feeding gerbils?

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Originally Posted by severe_bomber

Gerbils are their natural diet in Africa (not mice). It's a convenience/cost thing more than anything. As mentioned though, it depends what they're used to. Some simply won't switch and others aren't so fussy!

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Gerbils are not from Africa. The gerbils in the pet trade are Mongolian gerbils. BP's do love them but they are not their natural food source.

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Originally Posted by pfan151

Gerbils are not from Africa. The gerbils in the pet trade are Mongolian gerbils. BP's do love them but they are not their natural food source.

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Yep. Apologies.

Didn't know about the African soft furred rats til reading on here. Not to mention shrews!

Also read mention of "striped mice" (whatever they are!) so perhaps their more akin to their natural diet than thought...

I'm quicky discovering there's a lot of duff info out there regarding snakes tho, so who knows! I should just stick to this forum and scrap the rest....

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Originally Posted by severe_bomber

Gerbils are their natural diet in Africa (not mice). It's a convenience/cost thing more than anything. As mentioned though, it depends what they're used to. Some simply won't switch and others aren't so fussy!

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Pet store Gerbils are NOT their natural diet. The animals sold as gerbils in pet stores are native to mongolia, not africa. However ASF's (african soft furred rats, also known as Multimammate rats) ARE native to the same range as ball pythons.

Oops, Pfan51 already beat me to it... Sorry about that.

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Originally Posted by severe_bomber

Yep. Apologies.

Didn't know about the African soft furred rats til reading on here. Not to mention shrews!

Also read mention of "striped mice" (whatever they are!) so perhaps their more akin to their natural diet than thought...

I'm quicky discovering there's a lot of duff info out there regarding snakes tho, so who knows! I should just stick to this forum and scrap the rest....

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And again, apologies! :oops:

My first BP years ago was a wild import. She was not interested in mice or rats, but I was able to get her on rats by asking the pet store to throw some soiled gerbil bedding in the box with the rat. By the time you get it home, it has picked up some gerbil scent. Have yor tried putting a pre killed rodent in a paper bag along with your BP and then placing the bag in the enclosure at around 7 PM and leaving overnight? It almost always works.

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Originally Posted by herpenthusiast

Have yor tried putting a pre killed rodent in a paper bag along with your BP and then placing the bag in the enclosure at around 7 PM and leaving overnight? It almost always works.

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wait are you saying i have to put the dead mouse/rat in the bag with my bp? lmao it sounds wierd but if thats acctually what you mean than i guess it cant hurt to try...:D

Sounds plausible to me, ultra pre-scenting :P

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Originally Posted by Mrgbb

wait are you saying i have to put the dead mouse/rat in the bag with my bp? lmao it sounds wierd but if thats acctually what you mean than i guess it cant hurt to try...:D

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Yes that is what he meant. It does sound kind of strange but it has worked for many people.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Yes that is what he meant. It does sound kind of strange but it has worked for many people.

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really? lol i feel kinda bad doing that to my snake also wouldnt it stress out the snake being in this little bag? i have a bag that the snake came in its like a burlap sack thing would that be good to use?

i would assume a pillow case would be fine