Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I just got my first rainbow boa (he's a Peruvian), and he's a great eater of live fuzzies. I would like to get him eating pre-killed, both for his safety and my comfort level. I am a zookeeper, and while I completely understand and accept the whole circle of life food chain process, I would rather the mouse already be dead. I was wondering if anyone has any good tips of how I can start the process of crossing him over.
Thanks!
Heather

I don't have any peruvians but I do have a lot of brazilians. It's usually very easy to switch them over. Most of the time it's as simple as offer pre-killed (when they're hungry)

I raise my own feeders so I start with live fuzzies/hoppers. Followed by stunned hoppers. Then F/K mice or rats.

For all my F/K feedings, I use a pair of long hemostats to hold it by the tail so I can wiggle the prey and even wiggle it after they strike a little. With my adults that are used to F/K, I still use the hemostats but wiggling is usually not required, they strike it as soon as it's close enough.

Many of my adults were switched from live as adults with no problems. I only have one "problem" girl. She likes mice best even though they are like popcorn to her, I have fed 8 at one feeding and still she was not looking like she ha da good sized meal. I have been able to get her to take a mouse first followed by small rats. I use the mouse as an appetizer.
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats