Switching to Rats - help!

My '08 normal male is reluctant to switch to rats. Currently, he is taking 2 F/T adult mice a week and he's gaining weight on them (he's around 700 g). He should be on rats, but he has no interest. Recently, he was on a fast, so I figured that would be the perfect time to introduce a rat. After a month of not eating, he wouldn't take the rat but was all over the mouse.

I've tried all of the tricks with rats...even exposing the brain, but to no avail. If anyone has any tips I'd be most appreciative. Thanks!

Patience Patience Patience.. Out of seven BP's I've got one that will not take rats, live or f/t and Ive tried everything from rubbing the rat on the mice, bedding, etc etc. She eats 3-4 Large Mice F/T a week. And it would make live easier on me if she took the rats..

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Originally Posted by ScubaDiver007

Patience Patience Patience.. Out of seven BP's I've got one that will not take rats, live or f/t and Ive tried everything from rubbing the rat on the mice, bedding, etc etc. She eats 3-4 Large Mice F/T a week. And it would make live easier on me if she took the rats..

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I would say go through the steps scubadiver went through. Much luck to you.

Oh dear, I offered a f/t rat for the first time, and it's been lying there untouched for nearly an hour. BP took a close look/sniff along the entire body, and eventually went back into its hide. Am feeding a day later to make sure he's hungry, and if it were a mouse he would've swallowed it in minutes. Uh-oh.

did u try the whole zombie dance thing. grab the rat behind its neck. did u try live? pre-scenting? in or out of enclosure?

You can try the bait and switch. Show him his favorite food and get him interested. Make him cross the enclosure to get a good smell. Then raise it up and swap it out the last second. When you get the ball rolling on the feeding response it doesn't stop. This was the trick i used to get my emerald tree boas to eat and it worked every time. Snakes are small brained and easy to trick.

I have tried the dancing, scenting the room, etc. I may try the bait and switch next - seems like a good idea. I tried a rat last night...he is interested, and he investigates it, but you can just read his body language "I've never had a meal that big, I don't know about this..." He ended up eating an adult mouse instead.

Get you some mouse bedding and put a handful inside the front of his enclosure. When comes out actively flicking his tongue and investigating the bedding, drop in a similar sized rat to a mouse. Try to find white if you can. That's how I switched a reluctant feeder.

Also, if he has good body weight on him, I've employed "tough love" and just never offered a mouse again. After several weeks, they took a rat and never looked back.

i have 1 that wont take a rat. i have tried every trick that i heard of, even tried putting a mouse in a snake bag got her interested and put in a white rat the size of a mouse in front of the snake bag lol. didnt work :confused:

maybe your snake is intimidated by them. i dont konw about you guys but it took me a very long time to switch her over to rats due to me being more worried of the situation than she was. i knew she was ready but i wasnt. eventually i mustered up and she handled it like a champ. so just take your time. sooner or later your snake will be ready and you can spend the big bucks on rats like the rest of us lol. til then enjoy the $2 mice. sure wish i could enjoy the $2 mice price.

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Originally Posted by stealthk7gsxr

maybe your snake is intimidated by them. i dont konw about you guys but it took me a very long time to switch her over to rats due to me being more worried of the situation than she was. i knew she was ready but i wasnt. eventually i mustered up and she handled it like a champ. so just take your time. sooner or later your snake will be ready and you can spend the big bucks on rats like the rest of us lol. til then enjoy the $2 mice. sure wish i could enjoy the $2 mice price.

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$2 a mouse? I pay $1.65 a medium rat and $.65 a mouse.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

$2 a mouse? I pay $1.65 a medium rat and $.65 a mouse.

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ugh. unfortunately i have to get mine from good ol petco :(

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Also, if he has good body weight on him, I've employed "tough love" and just never offered a mouse again. After several weeks, they took a rat and never looked back.

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What exactly is "good body weight"? I mean, is this tough love OK to do when they're under a year old? I think I read that at under a year, they should eat regularly in order to grow properly. I've also seen weights of 350-500g mentioned to start snakes on rats, yet that's under a year old.

Ours is around 420g and has refused a f/t rat twice. He feels "empty" and acts hungry. He'll turn a year old around Jan/Feb.

So, should I tough-love him out, or continue to feed mice weekly until age 1, and then introduce f/t rats again?

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Originally Posted by Patricia

What exactly is "good body weight"? I mean, is this tough love OK to do when they're under a year old? I think I read that at under a year, they should eat regularly in order to grow properly. I've also seen weights of 350-500g mentioned to start snakes on rats, yet that's under a year old.

Ours is around 420g and has refused a f/t rat twice. He feels "empty" and acts hungry. He'll turn a year old around Jan/Feb.

So, should I tough-love him out, or continue to feed mice weekly until age 1, and then introduce f/t rats again?

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I don't know that not eating regularly causes them not to grow properly, as they certainly don't eat regularly in their native environment, as prey doesn't come wandering by on a weekly basis. Our captive animals most likely eat far more frequently than their wild cousins.

With that said, it's really a matter of knowing your own snake. 420 grams on you boy may be different than 420 grams on another snake.

For me, a good weight is a nice solid animal. Some of mine I switched at 500 grams, some I switched at 1000+ grams, it all depended on the animal.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with an animal growing up on mice, I raised the majority of my girls on mice. I'm not convinced that rats are "better" than mice - certainly more convenient, but we don't know what the nutritional "requirements" are of ball pythons, since no official study has ever been done. So while a rat may be on paper more nutritious, it's quite possible, that any "extra" nutrition is just expelled as waste.

Most of my girls grew at a rate of 100 grams a month on mice. I guess I'm saying this to say - don't feel you HAVE to switch to rats, if mice work just as well for you.