Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if anyone has been able to get a northern water snake to eat a mouse.
Thanks Tommy Helms

Havn't had northerns, but all of the water snakes that I have kept for any significant amount of time have taken to mice quite easily.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I tried last night on a couple large water snakes that i rescude the other day. I normaly just feed them gold fish or minnows. However i think mice would be a lot healthyer for them. The biggest at around 40" took the mouse then held it for about 5 minets and let it go. I was also wondering if you sented your mice fist.
Thanks

I conditioned my snakes to eat out of their food bowl. I would always feed them with tongs after putting them in their foodbowls. So basically I would then put the water snake in the food bowl and then swirl the mouse around in the water like their fish act normally. It usually works quite well.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I haven't worked with the northerns in some time, but I had one that would eat mice a while ago. I had to start him on scented mice, but took too unscented in a little over 2 weeks time, which isn't bad. N.erythrogaster however, I have had take unscented within a week of capture. They are, in my experience, the easiest of the Nerodia to convert.
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Conrad
Too Fast Reptiles
www.toofastreptiles.bravehost.com