Do You Feed White Or Coloured???

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

oh so you know what an african scent is compared to a mongolian?? :colbert:

the main difference between african and mongolian gerbils is their size not cent. that is like saying a brown rat smells totaly different that a white rat

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Are you saying you know what a rat/mouse scent is compared to a gerbil scent?

Gerbils from Mongolia are so different from ones in Africa, they decided to make them different species! Wow!

Sarcasm aside, if you want to feed your snakes a gerbil, that's fine for your snake.

Many people that have snakes cannot afford to buy gerbils, and in many places cannot own or feed one off in case the snake refuses to eat rats after being fed a gerbil.

Rats are cheap, readily found across the globe, and therefor are a much more practical solution for feeding.

Working with a BP to find out why it wont take a certain food type is more important than just switching prey items.

In extreme cases where the BP is visibly losing weight, then I think that would warrant extra measures, but it shouldnt be the first option to try when a BP is refusing a couple of meals during Winter.

and i agree with you all i was saying is that based on my experience and reserch that giving a gerbil to a non feeder may be an option.
im not saying all gerbils come from africa im not even saying everyone sould feed gerbils to their bps i am just trying to share the info that i have learned over the years

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

and i agree with you all i was saying is that based on my experience and reserch that giving a gerbil to a non feeder may be an option.
im not saying all gerbils come from africa im not even saying everyone sould feed gerbils to their bps i am just trying to share the info that i have learned over the years

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Yes, it is an option.

Is it a well thought out one? Maybe not...

But as I said before, Good job for getting your friends BP to eat. I hope you have much more success in the future!

:popcorn:

This is all so interesting and all... but I think I'll take this thread back on topic of colored/non-colored.

I may be completely wrong on this, but given the placement of the eyes on a snake, I imagine they are more used to detect movement in their surroundings to protect themselves from predators than to actually focus on an object, while use their forward facing heat-pits to hunt. As such... I'm not sure just how much of an effect the color of the rodent would have in the end.

go here it shows you that the maind diference from the african and mongolian gerbil besides the genus name is their size tak a look im pretty sure im correct

http://www.gerbils.pwp.blueyonder.co...ls/species.htm

I think someone should just go out and buy the African Gerbil and the Mongolian Gerbil and just SNIFF for a while.

THEN we can get some good data...

:P

the african gerbil is actually called sudevall jird

a snakes scense of smell is a lot stonger than a humans and so much easier for them to pinpoint a smell to an animal

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

I think someone should just go out and buy the African Gerbil and the Mongolian Gerbil and just SNIFF for a while.

THEN we can get some good data...

:P

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well i did find a place that said they can get african girbils but they are so rare in the us they cost way too much

If you want to be technical - GERBILS come from Mongolia and Jerboas (which are not gerbils) come from Africa.

If you really want to feed what's closest to what they eat in the wild, get some African Soft Furred rats.

Why not take all three and take a whiff?

ALL in the name of science!!! :mouse2::number1::w00t:

what are you people not getting gebils exist naturaly in africa and im sure gerboas come frome there too why do yall seem to think every gebil in the entire world comes form mongolia just go here it tells you everything about gerbils and every diferent country each genus of gerbil can be found living in presently not just mongolia:colbert:

click here http://www.gerbils.pwp.blueyonder.co...ls/species.htm

Yes, you are correct, there are African Species of Gerbil.

Large North African gerbil - GERBILLUS CAMPESTRIS


Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
Subclass: True Mammals (Eutheria)
Order: Gnawing Mammals (Rodentia)
Family: Muridae.


http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/183.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_Gerbil

Honestly, shaking your finger at people doesn't win you much support and is a bit antagonistic.

i am ot trying to antagonize anyone i just :colbert: when people act like they know somethin they havent done proper research on

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

i am ot trying to antagonize anyone i just :colbert: when people act like they know somethin they havent done proper research on

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:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

:rolleyes:

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Exactly what I was thinking. ---->:rolleyes:

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when people act like they know somethin they havent done proper research on

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Well, I no longer keep Gerbils anymore, but I got my first one back in 1973 and have bred hundreds of them. How long have you been keeping them?

actualy i dont keep gerbils i breed mice i only mention gerbils as a last resort for a non feeder.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

actualy i dont keep gerbils i breed mice i only mention gerbils as a last resort for a non feeder.

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Actually, non-feeding is more likely a direct result of something wrong with their environment, rather than the prey that's offered. I like to help new keepers get their animals set up properly before suggesting that they try a different prey item. ;)

i know but when all other option has been expired and there is nothing stress related or health problems changing up the prey item may help

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Actually, non-feeding is more likely a direct result of something wrong with their environment, rather than the prey that's offered. I like to help new keepers get their animals set up properly before suggesting that they try a different prey item. ;)

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deja vu???

:confused:

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Originally Posted by MeMe

My snakes eat whatever I put in there. Which means that their husbandry is correct and they are healthy. It has nothing to do with the color of the prey they are getting.

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oh...that's why.

:rolleyes:


:D

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deja vu???

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Haha! Great minds and all!

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i know but when all other option has been expired and there is nothing stress related or health problems changing up the prey item may help

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I've never had to change prey for a reluctant feeder. I just keep tweaking until I find out what's "tweaked" them - and then they eat.

ok everyone has good arguments all i got to say is nobody is exactly sure what a BPs true habits are but i feel mixing up the snake diet with different colores,sizes,and even breeds of prey animal might be better for the snake mental development as well as physycal.

Now can we please change the subject:)

BP's are imprint feeders... They don''t prefer change...

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

ok everyone has good arguments all i got to say is nobody is exactly sure what a BPs true habits are but i feel mixing up the snake diet with different colores,sizes,and even breeds of prey animal might be better for the snake mental development as well as physycal.

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Whatever that means.

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

Now can we please change the subject:)

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why???

:confused:

i dont know would you lik eating the exact same thing for your entire life and i know that in the wild there is no way BPs only ate one specific animal. They probably ate a variety of different tings from rats, gerbils, small birds,if they think it can fit in their mouth they will probably try and eat it if they are hungry.

look at the vast amount of threads here about ball pythons in captivity that get stuck on one type of food and refuse to switch until pretty much starved enough they'd eat something else... In the wild they don't exactly get their weekly meal handed to them... they eat what they can, when they can, because that's all they got. In captivity this is not an issue and "variety" would be placed under the column of "stress factors" that cause problems in successful keeping.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

i dont know would you lik eating the exact same thing for your entire life

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No...but I am not a snake.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

and i know that in the wild there is no way BPs only ate one specific animal. They probably ate a variety of different tings from rats, gerbils, small birds

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you are correct in that they will eat a variety of things in the wild. but we are talking about snakes being kept in captivity.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262;

734943if they think it can fit in their mouth they will probably try and eat it if they are hungry.

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I disagree.

You, Mister Cold Blooded, are ANTHROPOMORPHISING.

I hope you understand what I mean by that.

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Originally Posted by MeMe

No...but I am not a snake

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thats news to me.... :confuse::D

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

You, Mister Cold Blooded, are ANTHROPOMORPHISING.

I hope you understand what I mean by that.

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I DO I DO!!!! You can't think snakes are like humans. They are what they are, they eat what they eat.

:8:

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

You, Mister Cold Blooded, are ANTHROPOMORPHISING.

I hope you understand what I mean by that.

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have you been playing the Free Rice game?

:giggle:

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Originally Posted by Gooseman

thats news to me.... :confuse::D

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Meme~~~> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ions/smack.gif <~~~~Ben (gooseman)

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Originally Posted by MeMe

have you been playing the Free Rice game?

:giggle:

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No ma'am...

I'm just Edjumacated in Engrish a tad bit :lmao:

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

mixing up the snake diet with different colores,sizes,and even breeds of prey animal might be better for the snake mental development as well as physycal.

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:rolleye2:

Ball Pythons do not need variety in their diet this will only contribute to make them picky.

Always feed what works, sticking to one specific type of prey.

Changing the prey type is always taking the risk that the animal will not switch back.

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

No ma'am...

I'm just Edjumacated in Engrish a tad bit :lmao:

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:nerd:

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Originally Posted by MeMe

:nerd:

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Heck yeah!

I even DO own one of those propeller hats..

SO THERE :P

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

Heck yeah!

I even DO own one of those propeller hats..

SO THERE :P

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Rock on chicas!

:cool:

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Originally Posted by MeMe

Rock on chicas!

:cool:

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I actually totally don't, but it sounded good! :rofl:

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

I actually totally don't, but it sounded good! :rofl:

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dannng...I was totally picturing you in one of those hats.

It was so hot.

;)