Hey,
Here is the deal. I acquired 5 snakes in the last year and was told they were eating rats. Well, guess what I spent 1 to 3 months every week going down and trying to feed them rats. They would act like the rat wasn't even in their view. They would completely ignore it. They were out and roaming. Well after numerous attempts to feed them rats I thought what the hell lets see what they do with a mouse. They all ate the mice and they ate them like they were crack cocaine. I actually wrote one of the breeders and called him out and he admitted that he was feeding it mice. I asked why he said it was eating rats and he told me that it was a mistake. He fed both and he realized it was eating mice.
The sad thing is this. Breeders are breeding 5000.00 dollar snakes and they have been selling tons of them for years. Some breeders will feed mice over rats because they are saving pennies on the dollar buying mice over rats. They also are selling the snakes before they have to deal with them at a larger size where if they are still eating mice it is a night mare trying to put weight on a growing female.
I know some of you are saying "Oh there goes Bill ripping on the breeders again" And I am. I am ripping on the ones that just care about money and nothing else. Some of us want to buy a snake with the truth behind it. I find it hard to believe when a breeder tells me a snake is eating rats and when I get the snake it wont eat one for a month. But as soon as I offer a mouse it eats within minutes. And that is fine I will work it out. I will just not buy again from that person.
The males not a big deal. They can stay on mice no problem. Anyway, once a ball stays on eating mice it is very hard to get them to eat rats. The smell is 100 percent different. Anyone reading this that has gone down our road will agree. I bet you if you go buy a live mouse and throw it in it will be gone in about 5 to 10 minutes. If that does not work you may have to try an ASF and if that does not work you may indeed have a problem. Buy a mouse and see. If the snake eats the mouse you have solved your problem.
Good Luck,
Bill
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