Myth or factual?

[Vypyrz]

That debate has been held for many, many years, and I have never seen any data that suggests that one rodent is more nutritious. However, it has been proven that mice are leaner. If you can supply some documentation of this please do so, as I have been looking for information on the subject for a long time, and always enjoy adding to the articles that I have read. The common argument for getting a ball python onto rats, is that it is much easier to feed an adult BP rats, since a rat gets larger than an adult BP can eat, it makes it much easier to select one food item that is appropriately sized, versus having to feed a large adult female 9 mice a week. Switching babies to rats is easier than attempting to switch a 2 year old animal that has only eaten one type of food item it's entire life.

Rodent Pro has the charts posted from a 2002 USDA study of the Nutrient Composition of Whole Vertebrate Prey Fed in Zoos, in which Protien, Fat, Calorie/Gram, Vitamin, and Mineral content is listed.

http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp

The U.S. Department of Agriculture report can be viewed here in PDF.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/Who...nal02May29.pdf

Hope this helps...