Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My dumeril refuses to eat rats. I'm exaggerating a little, she's eaten a handful of rats in the past but she refuses to eat them on a regular basis to the point that if i don't feed her mice she starts losing weight. I'm to the point where she will eat at least 4 mice in a feeding and sometimes more. This is a slight inconvenience to myself and my wallet. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I have tried absolutely everything to get her to eat rats and I'm to the point where i'm going to give up and just feed her mice.

it happens sometimes unfortunately. I have one snake that will only eat mice that are alive so I have to thunk them on the head so they cant really hurt her. she wont take rats at all either but she is still on the small side all Id be able to give her is hoppers.

I always just wait them out. I had my 1st albino male boa hold out on me for 3 months b4 he switched over. Just keep an eye on the animal while you are attempting to break their habit, and make sure they don't loose a lot of weight. They shouldn't loose any, but you never know.
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Greg Holland
GM HERPS
www.imageevent.com/gmherps
gmherps@sbcglobal.net

Thanks, i guess i'll try again. I've waited her out before and like I said she's eaten rats in the past, but she's never eaten on a consistent basis.

feeding the mouse as an appetizer? Feed a mouse first to trigger feeding response, then follow up with a rat.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
20.28 BRB
16.18 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

i have tried this with no luck. I've also been advised to feed a mouse after a rat, but hasn't been any help since i can't get her to eat the rat in the first place.

Start scenting the rats with mice smell. Its aggravating, but I've been through it before. A couple of months and you should be fine.

Travis
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Travis Rose
Lazy S Snake Ranch
(859) 582-7310
1.0 100% DH for Snow Common Boa
1.0 Hypo, 66% DH Moonglow Common Boa
0.2 Normal Common Boa
0.1 66% DH for Snow Common Boa
2.7 Kenyans
0.3 Dogs (1 Full Pitbull, 1 Pit/Husky, & 1 Bernese Mt. Dog cross)
0.3 Cats (1 fat, 1 old, and 1 insane)
0.1 Very understanding wife
1.0 Toddler (WC not quite tame yet)

going along with scenting, you can ask the local petstore to toss in bedding from the mouse cage in with the rat. this should get some mouse scent/urine on the rat. i've done this with pretty good success.

I'll have to try the bedding. I've tried scenting before, i've rubbed them down together, kept a rat stored with mice, and thawed them out together before. None of it seemed to work, the times she did eat a rat just seemed to be random.

I've got the same issue with one of my '05 Male Hoggs. He just doesn't like rats. He's eaten them in the past, but like yours, not that often.

I've tried the scenting thing with no luck. Even the shavings.

I think I might have to try waiting him out to break the habit. He's at the point where mice are too small for him and I'm getting tired of having to buy 2-3 mice/week to feed him.