Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So here's the problem. I need to breed some rats. And I don't wanna or have the room to breed them upstairs in my house.
So I could keep them in my basement but... I have alot of snakes going into hibernation in the same basement.
Its a old house ( 100ys) and there's kinda two rooms down there but not enough to keep rat smell from entering the hibernation room.
So is this possible or not. I care more about the snakes than the rats. I'm not real worried about the cold and the rats I can take care of that with at heat pad, its the smell I'm worried about disrupting the snake.
Thanks
CHRIS FLOWERS WEBSITE

Consider building a small room with a door next to a basement window and use a exaust fan.Email me if you want plans

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Doug L

I never had good luck with rats if it was too hot or too cold...maybe you will do better. The smell is always an issue, but the exhaust fan will help, and so will the litter. I use the pellets of compressed wood, they are sold for horse stalls at Feed stores in California. They are much better than shavings, allowing longer and less smelly duration between cleaning of rodent cages. Good luck, Vic H.

I don't think the smell of the rats will affect your snakes brumating, as much as the cooler temps will effect the rats breeding.

A heating pad will heat the floor of the rat cage and likely intensify the urine smell. Try adding few drops of vanilla extract to the rats water bottle, it will help cut down on the intensity of the urine order.
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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

Thanks for the vanilla extract tip!
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Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly

I have kept and bred rodents and snakes for many decades. During that time, I had to keep them in the same room many times. There was never a problem with the smell effecting the snakes.

I also do field work with snakes. Funny, but they(these type of species) use rodent burrows to winter in. So I do not think the smell is a problem and in fact may be a benefit. Its normal to them. In most cases, if snakes pick rodent burrows to winter in, as soon as the snakes leave, the rodents return. In fact, you can tell when the snakes leave by the return of the rodents.

The reality is, you can use the rodents to heat the room and keep it from getting to cold. Rodents make lots of heat.

Some others here showed a concern over the temps being too cold for rodents. Hmmmmmmmm give them a place to hide and they will be fine. If your keep them in an open tub with no way to huddle and heat themselves, its not the cold that harms them, its you by not allowing them to do what they know how to do.(maintain their own heat) Cheers and good luck

Thanks but I cant build a whole room for rodents my wife woud kill me

How much vanilla do you use per water ratio?

And FR it totally makes sense what you say about the borrows!!!

THANKS!!! CHRIS FLOWERS WEBSITE