Reptile & Amphibian Forums

so right now my CRB is feeding on mice. i know as she grows she'll feed on rats so i want to get her switched over to get used to them. what sized rat should i start her on if i am currently feeding her full grown mice?
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Tim

0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Albino Motley Corn
1.0 Black cat

Tim,
...The simple answer to our question is to feed rats that are around the same size as the adult mice. Mature adult mice weigh 20 to 35 grams and jumbo and retired breeder mice weigh 35 to 50 grams. Rat pups weigh 20 to 30 grams and newly weaned rats weigh 30 to 50 grams. Check out the rodent sizes on rodentpro.com Depending on the size of your CRB it may be ready to move up to much larger meals. If it is longer than 36 inches it can eat rats weighing more than 50 grams. Mice larger than 30 grams can harm small snakes and rats larger than 70 grams can harm snakes up to 5 feet long and so they should be killed before feeding them to snakes.
Jeff

>>so right now my CRB is feeding on mice. i know as she grows she'll feed on rats so i want to get her switched over to get used to them. what sized rat should i start her on if i am currently feeding her full grown mice?
>>-----
>>Tim
>>
>>0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa
>>1.0 Albino Motley Corn
>>1.0 Black cat

rhank you for the response and the website. i'll look into it. right now my CRB is just over 30 inches last i measured her which was about three weeks so she's probably a little bigger now. also i only feed her pre killed mice so that they would not harm her in the struggle.

another question: will she readily go from mice to rats or will there be an adjustment process?
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Tim

0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Albino Motley Corn
1.0 Black cat

Tim,
..Many of them will switch with no problem. Some will not switch without trying some tricks. If it does not tkae a dead rat for you you could try a small live one or try scneting the dead rat with plenty of mouse smell.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>rhank you for the response and the website. i'll look into it. right now my CRB is just over 30 inches last i measured her which was about three weeks so she's probably a little bigger now. also i only feed her pre killed mice so that they would not harm her in the struggle.
>>
>>another question: will she readily go from mice to rats or will there be an adjustment process?
>>-----
>>Tim
>>
>>0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa
>>1.0 Albino Motley Corn
>>1.0 Black cat

Not sure about weights but my BRB's went from 2 adult mice per feeding to a single small rat per feeding. Most "small" rats I've been sold anywhere were about the same diameter as a adult mouse but much longer in body.

If you have trouble getting em to switch over you might try and expose some blood on the rats head. If there is any exposed blood on the rats I feed my rainbows I have to watch my fingers because the feeding response is so strong.

Just my experiences and two cents.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Sean.