mice vs rats and why

[Kittencaboodles]

hey friends!

My ball python is still too small to switch to rats, but she loves her mice. When she is bigger I will feed her whatever is best, but I am wondering if there is any difference in the nutrition of rats versus mice? Really I just think rats are cuter haha, for some reason I feel a little bad tossing them in the feed tank versus not really caring much about the mice. Just wondering about 2-3 mice at a time when she's an adult instead?

[Slim]

How much does your snake weigh? Many BPs right out of the egg will take down rat hoppers.

[Kittencaboodles]

oh i haven't tried them yet cause she was on mice when i got her and she eats them so well... Still need to get a scale she's 7 months tho and right about 2 ft and pretty plump (i'm sure that doesn't help at all lol) but she's been taking an adult mouse just about weekly for the last few months.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

There is no best aside from what works and she is big enough if you want to make the switch.

Gram per gram mice or rats it's all the same for BP, the difference is that with when your BP get some size you will need to feed multiple prey if you feed mice whereas with rats one will be enough.

So it's really a matter of convinience as well as cost and also the fact that not all snakes will rat multiple prey...this is why people switch to rats not because they are better but because of the convinience.

Snake fed mice do as well as other snakes if fed the right amount.

Now if you feel that switching will be more convinient or cost effective for you I recommend that you do it as fast as possible, the younger the animal the easier it is to switch.


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[Sensismell]

Not to sure about actual nutritional facts but I prefer rats. Don't have to worry about multiple prey items when the snake outgrows a mouse. And just by feel picking up a mouse feels like a fluff ball while a rat feels solid.

[BCS]

This isn't so much as nutrition as it is price or amount. A full grown large female BP could eat four adult mice which can cost more then twice then a small rat - medium rat. However, breeding mice, it is more cost effective for me to breed mice and feed mice then rats. My snakes do very fine on mice.

[Yodawagon]

I feed rats for the reasons posted. Convenience and price.

[wolfy-hound]

My pythons have always seemed to grow faster on rats.

I agree though, I start newly hatched BPs on rat pinks and move up in size. Once in a while I'll have to offer a mouse hopper to get them started.

But if mice work for you and your snake, then use mice. I happen to dislike mice, especially live mice. But I do think rats are super cute and personable, so I totally understand not wanting to feed them to your snake versus feeding mice.

[SmoothScales]

This (at the time) 76 gram string impersonating a snake loves him some rat, so I highly doubt your girl is to small for some type of rat.

[BPTim]

http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp

I found this site while doing my own research on the matter. Seems legit, but may be taken with a grain of salt: