Mouse to Rat

[gusanr14]

I know this has been asked many times but I wanted to clarify because I see multiple different ways. He is on live, 145 g. He refused a rat once first feeding, but is going well with the mice. I am planning on switching to rat after one more meal of mouse (Tell me if I need to feed mouse more before trying). Should I skip couple meals before I offer him rat? so he can be hungry? or does that come later? The place I get my feeder told me they can put the mouse litter/bedding and put a scent on the rat for me also. If he refuses to eat with doing everything, do I just keep trying rat every week? or every two weeks? or feed mice again for some feeding?

I've done research but I just want to know step by step rather than try this try that... and what to do after he refuses.

[SludgePuppy]

I do frozen/thaw food. When I was switching Raul to rats when he go big enough for 'em, I made sure to get white ones, he takes to white mice, and introduced the rat during every feeding, finally I rubbed the rat against the f/t mouse I had and he got the smell but wasn't sure, so I cut the neck and cut the head open a bit to get the smell stronger, he finally took it, it was messy but last ditch effort. He has been on rats ever since. The only reason I would recommend f/t feeders is because a rat can bite and leave pretty bad wounds on your snake if the snake grabs it in a way that the rat has free use of it's mouth. It's up to you however, but as well switching food with f/t has been a bit easier as well.

As far as live? I would get the mouse smell onto the rat and hope for the best, starving the snake isn't really good but can entice them but you don't want to mess with their already fickle eating habits. Balls are nutritious for their eating habits.

Oh yeah, another thing too, remember in the wild they are ambush predators, seeking burrows to hide in and kill the animals inside and eat them and waiting for more to come to them. They leave these burrows when they shed and use the bathroom because it now smells like them and they understand that food will not come if they can recognize a predator is in the burrow. So make sure the habitat is clean, this can also help coax them, giving them a sense they are in a 'new burrow'. Sometimes when Raul doesn't eat and I know he's not shedding anytime soon, I'll clean his enclosure even if it's been spot clean, or close to his cleaning day and he will take food after it's been cleaned.

[gusanr14]

I do frozen/thaw food. When I was switching Raul to rats when he go big enough for 'em, I made sure to get white ones, he takes to white mice, and introduced the rat during every feeding, finally I rubbed the rat against the f/t mouse I had and he got the smell but wasn't sure, so I cut the neck and cut the head open a bit to get the smell stronger, he finally took it, it was messy but last ditch effort. He has been on rats ever since. The only reason I would recommend f/t feeders is because a rat can bite and leave pretty bad wounds on your snake if the snake grabs it in a way that the rat has free use of it's mouth. It's up to you however, but as well switching food with f/t has been a bit easier as well.

As far as live? I would get the mouse smell onto the rat and hope for the best, starving the snake isn't really good but can entice them but you don't want to mess with their already fickle eating habits. Balls are nutritious for their eating habits.

Oh yeah, another thing too, remember in the wild they are ambush predators, seeking burrows to hide in and kill the animals inside and eat them and waiting for more to come to them. They leave these burrows when they shed and use the bathroom because it now smells like them and they understand that food will not come if they can recognize a predator is in the burrow. So make sure the habitat is clean, this can also help coax them, giving them a sense they are in a 'new burrow'. Sometimes when Raul doesn't eat and I know he's not shedding anytime soon, I'll clean his enclosure even if it's been spot clean, or close to his cleaning day and he will take food after it's been cleaned.

Thanks for the awesome answer! I wish there was a delete button for thread. He has taken the rat so this thread is no longer needed haha but again really appreciate your answer!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ckuhn003]

Thanks for the awesome answer! I wish there was a delete button for thread. He has taken the rat so this thread is no longer needed haha but again really appreciate your answer!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So any special trick used? I've just about tried everything except the 'scenting w/ mouse bedding' and cutting open the mouse.

[Zincubus]

So any special trick used? I've just about tried everything except the 'scenting w/ mouse bedding' and cutting open the mouse.

I've seen accounts of people feeding a mouse as normal and just when the back legs are disappearing they gently stick the rats head in the jaws !!

Never tried it myself ... I just blast whatever it is with a hairdryer seconds before offering , rarely fails .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[ckuhn003]

I've seen accounts of people feeding a mouse as normal and just when the back legs are disappearing they gently stick the rats head in the jaws !!

Never tried it myself ... I just blast whatever it is with a hairdryer seconds before offering , rarely fails .

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I’ve read about this same technique but I’ve yet to see my shy eater consume his food so this won’t work for me. Thanks for the comment though.