I have a really nice dumeril boa that has an issue about eating rats.He will eat mice all the time but he will not eat rats. I have tried frozen thawed rats and pre killed rats and then I tried live rats. he will not eat them. He will cobble down three mice easy but he will ignore the rats. He has no scars and has been fed frozen thawed mice as far as I know so I thing he just doesnt see rats as a food source.
So i need advice on how to switch him over. He is only about 40 inches long so the mice work for now but it is costing me alot more money. I would like to find a way to switch him if possable so any advice would be appreciated.
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Stubborn mice eating dumeril
ceasarx
Sep 21, 2005 12:44 PM
Replies (4)
Biophiliacs
Sep 21, 2005 05:09 PM
This little ivory colored male, below, would only take mice for the first 2 years of his life. What worked for me was rubbing a rat on the walls, litter, or water bottle from a mouse cage. This would give the rat some of the "flavor country" of the mice. It has worked pretty well for me. Just recentally I was short on feeders so he didn't get a meal for one month(not that he needed it anyway). After that i offered him on unscented rat, and he took it with gusto.
Good Luck-
Matt Schubarth
PBM
Sep 21, 2005 05:24 PM
that is the best thing to do! Let them get a little hungry. If you offer your kids ice-cream or green beans, they will probably choose ice-cream every time. Let them go a day w/o food-lol, and I bet they take the green beans! Totally different I know, but hopefully the point is obvious. Good luck, take care!
Paul
ceasarx
Sep 21, 2005 05:35 PM
thanks I will try that. I just aquired the snake a few months ago and I a, not sure what it was raised on. But that is a good idea and I will try it. thanks
pythonis
Sep 28, 2005 07:10 AM
I have a Dumeril that would only eat mice for the longest time. He did this for like 6 months and then one day i put a rat in there with him and he took no time in killing it and eating it. I guess they dont see rats as a preferred food source until they no longer see mice as a large enough food source. Sounds like something all Dum owners face. Im just wondering how long he will be okay with rats. Good thing i breed mice so food shouldnt be an issue.
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0.0.1 Colombian Redtail Boa
1.1.1 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
