Can you feed a ball python degus?

Hi guys was just wondering if its ok/safe to feed my ball python degues. there is an ad on kijiji for some free baby degues that someone is giving away. to me degus look exactly like gerbils just 2x as big full grown. so i thought hey if i can get some free meals for my girl why not. i've heard you can feed bp's gerbils so i would assume degus would be ok too, but just wanted to check and get some opinions. thanks, hope everyone has a great weekend.

Question why would you want to do this?

If what you are feeding right now works keep feeding what you are feeding.

If you change prey type there is a chance that your BP never switches back, are you ready for that?

Also a 170 grams - 300 grams rodent is a bit over-kill for a BP in my opinion.

I'm not sure if the BP will recognize their scent as prey items, and if they do and somehow likes it much more than any other prey, it will be a pain to switch them back.

You might also need the consent of the person who is giving them away (I'm not sure if it's necessary) but say if I gave a BP away as a pet only I wouldn't want the buyer to go and breed it. But I guess it depends.

I agree with Deborah for the reasons she stated, but they are your snakes do as you wish...:D

Degu's are very nasty animals wheN cornered and why would you feed a south American animal to a African animal. Not to mention the fact if he get hooked on them then where will you find Degu's? Degu's here are sold as pets for about 15-20 dollars. Sounds like an expensive mistake for a few free prey items.

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Originally Posted by Royal Morphz

why would you feed a south American animal to a African animal.

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Can I feed American mice/rats to my African snakes?? Just wonderin' :P

Dont do it in my opinion. Stick with what you know it will eat. Plus you dont want to risk any sort of disease or anything that new prey might have.

Ok ill stick with feeding mice/trying to switch to rats.

i had no idea what it is so i googled it and i don't suggest it...looks big

People like you give good snake owners bad rep. No reason to do this at all, what if it has a disease and your BP dies??? All because you were to damn cheap to buy a $4 rat this week. Do whatever you make me sick...:colbert:

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Originally Posted by bman123

People like you give good snake owners bad rep. No reason to do this at all, what if it has a disease and your BP dies??? All because you were to damn cheap to buy a $4 rat this week. Do whatever you make me sick...:colbert:

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Im pretty sure that there are no diseases that can transfer from a rodent to a reptile except for internal parasites. And how would you know if the rats you feed have them or not? I also would not recommend doing it in case your BP decided it only wanted to eat those that would be an expensive mistake but its you choice its your snake.

Such hostility on a Friday afternoon. All he did was ask a question and for opinions on feeding something out of the ordinary...:weirdface

Dont immediately knock the guy down, honestly i thought about the same thing cause the size is perfect for a 2500 gram female. I then thought about the whole list of cons and decided against it, but they are basically a guinea pig/gerbil mix and they bite HARD. It would just do more bad than good.

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Originally Posted by bman123

People like you give good snake owners bad rep. No reason to do this at all, what if it has a disease and your BP dies??? All because you were to damn cheap to buy a $4 rat this week. Do whatever you make me sick...:colbert:

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That was a big uncalled for. He asked a question, and he accepted the answer.

It is not people like him that give the reptile community a bad reputation. It is irresponsible owners that don't do their research that give the community a bad name.

Call it how you want to kaorte. Snake owners get bad rep from getting pets off craigslist and feeding them to snakes. I dont like the idea of it at all I am sure they would mess a BP up if it got a bite in.

Sorry for blowing up but I dont think people should look on craigslist for free food. It may have disease, could be someones pet or it could hurt your snake. Also if it refuses to eat rats again then what?

I'm not trying to be a ass and I'm sure I came across that way, but there are too many what if's here. I dont think it is worth it to save on food cost because it may backfire in his/her face

Wow i didn't expect this to turn into a heated thing lol. i really was only asking the question more hypothetically and theoretically than seriously. my brother used to keep them as pets and he was getting atleast one litter a month, and they were pretty large litters so lots of babys. i was more just curious if it was possible and if it was safe, because there could be something bout the degu's body content that is bad for a bp. i know that if my bp liked them it would possible be hard to switch her back if at all. but like i said it was more a question out of curiousity and in theory than im gonna do it if i get the green light. yes im newer to the ball python part of the herp hobby but im not stupid. i don't get a "genius" idea in my head and go do it. i take my time to do my research and study, weigh pros and cons and decide whats best first for my snake then for me. i love my girl and i want to see her reach her full potential in every way and hopefully have her for 30+ years. so yes maybe some of the questions i ask may be stupid, but i've always had a problem with curiosity killed the cat. i like to think of every possible scenerio on things and research them all ask questions and get opinions. no matter how dumb sounding or even if i never plan to do it. i just like to know things and know the answers to these things, no matter how random or legit a thought or question is. thanks again for the help everyone, you've been a lot of help to me since i joined the bp.net community. i look forward to expanding my knowledge and learning more from everyone and their experiences. hope y'all have a great weekend.

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Originally Posted by steveboos

Dont immediately knock the guy down, honestly i thought about the same thing cause the size is perfect for a 2500 gram female. I then thought about the whole list of cons and decided against it, but they are basically a guinea pig/gerbil mix and they bite HARD. It would just do more bad than good.

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i have 2 guinea pigs!! :O

Once again sorry for the attitude. I just dont want to hear of someones BP getting the crap bit out of it or the owner not being able to get the snake to eat rats again.

I should of said if it aint broke dont fix it. I like to keep a routine with my animals and a different food type could be a big headache.

Sorry kaorte also. In my area people are getting puppies, kittens or whatever else that is free off craigslist and using it for snake food. I just dont want a pet to be fed to a snake.

ElwoodG I am sorry too. I feel bad now as I should for all this.:(

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Originally Posted by bman123

Sorry kaorte also. In my area people are getting puppies, kittens or whatever else that is free off craigslist and using it for snake food. I just dont want a pet to be fed to a snake.

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When you sell/give away an animal, unless the receiving person signs a legally binding contract, you lose all rights to the animal. It sounds harsh, but it's the truth. When you sell/give away an animal, it's part of reality that it could wind up dead or it could have a great home. That's why it's the sellers responsibility to be thorough. Ask questions, even go to the future home. In the end, if you sell your baby rabbit to the first person who comes along, you really can't whine or complain if they use them for snake food.

Raptor I understand what your saying. I dont like the idea of people being cheap and feeding pets to snakes. There always will be free animals on craigslist and people take advantage of it and that is wrong

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Originally Posted by bman123

Raptor I understand what your saying. I dont like the idea of people being cheap and feeding pets to snakes. There always will be free animals on craigslist and people take advantage of it and that is wrong

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But some people have mice and rats for pets:D

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Originally Posted by bman123

Raptor I understand what your saying. I dont like the idea of people being cheap and feeding pets to snakes. There always will be free animals on craigslist and people take advantage of it and that is wrong

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Pretty much all the prey items we feed to snakes are pets to someone. It's the owners fault for not researching the buyer. This goes for anyone. People selling snakes, dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc.

Its all good bman, no hard feelings on my part. i like it when people are honest with me anyways i don't like to beat round the bush so i hate it when people don't tell me like it is. i respect it and appreciate it. don't feel too bad, i didn't get upset, and i do understand where you are coming from and to an extent i agree with your point of view.

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Originally Posted by bman123

I'm not trying to be a ass and I'm sure I came across that way, but there are too many what if's here. I dont think it is worth it to save on food cost because it may backfire in his/her face

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I'm much happier reading a 'What if ?', thread than a 'I did this !' thread, shows that the OP had the presence of mind to think and ask about his idea first.

If his/her thread had been.....

' OMG ! I fed my BP a free Degus that I got off Craigslist and it bit my BP real bad... Help! '

or

' My BP won't eat rats after I fed it 4 Degus that I got off Craiglist... help! '

Then for sure I'd fully expected him/her to be blasted!!!

To the OP, well done for asking first, there is a lot of experience here on BP.net and the fact you listened to advice is awsome :gj:

I admit I jumped the gun and I apologize again.