Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone have any mouse-only feeding female breeders? Did you have trouble getting them up to breeding size? Do you usually get less eggs from them?
Thanks,
Glenn

I don't have a breeder yet but I thought I might add this for you and others who have mouse only eaters. Let your snake get the mouse almost all the way down then stick the rat's head right up to its mouth almost inside. When the snake stretches its neck and opens a little it should grab on and continue swallowing. Repeat until you feel she/he's stuffed and leave alone for a couple days. This form of "power feeding" will pump them up to size.

Last year I bred 4 females that were mousers. They ranged in weight from 1600-1900 grams. 3 of the 4 produced eggs. The smallest clutch was 5 eggs and the largest was 9. I offer them large retired breeder size mice whenever possible. They take up to 5, never more. Some breeders don't want to work with mousers. It would be easier to keep their weight up if they fed on rats but as long as they are consistent feeders, I don't mind working with mousers.

Last year we bought a 2 year old female from a guy that had only fed her one mouse a month. He said he had offered rats in the past, and she had a "bad experience" with one and balks at any food whenever she smells rat (even if there is a rat in the snake room when I am feeding) She was 460 grams when we got her in Nov. 2004. She has been pounding 5 mice a week non-stop all year, and is now about 2600 grams. I don't think we'll ever have a problem getting her back up to weight, she is one of our best feeders. This is probably an exception to the rule, but out of 60 balls, she is our only exclusive mouse feeder.
Evan Jamison

yea....mouse eaters suck.....

I have 3 more this year that only weigh about 1600 grams and are breeding now......and they are a whole 20 months old now..wow..what takes them so long to grow...

I have 5 het albinos and some stripeds that aren't but maybe 1200 grams but there is always a bunch that will grow faster than others.....

mice are food....food is good.......

humans eat only McDonald's and chocolate and potatoe chips and look how big and fat we get fast....

mice or rats...or hamster or guinea pig gerbil...rabbits.........whatever....all the same;..........
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