Any tips on switching a ball python from mice to rats??

[Theartisticgemini]

Im trying to switch my ball python from mice to rats.

Any tips or ideas on switching him over??

[WaRocker]

Here are a few I have done.
thaw the rat with the mice so it get the smell of mice.
dangle a mouse above after rubbing it on the rat.
use the mouse to stink the place up but use the rat as the food..

worse case.. Ever hear of a mouse coat?
Well lets say you need a knife & a good scense of humor.. and dress up your rat..

good luck

[maria1232]

omg that mouse coat sounds awful! got a horrible mental picture lol.... but yeah...just put some mice stink on the rat and see if that works

[Theartisticgemini]

My ball only eats live so the thawing together wont work.

And yea i got mental images with that coat

[snakesRkewl]

Just offer weekly till it takes it?

I never feed mice, stinkly lil things

And a mouse coat

[j_h_smith]

Hannable Lecture made a mask in the same fashion he's talking about a mouse coat.

Jim Smith

[WaRocker]

You should see what I have to do when I switch from rats to rabbits.... you have any idea how many rats it takes to cover a 9lb rabbit?? DO YA

[Theartisticgemini]

I cant imagine switching a green anaconda from rabbits to kangaroos

[fire-eyes]

Try a few things:

1) Step down in size with the mice to the point that you have to feed two, get the snake used to this for a few weeks
2) Get a few rats of the same size
3) Present the first mouse
4) Present the first rat

If 4 doesn't work, just present another mouse and try again next feeding. It may be frustrating but it will eventually take the rat.

[ScubaDiver007]

I had a mouse feeder... all she would do was take mice.. drove me nuts.

What i did was got a mouse tank set up with a couple of mice. I put four weaned rats in it with them.. i waited about a week then I let the snake eat a mouse, the next feeding i did a rat and now that snake is eatting nothing but rats..

She is eatting a couple of good sized rats a week now.

Scubs