mice vs. rats

[warlord]

so rats have a higher fat content and better for the snake than mice are? also if a snake is eating rats instead of mice will it bulk up faster?

[PitOnTheProwl]

Most of mine have but I have a couple mousers that take multiple mice and are keeping up with the group. A lot depends on the snake too, just like people they all grow at different rates.

[warlord]

i really hope when i buy a bag of 20 rats he takes em and doesnt insist on mice lol

hes got an awesome feeding response tho, the whole night b4 feeding day he stays out of his hide and literally just stares out the glass front of the cage until morning when he eats than its back into hiding lol

[PitOnTheProwl]

Good luck with that transition. LOL
I have a 900g male pastel and an 800+g light female that wont touch a rat but will take mice like popcorn.

[jason79]

I don't know that anything about nutritional value of prey for ball pythons has been proven, but I prefer rats because I can grow them to the proper size to only need 1 rat per meal instead of multiple mice. Also in my opinion they stink less.

[Bill T]

Mice or rats will always stink horribly. Mine eat hampstes and gerbels just fine. I occasionally feed my big girl (3300-3400 grams) a large serian hampster. about the size of a rat. as long as the snake will eat it i think most rodents are fine.

[Mike41793]

Mice or rats will always stink horribly. Mine eat hampstes and gerbels just fine. I occasionally feed my big girl (3300-3400 grams) a large serian hampster. about the size of a rat. as long as the snake will eat it i think most rodents are fine.

I disagree there are ways you can breed and keep them so they dont smell. Plus the downside to feeding them hamsters/gerbils is that if you ever have to get rid of your snakes or choose to sell one that will be tough to find someone willing to buy.
Im not trying to call you out, just my 2 cents.

[Clint Bundy]

Rats are a very clean animal. The only reason rats or mice would stink is due to bad husbandry of their cages. Any animal the deficates in a confined area will smell. I clean my cages every week or 5 days. You can't tell that I own the huge breeder group that I have. It is usually at 200-300 rodents strong.

[warlord]

It is usually at 200-300 rodents strong.

thats alot of rats lol

[Emily Hubbard]

Rats are more convenient for the reasons stated. Easier to feed the right size.

My girl was a mouser til she hit 300gm a few weeks ago. She has taken her first two rats without thinking twice, perfect transition. She has always had a fantastic feeding response too, absolutely pounds them every time.

So, I wish you a prefect transition! Hopefully you lucked out like me and got an unusual BP that will devour anything you dangle in front of it.