Hemostat (or anything) to pickup live rat

[qwerty53]

I have these for frozen ones but they will hurt the live rat.....
https://www.amazon.com/RecoAquaRep-Q...SJBQ2947TGMPKC

Any tool for picking up a live one?

[PythonBabes]

...Why don't you just use your hands?

[cchardwick]

I pick them all up by the tail, I don't trust getting near their mouth and chance getting bit. Don't use tongs or hemostats on live rats or mice, it hurts them. For live rat pinkies just drop them in by the snake. Some say that picking them up by the tail can hurt them but from my experience it only is a strain on the very large jumbo rats that are over a pound in weight, that's a lot of rat to hang by the tail. I'd say it's fine for the small and medium rats.

Also, never dangle a live rodent by the tail next to your snake, it stresses out the rodent and the rodent will actually bite the snake if it gets too close, believe me, I've done it a couple times. Never again. Just drop the rodent in the tub / tank with the snake and let him relax a bit!

[qwerty53]

Rats can lift themselves up to your fingers if you pick them up by the tail

[KevinK]

Any tool for picking up a live one?

....a hand, and a thick leather glove (I use a thick, industrial welding glove). Seriously. If you grab the rat suddenly and stress them out, they're going to be put into "defense" mode by the time your snake takes notice of them.

I have numerous scars on my hands from attempting different methods (I usually do not feed live or recommend it but I've had a few BP's that won't take anything else).

Rat bites are NASTY and painful if they really get you. I would rather take a bite from a GTP than a rat on any day of the week.

[cchardwick]

Open the tub or box slowly, gently and slowly grab the rat by the tail avoiding getting too close to it's head and mouth. I clean out my rat rack once or twice a week and move over a hundred rats each time, I've never been bit. You may try talking gently and look them in the eye so they get used to the routine so they don't think you are a predator, only a rat that is scared to death will bite. I was only nipped gently once when I was taking pups from a mom, didn't even break the skin. Don't scare them by making any quick and sudden movements. I never use gloves, I just pick them up by the tail. Rat pups I just grab them, I don't think the pups can bite yet. If moving a mom with pups to another tub move the mom first, then the pups.

[artgecko]

If you have to pick up by the tail, do it at the base right next to the body. De-gloving (the skin coming off) is a risk, so it is best done quickly. I bred rats and never had to pick up by the tail, I typically pick up around the rib cage area. If you are afraid of being bitten, IMO, it is better to use gloves and pick up around the torso of the rat (gently no squeezing) than picking up by the tail. I'm not sawing tailing is awful, but it is uncomfortable for them and IMO, I want the rat as happy and calm as possible in this scenario.

Breeding your own feeders or buying from someone who does will also go a long way in getting calm animals. You want to purchase from someone that culls biters and breeds from calm easily handled stock. Rats from the pet store aren't ideal, unless it is a small shop that breeds their own, as the big mills don't really care about temperament when breeding and you can get some pretty sketchy animals. If a breeder heavily culls for temperament, over several generations, you can achieve calm animals that won't bite unless you cause them pain or scare them. This is ideal, but takes time.

I've been bitten twice, both maternal aggression cases. Bites are no fun and I would much rather be bitten by my boa than a rat.

[cchardwick]

I found out a good way to decrease maternal aggression. Instead of always taking rat pups from a mom just pull a few big ones and replace with a few smaller ones. It will throw them off, they won't be nearly as aggressive in the future.

To me it seems that the only ones stressed by picking up by the tail are the really big heavy males. Seems like it's a lot of stress on the tail but I've never hurt the tail or had them seem like they were in pain. But I do clean tubs side by side, so they are only airborne for 1-2 seconds!

[KevinK]

I've been bitten twice, both maternal aggression cases. .

That was my case as well, I got SMOKED right in the fleshy part of my thumb muscle on my hand.....terrible bite. She buried her teeth as far as they could go.

Wouldn't wish that on anyone.

...and to this day I'm calm as a cucumber around agressive boas, nippy GTP's, etc....but I still won't mess with a rat mom and her pups without heavy gloves.

[KevinK]

I found out a good way to decrease maternal aggression. Instead of always taking rat pups from a mom just pull a few big ones and replace with a few smaller ones. It will throw them off, they won't be nearly as aggressive in the future.

I'll have to remember this in the future. Thanks for sharing.