Feeding size

[Reed12321]

Hey guys, my albino only eats live, and she has eaten live adult Mice and live rat pups. Do you think she could get away with a small adult rat? The pet stores near me don't have rat pups and I'm hoping to go there and find the smallest live rat that they have. Here's a picture for reference:


The one on the right is about 300 grams and eating small rats, the albino is 157 grams.


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[200xth]

If "small adult rat" conforms to any sort of standard sizing, no, a 157 gram snake cannot eat a small adult rat.

[Reed12321]

The small adult rat that I gave to the guy on the right was 31 grams which should work for a 157 gram snake. I mean it's a little on the hefty side if you're sticking to the 10-15% rule. I'm just nervous that the rat would be a bit more vicious and scratch her. She's been scratched by mice but not deeply at all.

[200xth]

The small adult rat that I gave to the guy on the right was 31 grams which should work for a 157 gram snake. I mean it's a little on the hefty side if you're sticking to the 10-15% rule. I'm just nervous that the rat would be a bit more vicious and scratch her. She's been scratched by mice but not deeply at all.

31g sounds more like a big rat pup or small weaned rat.

It's on the big side, but it's doable. I've fed at 20% before without problems.

This is why I generally like weights better than labels. Easier and faster to tell over the internet if something will work or not.

[Reed12321]

31g sounds more like a big rat pup or small weaned rat.

It's on the big side, but it's doable. I've fed at 20% before without problems.

This is why I generally like weights better than labels. Easier and faster to tell over the internet if something will work or not.

well I'm basing it off of a frozen rat that I had. it was labeled as a small rat, but in terms of length, seemed to be almost twice the length as a smaller rat pup.

[grcforce327]

I take the common sense approach. If they take a larger meal,that's what they get. If they don't,go smaller.

[Daigga]

The smallest rat I've produced was about 80 grams at weaning, and most pet store rats are going to be considerably bigger. Most "small" rats I've purchased from pet stores have been around 130g, with the very smallest probably somewhere around 100, but that was a very rare find. Honestly, I'd rather go too small than too big here and just go with the biggest mouse they've got (mice average out around 20g as adults).

[Reed12321]

Well I went to the pet store and they didn't even have small rats. So I had them get me the biggest mouse they could find. I'm pretty sure they gave me a pregnant mouse because it was extra feisty and it was fat. My snake struck at it and caught the tail. She ended up getting bitten and scratched, but swallowed the mouse and had a considerable bulge in her stomach.


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[Daigga]

Well I went to the pet store and they didn't even have small rats. So I had them get me the biggest mouse they could find. I'm pretty sure they gave me a pregnant mouse because it was extra feisty and it was fat. My snake struck at it and caught the tail. She ended up getting bitten and scratched, but swallowed the mouse and had a considerable bulge in her stomach.


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I recommend a pair of feeding tongs. Sometimes mine don't get a very good grip, so I have to be ready to give the feeder something to bite that isn't my snake, or to put something between kicking feet and scales (my finicky eaters tend to refuse their next meal if they got scratched or kicked pretty good).

[Reed12321]

I use those but last time I used feeding tongs with a live feeder, it bit me pretty badly


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