Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What are the advantages of feeding rats if there are any?

rats are more nutritious from what i read.i don't know what your feeding but if your feeding a carpet python they will ZOOM in size once they start to eat them. once i started my JCP on rats his grew at an amazing rate. also its much cheaper then tring to feed a 7 foot python a bunch of mice. this is a recent photo of my JCP.

I feed both (regarding carpets).

For hatchlings - a couple of pink mice every 4 or 5 days.

For juveniles - a rat and a mouse each week (or rats one week, mice the next)

For the rest - rats every 10 days, and a couple of mice every couple of feeds.

I find that keeping a varied diet makes the snakes more accepting in terms of what they will and will not eat. This way, if you run out of particular feeders, you can always feed the altenative.

Whilst rats are arguably more nutritional, I think moderation and variation are key.

Cheers,
Aaron.

It's my understanding that a adult rodent has more calcium than a juvenile. So if your snake is small and you have a choice between a good sized mouse and a baby rat about the same size, then the mouse would be a more nutritious choice. The problem that some people have with their JCP's is that they can't get them to take rats. This can be a problem once the snake gets full grown because you have to purchase several mice instead of one rat and this is cost prohibitive. So my advice is to get them eating rats ASAP and stick to them.

Stun the rat or feed thawed. Think a mouse bite is bad? A rat can do serious head damage while being constricted. Small rabbits are also good for the larger carpets, but don't buy them from a pet shop. Too expensive. Find a breeder in the local newspaper. Also be aware they can scream while being constricted, which is a nasty sound.