Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Let's just say money aside, if I want to spoil my BP with gerbils, is there any reason not to?

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

our critters

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

I've never fed gerbils. A good friend of mine made that mistake, feeding gerbils and now his certain ball pythons won't eat anything else but gerbils.
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Education is Everything.......

Yeah, if they decide that all they want to eat is gerbils, then that's how it's going to be and you now have an expensive food bill.

Stick to mice and rats. No reason not to.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

I have a female that ate gerbils from the petstore because thats all they had and she wouldn't eat f/t rats. She eventually switched to the f/t, but like the others said they do get "spoiled", and sometimes will refuse anything but gerbils. Thats a risk you'd be taking.
Chris

Nothing wrong with that. If you can afford them they are fine for balls to eat. I have one that I fed FT med ginneia pigs. She did fine on them. All the nutriential values should be about the same.
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The reason I asked, I find the mouse farm very rewarding and fun. Whenever one of my females has a unique (blond, cow, lightning bolt, etc.) offspring, we can chose to retain it for further breeding stock.

Whenever there seems like too many pinks, The Savannah wipes them out with gusto for me. Chomper is effective population control. (if it moves he eats it)

My kids like the mouse farm too, and have learned to accept the order of the food chain, so they don't give me big boo boo faces at feeding time.

The kids like to help out, and I would rather have them fiddling with the rodents & minnows than my reptiles.

It would be interesting to start a gerbil harem. (I have room) The feed would be the same, the equipment is the right size, and so forth.

and I could recover some expense selling the extra gerbils back to the pet store, cherry pick all the interesting ones.

Our reptiles (all our pets actually) are spoiled big time. And after the miserable life this python led before, he deserves to be pampered.

Thanks for the replies,

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
our critters

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

The only issue that I see is that feeding these snakes gerbils is that they may take nothing else and then when and if you sell that animal you need to make the buyer aware because that can really turn someone off to buying an animal that eats something that not all people can easily find or they dont want to shell out 5 bucks a pop at petsmart. Just my opinion
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Damian Macioce
www.strongholdreptiles.com

Here are my thoughts:

Does a ball python feel spoiled? What makes a gerbil a better food source than a rat or a mouse...they are smaller than a rat, which could be a big, expensive problem when your females are 3,000 grams. Multiple gerbils would have to be used instead of one rat. I want the best for my snakes as well, but honestly, gerbils are expensive because they produce fewer smaller litters, are usually fairly bad parents (forget to feed babies, etc.) and they have a strong tendancy to pair bond. Which means they don't do as well in multiple female to one male situations as a rat or mouse would and can't be mass produced as easily. They are not more expensive because they are a good food source for snakes, but because they aren't.

Also, one rodent does not fit all snake species, as a result feeding methods may vary depending on the prey item chosen. Check out this chart:
http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp
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Thanks,
Amy
My Boids

snakes aren't children. they don't need to be spoiled, and they don't need treats like ice cream or mac and cheese.

mice and rats give you the best possible chance of success. that should be your goal. mice and rats are readily available, economical, and proven nutritious over the long term.

i once met a guy that offered his ball rabbits to "celebrate" easter. why?

don't be that guy.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

IF you are bored..get a pair of gerbils a pair of chinese hamsters and a pair of russian hamsters a couple guinea pigs and 1.3 ASFR and whatever else you can find.....

.something will eat them or you can sell them to friends with snakes or whatever.......

I have many many (too many) critters of all types and they all get fed.......my balls are spoiled too.....wait,,,not spoiled,,,just plain brats.....and yes they can get hooked on one item.....

gerbils don't just eat the same lab blocks as mice and rats....

..and they are stupid parents......

good luck......
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Hi jyohe ! I personally did not see anything offensive in your post , just a friendly suggestion to try to raze some other type of rodents to spoil his snakes with , NO BIG DEAL !! Even I got it and you know how I can misread stuff . David

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.