Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I'm switching my ball to F/T from live...I've had success with getting him to eat pre killed, and I just got a shipment of frozen rats. What is the best way to warm them up so he'll be likely to eat? Thanks.

-Bob

The best way to warm it up is not neccisarily the best way to get him to eat it. The best thing to do is to put it in a plastic bag, and immerse the bag in hot water. Depending on how big the rodent is, it takes awhile to thaw completely. In my experience, soaking the rodent directly in the water thaws it more quickly, but also washes off some of the smell and makes for a wet, limp mess. So I use the bag (usually weighted down with a rock or something) and try to get the rodent warm but not hot to the touch, and thawed all the way through. If you aren't sure it is thawed, hold it in your hand for a minute, and if it gets cold it is not thawed.

Hope this helps.
nate.

I put the F/T feeder on two plates and use two spot lamp's over them and wait a few and feed. So far its working great.

DragonDavy

I defrost the rat for a day and then warm it up on a human heating pad on low. Takes about 15-30 minutes reaching a temp between 92-98. It works very well for me. Good Luck

Kyle

Anyone know the average body temp for rats or mice? I've often wanted to experiment with warming the (frozen) rats to a specific temp. Would I get a more consistent feeding response? Stronger response?

Chris
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"You ever heard of those? They're called parents. We have parents who love us. You don't 'cause you're a little orphan." -- Roy O'Bannon

Mice average just over 98
Rats are slighly higher at about 99
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Tosha

3.7.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.1.0 Siberian Husky (Kita)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

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"You ever heard of those? They're called parents. We have parents who love us. You don't 'cause you're a little orphan." -- Roy O'Bannon