I need a little ASF info, please.

We just left our local pet store and the clerk tried to sell me two, 6-month-old ASF females for $2 each. Having not ever had ASFs before, I told her that I would have to do a little research first. So here I am. LOL. I have a few questions, please.

1. The lady said that ASFs can be introduced into a mice colony, and bred to mice. Is that true?

2. What is the average lifespan on an ASF with proper care?

3. What is an average size litter?

Please share any other info that you may have. Thanks

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1. The lady said that ASFs can be introduced into a mice colony, and bred to mice. Is that true?

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:rolleye2: NO

For the rest here are some good info

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=70828

No they cannot be in a mice colony& no they cannot breed with mice different speices,don't know how long they can really live but my breeders are at least 8 months old,when they get scruffy they get fed off.

1. No, they cannot breed mice!

2. With proper care, an ASF can live up to 2, possible 3 years. But, we are breeding them, and that cuts down on their life span. Also, ASF's seem to get some weird illnesses as they age, and its often more humane to feed them off.

So, it seems to average to a little over a year of good healthy producing life, then they begin to go down dramatically. Of course, this seems to be an average.

3. Average litter size? 9-12. They can have as few as 4, or as many as 18.

1. well technically you could introduce grown asf's to a mouse colony.... but it would be an absolute bloodbath!!!! Therefore I would NOT recommend it!!!

2. everything connie said.

I've been doing some reading online and I've read that ASFs do not have a smell, compared to the stink that mice put off. Would you ASFs keepers agree with that?

They have very little smell. If you stick your nose in the top of the cage you will smell them. But if you just walk in the room you wont.
They are Biters so they dont make good pets.

Oh they have an odor!

keep in mind that connie is part blood hound..... she has a VERY sensitive nose.

bottom line is that ASF's smell WAY less then both rats and mice.

We have learned yet again that most pet store employees don't know their butt from a hole in the ground. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by M&J in NC

I've been doing some reading online and I've read that ASFs do not have a smell, compared to the stink that mice put off. Would you ASFs keepers agree with that?

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I wouldn't say they have no smell but it's not like mice or regular rats. It's more of a slightly musky smell that with proper ventilation, not overcrowding your enclosures and regular cleaning generally takes good care of (well unless you have a super nose like Connie LOL).

Also most ASF's colonies will designate a certain corner of their enclosure as the communal pee spot. If you scoop that out between weekly or bi-weekly cleanings, it really helps to cut down on the musky odor getting too strong.

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Originally Posted by mike cavanaugh

keep in mind that connie is part blood hound..... she has a VERY sensitive nose.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

It's more of a slightly musky smell that with proper ventilation, not overcrowding your enclosures and regular cleaning generally takes good care of (well unless you have a super nose like Connie LOL).

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I'm starting to believe you guys. Walked into the house yesterday and was hit by a wall of odor. Yes, snake pee. Man, I was like, :O Chris.... not so much. Didn't smell a darn thing, even when he was IN the snake room.

Icky!

Connie have you thought about going into drug detection at your local airport. I'm thinking you might work out better than those beagles LOL.

I was thinking more along the line of searching for explosive devises or corpses....

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Originally Posted by Mike Cavanaugh

I was thinking more along the line of searching for explosive devises or corpses....

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exploding corpses! :O

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

exploding corpses! :O

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Oh dear.... :O

I am starting to side with Connie on this one....

They do smell. They smell NOTHING like rats or mice. The odor is OK I have people come over and walk by my rat room and don't know a thing until I point it out. I do how ever smell it now that i know what I am looking for.

All in all they do not have much of a smell.

I think the rest of your questions have been answered.

Mike

Mike, check each colony and see where their pee corner is in the enclosure. If you scoop that corner out every few days it drastically cuts down on smell as the greatest concentration of urine smell/marking goes on there. I just keep a small cat litter scoop handy and check that when I'm feeding them. Not only does it cut down on the immediate musk smell they can have but it lengthens the time between full tank cleanings which is nice for you.