuzzies, adult mice aren't that much different insofar as size. I stuck with adult mice for a long time, and then one day, after my corn was big enough, I just decided to try a medium rat -- it attacked it in a very serious way. Once they were big enough, I switched my other snakes the same way, with no trouble at all. What I'm getting at is that maybe it'll switch more willingly later on.
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2.0 Pantherophis obsoletus obsoletus
0.2 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus

yea that could happen, it did with my Florida (even though she decided she does not like rats either lately) Promblem for me is I breed my own rats and the Black Milk and two Easterns are barely keeping up with my rat production. Also selfishly, I hate to spend money on mice when I have a pretty much endless supply of rats of all sizes.

Miller
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0.1.12 Florida King ('00 Pearl,'06 Hatchlings)
1.1 Eastern Kings (2004 Orca & Sugar Pie)
1.0 Black Milksnake (2005 Bubba)
0.1 Okeetee Corn (Pumpkin)
1.0 Chow Chow (2003 Papi)
0.1 Cats (Shug)

I've seen evil mice too. Generally rats are pretty low keyed. But they are bigger. If I can I feed dead.

Now if you want evil, it's gerbils. Lots of ball pythons seem to only eat gerbils. And as Hank Hill says, "I'll tell you what", a gerbil just seems to know he is in danger and many times goes right after the snake.

Good luck