Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When they get big enough for rats how do you switch them?
Do you have to use rats if they don't want to switch or can you use more than one mouse.
If they won't take frozen thawed rats is it safe to feed them a live one?
Rats are very aggressive and can pack a nasty bite.
What if they hurt my snake? Do you kill it first or stick to offering frozen thawed.

they can live a long and happy life on just mice

when switching...just put in rat...it will either eat it or not..not much we can do if they decide not to.....

they like different foods at different times of the year....if it won't eat a rat one day...it may the next...mine do it all the time....

I have balls that prefer mice,rats,hamsters,and even peromyscus mice(white footed//deer mice)...

I have one that will not eat a gerbil.....but will slam hamsters or deer mice...and when summer gets here she eats mice also.....(*probably rats now that she laid eggs)....

rats....just get mslal enough rats that they will not hurt the snake...hopper rats or smalls...even what they call extra smalls.....or fuzzies........

....when trying frozen thawed...just remember...thaw them thoroughly...and warm them up to where they smell/seem live temps.....(I thaw in hot water..and if they are reluctant..due to cooling a bit...I hold them in front of the ceramic heater for 30 seconds or whatever....and they get hot on the outside...sometimes the snakes slam them real fast....they are hot enough to trigger a strike/feed responce//........

.........I use live...they prefer it.....

as long as you are keeping an eye on them....live cannot harm snake too much.......I have not had a problem in 14 years...and yes..I have had rodents of one sort or another ..bite snake and draw blood.......(gerbil bit albino ball the other week...holes in snakes' neck...little blood drop.......gerbil was hanging onto snake even after dead...albino just shook it off and ate it then.....it had to hurt.....he'll live fine...

good luck.......JY
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people are stupid....are you a people?.....
thought so.......
having fun yet?......

One great way to switch them over from mice to rats is to scent the rats. Since the snakes are used to the smell of mice, put both the mice and the rats together for a while (I do it in a brown bag). Then just drop the rat in, and the snake will usually take it. I have had great success with this, and have converted most of my snakes over to rats. I hate feeding mice because of the quantity of mice you have to feed versus just feeding one larger size rat. Also, the mice smell. Good luck.

a rat in the mouse house, it burrows around and picks up mouse scent. Then it's off to dinner.
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Jay A. Martin