Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do you switch jungle carpet pythons from f/t mice to f/t rats? I hear it can be difficult.

Ok I was given a good tip on how to do this on here. I was told to wash the rat, and then scent it with the mouse. I usually buy live prey items and well in the end its fresh killed, moving on. I had bought one small rat for my four foot male IJ. So I washed the freah killed rat and then placed him in the box with the live mice for about 10-15 min. removed him and the python to his feed box, and with the use of feeding tongs "pow" He did not hesitate to grab and constrict. Now I did try to feed him a small rat two weeks before and he wanted nothing to do with it, but this happend to work. So He has only done this once and i may try this method a few more times. Now since we're both new at trying to do this how to I ween him so I dont have to do the scent method? HOpefully this helps and some one can tell me how to fully switch to f/t rats.

For starters, I just want you to know that I'm not picking on you or anything. The Morelia forum doesn't get as many updates as the the Boa or Ball Python forums do so information stays in plain view sometimes for several days. The particular subject you are asking for information on was just touched by myself and a few others on July 20th. If you would read down the page a bit first or do a search for the subject information, you might have found that out AND found the information you are looking for.

Switching your carpet over is not hard. Washing the feeder may work or it may not work. Try it but keep in mind that this may not be the answer in every case. You may have to try several methods or variations of different methods. Sometimes all it takes is providing a smaller hide inside of the enclosure or possibly varying the time that you put the food item in the cage. Hopefully you have noticed by now that your carpet python may stay totally balled up under something or curled up on a branch during the day only to become totally active at night. Sometimes they will cruise the enclosure all night long. Maybe try switching the feedings from daytime to night time. If nothing else, it may just take a little time. I have a male that I have had for almost a year now. He is the only one in my collection that refuses rats or any frozen thawed mice. Since he is still under 4 feet I haven't started to consider live rats and I'm not worried about it at this point. As long as he eats like a pig all the time, I'll gladly give him two mice per meal. When he's ready to switch to rats, he will switch. You may just have to have a little patience.

Current Collection:
1.4 LAZIK Bredls Carpets
1.1 LAZIK Bredls Carpets (Striped Morphs)
1.1 PRICE Bredls Carpets (Spotted Morph)
1.0 Bredls Jag Carpet (Het Stripe Bredls)
1.1 Irian Jaya Jag siblings
2.3 Jungle Carpets
1.0 Unknown Lineage Carpet Python (Most Likely Jungle)
2.3 Coastal X Jungle (50/50 Crosses)
0.1 Coastal Tiger Carpet
1.0 Coastal Carpet (Probable Het Tiger)
1.2 75% Diamond Jungle Carpets
1.0 Red Phase Carpet Python
1.1 Irian Jaya Carpets (Vertibral Stripe Morphs)
1.2 Womas
1.0 Granite Burm Het Albino
1.0 Super Hypo Salmon Boa
0.1 Super Hypo Boa (Sunkist Phase)
1.0 Kalh Albino Stripe Boa
0.5 Double Het Kahl Albino and Stripe
0.1 Het Albino Pos Het Anery
0.1 Anery 66% Het Snow Boa
1.1 Double Het Albino and Stripe Boa
0.2 Argentine Boa
1.1 Bolivian Boa
1.1 Hypo Hog Het Anery Boa
1.1 Albino Tangerine Honduran Milksnakes
1.1 Anery Honduran Milksnakes
1.1 Okeetee Cornsnakes
1.0 Ghost Cornsnake
0.1 Silver Motley Ghost Cornsnake

OTHERS I HAVE WORKED WITH (persoanlly kept in the past)
Green Tree Pythons (Breeders)
Gold Phase White Lip Pythons
Macklott's Pythons
Columbian Rainbow Boas
Brazilian Rainbow Boas
Argentine Rainbow Boas
Emerald Tree Boas
Amazon Tree Boas (Garden, Cooks and Regular Phases)
Madagascar Tree Boas
Dumerils Boas (Breeders)
Ball Pythons
Various Kingsnakes

Chris

Scenting what you want the snake to eat (a rat) with what they do eat (a mouse) is a tried and true method; but I have also had success with the opposite, scenting what they do eat (a mouse) with what I want them to eat (a rat) for a few meals before offering rats. Another method that has worked for me is to offer the rat, but keep a mouse close by but out of view. Sometimes I will let the mouse sit about for 5 – 10 minutes before offering the rat, this will get the snake in feeding mode. Good luck.
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Dennis