Jungle carpet feeding ?

What is the best way to switch 1 year old carpet python from mouse to rat ??? From start of her life she is on mouse diet and i think to put her on rats.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have you tried feeding a rat yet?

Carpets are notorious for getting stuck on mice. You won't know until you try!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

While I have no experience with this, this is what I have read.

Freeze mice in the same bag as the rats to get the mice odor onto the rat.

I would think that this would work even better is you did this with freshly killed mice and rats just before freezing if that is possible for you. That way the odor may be stronger.

I have also read to pour warm chicken broth over the rat before feeding.

Then there is the follow up trick. You feed a smaller mouse size meal and follow up immediately with a similar sized rat meal.

Good Luck!

Just try offering a rat and see if she takes it. If she doesn't accept it, keep offering rats until she does eat one. Hunger almost always wins in the end. Once she takes a rat I wouldn't offer mice again. You can also try scenting the rat by thawing a mouse and rat together. I've heard most carpets are pretty easy to switch over but I haven't had to transition one yet. I just bought a 2014 coastal carpet yesterday that the breeder had on mice. My animal won't ship for a few weeks so I asked the breeder if he could get him on rats before shipping him out. He sent me an email today saying the coastal snatched it off the tongs with no hesitation. Best wishes with your jungle.

Ziggy, you were fortunate with your Coastal. As Marissa said, Carpets are notorious for sticking to mice.
Mice are like Filet Mignons to them a rats are veggie burgers. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reinz

Ziggy, you were fortunate with your Coastal. As Marissa said, Carpets are notorious for sticking to mice.
Mice are like Filet Mignons to them a rats are veggie burgers. :D

---

Thanks Reinz, I hope the jungle cooperates too :).

Thank You very much !!! I offered her a rat couple of times but she didn't take a rat. I'll try that way with "mix" rat-mouse [emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tough love, Carpets are one of the species I had the hardest time switching from mice to rat, I had a male who took a year before switching.

2 of my 3 are on mice and we are about to make the switch to rats. I'm a believer in tough love as well!

When do you all recommend making the transition to rats?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

When do you all recommend making the transition to rats?

---

As early as possible, I did not even start mine on mice just straight on rats, the longer you wait the harder it will be.

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

Deborah is right [emoji4] but well we must try [emoji28]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good advice all through the thread.

Work on the rat transition now and keep it going. I have a coastal that is somewhat picky although she isn't mouse picky just has her own style of eating.

I would add another option. Like Reinz said combining mice and rats in the same bag for a scent transfer is an option, you could also try the same with chicks or quail.

All Morelia/Carpets are highly arboreal, and any type of avian prey will usually excite them. I'm not suggesting feeding quail or chicks outright, but scenting a rat with some type of avian item should be like "adding gravy to mashed potatoes". It may be just enough to get the snake interested.

First wait it out at least 2 weeks and get the snake in the hunting mode. Once you get it going it should be an easy conversion.

After a while, you should be able to mix rats and quail every couple of feedings and have a steady feeding situation.

You could also start with a mouse, and "piggyback" a rat when the mouse is almost down.

These are a couple of options.

My coastal was never on mice, but when she turned her nose up at rats, I tried a live one and she went nuts.

Hah! Both carpets I've cared for would take down anything you put in front of them. Good luck, I hope yours is just as voracious!

Coastal a are easy, I've never had an issue switching from mice to rats with all my coastals. (FYI about 50ish animals that I've kept) jungles and ijs are kinda bad about it. I advocate not feeding for 4-6 weeks, then if you've been trying f/t do live at night. That trick is almost alway fool proof.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks a lot on advices mu friends


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good luck djole13. If the snake has never been offered rats, just give it a try. Most will take them. If the snake has been offered rats and refused, then try the above advice. Unfortunately , my experience in over 20 years of keeping Morelia has resulted in my saying "if you've got a yearling still refusing rats, you've got a snake that will never eat rats". The good news is it will eat anything else. Chicken, quail, guinea pig and rabbit.

Never had a problem with getting them on rats (even if we acquired a "mouser")

A bit of mouse on the head of a rat for a couple of feedings or chicks then rats.

We are a pretty big fan of mixing up the diet some and never remember a snake getting stuck on one or the other. Maybe we are lucky..? :p

** chicks can change up the stool a bit so no worries if that happens.

Good luck!

Mm another thing to try is asfs, even the pickiest jungle will typically eat asfs then switching from asfs to rats is easier!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey guys i'm gonna be getting a jungle carpet python soon so i;m just asking would a 120cm(length) x40cm(depth) x50cm(height) be good for a full grown jungle carpet python and what would be a good enclosure size for one about 40cm in length thx

:cool:

It's really not necessary to be asking the same question on multiple threads. It can cause a lot of confusion as the thread progresses and folks try to help.

ok srry

^ what he said.^

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reinz

It's really not necessary to be asking the same question on multiple threads. It can cause a lot of confusion as the thread progresses and folks try to help.

---

Yeah and it disappoints those like me who look forward to reading new questions and replies, and maybe even seeing new pics. :D

Best wishes with your new carpet. I'll be adding a couple soon too. I have a lot to learn about carpets and I'm really looking forward to the experience.