Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Guys,

I need some suggestions to help out my costs at the moment, Currently my 8 foot albino Burmese is eating roughly 6-8 giant rats a week, i am desperatley trying to get him to eat rabbits for obvious reasons, when i try him with them he just hisses and flees from them.

I only use f/t food, i have tried scenting the rabbits with rats, he seems kinda interested but then when it looks like he is gonna strike, he hisses and flees again.

I am only paying 90p(uk) which is about $1.68 a rat but if i dont get him changed this bill is only gonna get bigger, dont get me wrong i will never part with him, regardless, i am just trying to curb a little costs

Any ideas?

Thanks in Advance

Phil

I have a burm that refuses rabbits, too. He'll eat rats, chickens, doves, and ducks with no problem. The only way I can get him to eat rabbits is to smear rat blood on the rabbit's head.
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1.1.?? albino burms (male also labyrith)
1.1 normal burms
1.2 ball pythons
1.1 spotted pythons
1.2 albino corn snakes (1 female snow)
0.1 house snake
1.2 kenyen sand boas
1.0 guyana red tail boa
1.0 amazon tree boa
1.1 everglades rat snakes
1.2 iguanas
1.1 leopard geckos
1.3 bearded dragons
0.0.1 ornate box turtle
1.2 dogs
0.1 children
0.1 wife

You could try this: Get one f/t rat and one f/t rabbit. Puncture a hole in the rats head and squeeze a whole bunch of the brain out of the head and wipe and smear all over the rabbits head and rub the rats head on the rabbits body. Get the snake to go after the rat and when he is going for it put the rabbit in front of hima nd he should take the rabbit. That has worked. It may sound very messy and discusting to you (relay doesn't btoher me at all) but what works works, right?
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Justin

6-8 giant rats a week for an 8footer? Wow I fed mine 1 jumbo or collossal rat every week at that length. 6-8 in a single week seems quite excessive in my opinion.
About the rabbit refusal, how about prekilling a rabbit THEN scenting it? He may respond better to a warm fresh body. Good luck.

>>Hi Guys,
>>
>>I need some suggestions to help out my costs at the moment, Currently my 8 foot albino Burmese is eating roughly 6-8 giant rats a week, i am desperatley trying to get him to eat rabbits for obvious reasons, when i try him with them he just hisses and flees from them.
>>
>>I only use f/t food, i have tried scenting the rabbits with rats, he seems kinda interested but then when it looks like he is gonna strike, he hisses and flees again.
>>
>>I am only paying 90p(uk) which is about $1.68 a rat but if i dont get him changed this bill is only gonna get bigger, dont get me wrong i will never part with him, regardless, i am just trying to curb a little costs
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>Thanks in Advance
>>
>>Phil
>>

maybe it would eat a guinea pig....i dont know what they cost where you live but they are bigger than a rat.
6-8 does sound like alot

>>6-8 giant rats a week for an 8footer? Wow I fed mine 1 jumbo or collossal rat every week at that length. 6-8 in a single week seems quite excessive in my opinion.
>>About the rabbit refusal, how about prekilling a rabbit THEN scenting it? He may respond better to a warm fresh body. Good luck.
>>

Bullocks!!! I feel your pain. It took my boy the LONGEST time to take a thawed rabbit. I tried everything, and what made it worse is that he had to switch from live prey (rats) to f/t rabbits. It was total change for him. He hissed and puffed up when the rabbit was introduced to him. He showed no interest. Rob gave me some great advice and I would like to pass it onto you. Wait him out. Your burm will eat if he gets hungry enough. I waited a month without feeding phil and tried a thawed bunny - nothing. I waited two more weeks and tried a different one - nothing. Finally after two months, my stubborn boy took the rabbit. Wait a month, feed him at night and leave him alone. Thaw the bunny for a full 24 hours and put it under your heat source. Wait him out and you will win. You aren't going to starve your burm out waiting a month or two. Good luck, hope this helped.

Marco