Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey all, this is what i got for morelia pythons

1.2 ij carpets
1.1 centralian carpets
1.2 jungle carpets

2 of my ij carpets pond f/t weaned to small rats my other female seems to be afraid of rats and will only eats mice. my male centralian carpet will only eat live hopper mice and all three of my jungles are eating live fuzzy/hopper mice and i think ive tryed every trick under the sun to switch those mouse feeders over to rats ive literlaly been rubbing mice on rats and vice versa but still nothing at all any tricks that i might be forgeting? also are centralians as oppertunistic as coastals because i had a coastal that would eat any thing from mice to small chickens and even ate a small rabbit once will i have as much trouble with my centralian or will he eventually turn to rats?

thanx

Funny you say that, because I've tried EVERYTHING to swing my female IJ over to rats too, to no avail.

After a TON of scenting and teasing a couple of months ago, I got her to strike at the rat pup, but as soon as she realized that it tasted like rat, she spit it out faster than she took it!

My male bredli would eat anything- total garbage disposal! I suspect that yours will too in time.

Have you tried a young live rat? Also- have you tried feeding a smaller than normal mouse to get them into feeding mode, then offer a scented rat?

//Todd

i hope so, right now both centralians are a little nippy but there good about eatting i just hope theyll pond rats aswell, i got my female ij to grab and kill a small rat but just like yours rejected it as soon as she realized what it was. this is going to get really frustrating if she is totally a mouse addict. ill keep trying i thught about this my BIG female ij likes 3 week old chicks and ive never tryed the on my mouse loveing ij i should.

Maybe you've already done this, but I'll suggest it anyway. When you thaw your mice, put the rat in the same container and thaw them together. With that rat soaking in "mice water", it should give it a good enough scent. If that doesn't work, try feeding a mouse first and then a mouse scented rat after the snake has swallowed the mouse. You can try this same trick with chicks or quail. I've gotten more than one of my carpets that suddenly went on hunger strike to start eating rats again by first offering a quail...

Max
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Snakes to the Max

I've got one pair of IJs that refuse to eat rats. The female has produced for 3 years straight. She won't touch a rat, loves mice...AND small rabbits. I tried one first by accident, and that made her put on a nice growth spurt. She's over 6'. Try a baby bunny There are rabbit breeders in many areas, or they can be bought online.
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1.0 Blackheaded pythons
2.4 Woma
3.2 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
2.2 Bloods
2.2 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.3 Macklotts
1.2 F2 Carpondros
2.0 Jungle Carpet
0.1 Carpondro
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow boas
1.1 Striped Bolivian Boas
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

ill have to try that i never thought of small rabbits. my largest female is about 4ft and she ponds live, f/t rats, pretty much anything you put in there. my smaller male is about 2 1/2 ft and he live hopper rats and african soft fur rats. my other female ij, my 3ft 8inch female shes the problum feeder ive giver her a couple of african soft fur rats and she did pretty good with them i just dont want her to get use to just that because im not sure how long ill be breeding those and no pet shop around here sells them ecept 1 and its about 45min away. ill try the rabbit thing. wow! i havent feed a rabbit to anything in such a long time my female blood(rip) use to eat them and my old coastel carpet use to eat them( hop your doing got at your new home) im hopping my 1.1 centralians will do well, this is my firsty pair and from what i read/herd the pretty trouble free and have good appetites. if you canthink of any more trick to help my female switch over my ears are open.

1.2 ij carpets
0.1 kenyan sand boa
1.1 centralians
1.0 nelsons milksnake
0.1 desert kingsnake
1.0 red blood python
0.1 macklotts python
1.1 rubber boas
2.1 rough-scaled sand boas
1.1 trinket snakes
0.1 black ratsnake 100% het for albino
1.1 rubber boas

my babies
1.2 jungle carpets
1.1 columbian red tails
0.1 central american boa
0.1 ball python

1.1 ornate pac-man frogs
1.2 gold dust day geckos
1.0 leaf tailed gecko CB
0.1 red eye tree frog
0.0.3 argus reed frogs

first make sure the animal is healthy and well established then skip a meal, so wait 2 to 3 weeks and try a scented rat. Ive had problem snakes that were afraid of rats, but, if the animal is healthy and you let it get a little hungry, its natural instincts will kick in. I had reservations about this technique because i felt like i was being cruel, but, its a python mang. They are tough!
Jason

ive let her go about 2-3 weeks in hopes that shell be hungry enough to strike and feed. ive started out with f/t then live rats but just like before she seems afriad of them ive just about exausted evey trick i know and im about to throw in the towel and just let her have mice or african soft fur rats.