Would you feed these mice?

I went to Pratts, a local feed store to pick up a couple mouse hoppers for my young snakes who will only take them a week or so ago and all of their mouse hoppers seemed very bloated, with big round bellies. None of their adults looked this way. I thought it could be from them still nursing so I purchased a couple and didn't feed them to my snakes to see if they got less bloated in a few days.

Its been over a week and they both still seem very swollen, maybe slightly less so. I don't know if it could be related to parasites or if they're just fat? They're definitely too young to be pregnant and both males and females were all this way.

Should I cull these off and never buy from there again or do you think they're safe to feed?
If its helpful, their bellies do not feel squishy, they're firm if anything.

Crappy cell phone pics.
http://img.tapatalk.com/617c795b-9a15-55b2.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/617c795b-9a2d-9549.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/617c795b-9a3f-60b8.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/617c795b-9a59-1768.jpg

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Mega colon, maybe? I can't tell very well but the one looks to be female and could be pregnant to explain why she's that big. That's crazy that those are MICE! Look like small rats at that size, lol! Almost look like retired breeders from the size/condition of their bodies/fur. I don't know on that one, sorry. I breed Norways and have no experience with mice other than the occasional purchase of them as feeders. Good luck and hopefully someone else chimes in.

Those are not hopper mice or if they are the person has VERY small hands :8:

This is a hopper

http://stewartreptiles.com/wordpress...pers15days.jpg

What you seem to have are adults and while it's hard to tell with the quality of the pics, looks to me like you have pregnant females (and again they do not look too young to be pregnant given the size), females and males are sexually matures at 4 weeks.

Wow, those are big mice. Looks pregnant possibly to me too.

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They are both females and both look very pregnate to me. The black one is hard to see the genitls, but it has nipples. Only female mice have nipples, that is probley the easiest way to sex them. Mice can become pregnate at 6 weeks old.

If you need pinkys then I'd hold on to them and let them have their babies. Like the others said they are way bigger then a hopper.

I know they look big in the pics, they're actually not as big as they look. They have gotten bigger in the approximately 2 weeks I've had them but they were still nursing when I got them and looked just as, if not more bloated. The thing that concerns me is that all the hoppers there, male and female had that same look. I guess I just happened to grab females.

They could possibly be pregnant now but they are still quite young. I've raised a lot of mice so I know they can get pregnant young but honestly I don't think these guys are pregnant. They do look pregnant I'll admit.

Could it be parasites if they aren't pregnant?

I DO have very small hands actually lol, I'm a tiny person. Boyfriend is too.

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When I get back home I'll take pics from above and next to an adult mouse. These pics do make them look huge.

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At first glance, I thought they were rats as well. I'm not sure your hands could make them look as big as they look in these photos, lol!

What is their weight (in grams?)

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

At first glance, I thought they were rats as well. I'm not sure your hands could make them look as big as they look in these photos, lol!

What is their weight (in grams?)

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Hmm hadn't weighed them, a great idea! Will do that when I get home.

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Okay weighed them. The grey one is 13 grams, black 16. They've gotten a lot bigger since first got them but the part that concerns me is that they were just as round bellied when I got them as were all the other hoppers in the bins. Next to an adult mouse: please disregard dirty rat shed, we were cleaninghttp://img.tapatalk.com/617c795b-b9d6-aa3f.jpg

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