Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,

I unknowingly bought two w/c female ball pythons that were imported in gravid. I got them in March and they showed no interest in feeding since then. I bought two gerbils to breed (which didn't produce) so I tried them last night. The one that showed the least amount of interest in food just devoured it so I fed it the other. My question is.... while my rats get up to size and I prepare to convert the snakes to live rats, will my ball pythons strike at hamsters with the same enthusiasim as gerbils? Hamsters "get along" better in colonies than gerbils and since I need to get them a half dozen at a time every week or two it seems the best way to go. Please any input is appricated. Thanks for your help

Dave

Actually gerbils are more socialable and "get along better" than hamsters and tend not to eat their young. My gerbils breed like mad and its not uncommon for a female to be re-mated almost immediately after giving birth.

Having kept both, I agree. I had a WC that needed to be converted. Until then, it was hamsters - damn mean things - to each other.

Before you go to too much headache, try a dark colored mouse or rat. That's how I converted my WC. She would not touch anything white, including hamsters. Everything had to be dark.
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Jay A. Martin

Here is a site that weighs the pros and cons of hamsters & gerbils more from a pet stand point but something to read if you are thinking about owning a number of either one.
http://www.abcgerbils.com/versus.html