gerbils?

Are there any problems with feeding corns gerbils. I have heard that some snakes will "imprint" on a certian food type and it can be hard to change their mind. I feeding mostly f/t right now, but out of 10 (four of them not mine, but i still take care of em) some of them arent taken f/t very well. The professor in charge of the department suddenly has a problem with me using a couple mice here and there from their feeder colonies, so we (me and the guy i work for there) would like to set up a colony of our own for the snakes we have in our lab. The problem is the only place we have to put them more or less is a very small prep room between the storage area and the lab itself, and we're worried about the smell especially since its a smaller area. I have heard that gerbils dont smell anywhere near as bad as mice can, so i thought they may be a good option for the occasional feeding. Mainly incase we have one that we're having a hard time getting to take f/t, and for the occasional live feeding to show the classes in the lab. People seem to be more comfortable with the idea of feeding live than seeing a prekilled defrosted mouse, doesnt really make much sence, but they do. Anyway, what i want to know is if corns are likely to imprint on them and cause trouble, or if theres any other reason to avoid it. We arent really set on anything yet, thats just one of the idea's we're bouncing around.

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Originally Posted by piranhaking

Are there any problems with feeding corns gerbils. I have heard that some snakes will "imprint" on a certian food type and it can be hard to change their mind. I feeding mostly f/t right now, but out of 10 (four of them not mine, but i still take care of em) some of them arent taken f/t very well. The professor in charge of the department suddenly has a problem with me using a couple mice here and there from their feeder colonies, so we (me and the guy i work for there) would like to set up a colony of our own for the snakes we have in our lab. The problem is the only place we have to put them more or less is a very small prep room between the storage area and the lab itself, and we're worried about the smell especially since its a smaller area. I have heard that gerbils dont smell anywhere near as bad as mice can, so i thought they may be a good option for the occasional feeding. Mainly incase we have one that we're having a hard time getting to take f/t, and for the occasional live feeding to show the classes in the lab. People seem to be more comfortable with the idea of feeding live than seeing a prekilled defrosted mouse, doesnt really make much sence, but they do. Anyway, what i want to know is if corns are likely to imprint on them and cause trouble, or if theres any other reason to avoid it. We arent really set on anything yet, thats just one of the idea's we're bouncing around.

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In my opinion i would not use gerbils to feed any reptile.The main reason is if you feed one of them to a snake live they are even more capable of killing a snake then a rat.Gerbils are mean little rodents.I think they smell just as bad as mice:eek:

I had heard that about hampsters because their teeth are so large, but ive never really dealt with gerbils before, so i wasnt sure about temperment. It did just hit me though that i may be able to work it out where the cage could go in the main lab. We're about out of space for tanks (they insist that they need table/desk space to do sit and do work and stuff like that...:confused: :P ) all the corn snakes and the pair of rat snakes are in a rack system, but we have alot of aquariums that we really cant rack. I may be able to put one of the pythons tanks up on a rack and put the mice under it, then the smell wouldnt really be an issue. I guess i can run that by the boss and see what he thinks. We could always try it and if the smell is to bad just scrap the project and feed the adults off. We already have the tanks and lids sittin around and food. All we would need is water for them. Do they have to have the bottle things, or can they get by with a bowl (probably a dumb question, but ive never heard anyone say)

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Originally Posted by piranhaking

I had heard that about hampsters because their teeth are so large, but ive never really dealt with gerbils before, so i wasnt sure about temperment. It did just hit me though that i may be able to work it out where the cage could go in the main lab. We're about out of space for tanks (they insist that they need table/desk space to do sit and do work and stuff like that...:confused: :P ) all the corn snakes and the pair of rat snakes are in a rack system, but we have alot of aquariums that we really cant rack. I may be able to put one of the pythons tanks up on a rack and put the mice under it, then the smell wouldnt really be an issue. I guess i can run that by the boss and see what he thinks. We could always try it and if the smell is to bad just scrap the project and feed the adults off. We already have the tanks and lids sittin around and food. All we would need is water for them. Do they have to have the bottle things, or can they get by with a bowl (probably a dumb question, but ive never heard anyone say)

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They will get water out of bowls,but they will push the bedding in the bowl also.My rats do this and it really smells up the cages.

Ok, i guess thats out then. Thanks.

i wouldn't suggest using bowls to water rodents!

At a pet store I used to work at, they bred their own rodents, including gerbils. A lot of people I worked with didn't have the best work ethics and skipped out on cleaning a lot of cages... and the gerbil cages DEFINATELY did not smell as bad as the rats and mice. The gerbils were on a diet of mostly bird seed, that could have a lot to do with it.

Gerbils mean? Not the ones I've experience and handled. They were extremly fast and hyper that is. Like a mini ferret the size of a hamster. Hamster yes they are nippy wouldnt feed hamsters to a snake unless f/t. Gerbils well they may just be too fast for a snake... and that means the gerbils can seriously do damage to the snake!

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

i wouldn't suggest using bowls to water rodents!

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The reason i use water bowls is i got sick and tired of them biting little holes in the water bottles and flooding everyone.Also the water bottles are not cheap :eek: .I change the water often so its clean water majority of the time.I have one female rat that when i place fresh water in her bowl,she gets a drink and then pushes bedding in the bowl:mad: .She only does this when she has babies with her :confused: :P .

*coughs* use metal water bottles *coughs again*

lol. I use metal water bottles. And provide lots of chew toys and things to stimulate your gerbil, they are hyber lil guys and all rodents are chewers and if they find something that lets them chew and they liek it, they'll chew chew CHEW!!

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Originally Posted by Sapphire7

*coughs* use metal water bottles *coughs again*

lol. I use metal water bottles. And provide lots of chew toys and things to stimulate your gerbil, they are hyber lil guys and all rodents are chewers and if they find something that lets them chew and they liek it, they'll chew chew CHEW!!

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*cough* i have rats * cough* lmao.Where do you get metal water bottles?

I haven't seen any metal ones, but they do sell metal sleeves for water bottles : http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...tle+holder&N=2

Point taken Joe...I've been there but recently came up with a new "design" for my rodent tubs that keeps the water bottles out of gnawing range. Its been working perfectly...unfortunately haven't had time to do the other half of my tubs yet and the rats started into another bottle :( I'll post up some pics this weekend its pretty simple what I did and came from a combination of what others have done.

I take a different stance on this with the same recommendation of the others. I would not be afriad the Gerbil would hurt the snake cause I would just prekill or at least severly stun the Gerbil with a head thump. Pick up by the tail and one good head flick is all that is needed for a really good stun job. Or one good wack on the side of the viv is instant death.

However to me they don't breed as fast and and often as mice and they cost more money. So the only thing you might acomplish is getting your corn hooked on them and having to shell out more money.

For balls though sometimes a gerbil is the only thing you can get some of them to eat,