Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How big so they usually get?I might start feeding mine mice,but i wanna know form you guys if this is alright to feed him mice.some people feed mice to garter snakes and say it very neutritous.Has anybody ever feed a water snake a mouse before in this forum?

Thanks juan M

It is alright to feed them mice IF they'll eat it. You might have a hard time getting him to take rodents without some heavy scenting. I have some Gulf Salt Marsh watersnakes that have been on a mouse only diet for over 6 months and they are at least 1/3 bigger than their fish-eating siblings. Rodents can be fatty though, so your best bet it to mix up the diet and alternate between fish and mice.
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Pierson Hill
Herpetology and Herpetoculture

How do you suggest i scent them!Just by putting the fish scent all around the mouse or is there a better and newer way.

Juan M

First of all, don't feed live adult mice to a Watersnake! They aren't able to constrict and so an adult mouse could deliver a serious bite. I suggest taking a frozen/thawed mouse, washing it to remove its scent, and rubbing it with either a live or f/t fish. It may take a few tries and may not work at all.
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Pierson Hill
Herpetology and Herpetoculture

I feed my diamondback water snake(32inch) a 3 inch live fuzzie.Since a pinkie has less nutrients than a fuzzie and a live mouse could cuase seirous injury to my snake,i thought that it would be a good idea to feed my snake a fuzzie.I scented the fuzzie and then put it in the tank,he looked at it and started looking for a fish since it smelled like fish but then notice that the fuzzie was the one who smelled like fish.And then he bit it a couple of times but the mouse fell of of this little loogon that i have and then it striked at it like a viper,boom and it swallowed it whole.Just felt like telling you guys.im so excited.

Juan M

I've never tried scenting a live mouse before. Sounds like you were successful!
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Pierson Hill
Herpetology and Herpetoculture