Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Wondering if a 2 1/2 foot mandarin could safely eat a small adult mouse(about the size of what petco sells). Mine are imports, having trouble getting them to take dead, and can't get live fuzzies/hoppers. Normally I wouldn't ask this, but I'm used to pythons, and don't know how well the mandarins will constrict these mice-thought I'd ask first.

My mandarins are awful constrictors, but they're eating fuzzies. They just kind of bite the prey into submission. I guess my only suggestion is to try stunning the mouse, but I've never done that myself (I have access to fuzzies and hoppers, for now).

I tried live fuzzies and pinks with my wild caught Mandarins and had no success. However, the remaining male Mandarin (female never fed) will eat frozen thawed mouse pinks and rat pinks if left with them overnight with no disturbance. I would definitely try freshly killed or stunned mice before leaving your Mandarin with a live mouse. Mine are very timid. When I tried to tease feed them- they just retreated defensively.
Good Luck, lovely snakes!

One shed last night, was planning on trying again with a thawed pinky tonight. As far as the live mouse goes, it doesn't look like I'll be trying. I didn't know if they'd constrict one or not(I planned on being there, seen too many scars)-wasn't going to be leaving them alone together.

[I tried live fuzzies and pinks with my wild caught Mandarins and had no success. However, the remaining male Mandarin (female never fed) will eat frozen thawed mouse pinks and rat pinks if left with them overnight with no disturbance. I would definitely try freshly killed or stunned mice before leaving your Mandarin with a live mouse. Mine are very timid. When I tried to tease feed them- they just retreated defensively.] Lolaophidia

That's an interesting account and informative. Thanks.

I have some experience with c/b Mandarins, and it's just the opposite. While they stick to smaller mice, like crawlers, they are one of my easiest snakes to feed. Because they're nocturnal, I leave the mice in a deep food jug overnight. In the morning it's gone. Just have to be careful not to feed too much. They take live or thawed.

TC

I had a 1.1 pair of WC and the female died about a month after arrival. I didn't get a necropsy, but feel pretty sure that it was high parasite load combined with stress. She was a little underweight upon arrival. The male is eating, not often or large meals, usually a few mice pinks or a rat pink.

The 1.2 c/b Mandarins I have eat like champs and don't need 4 hours of total darkness to get a meal.

Lora

Good luck with them in the future.

TC