Time to bump up Snickers' prey size or not?

[Superpop]

Just on more question:

Snickers has never been a "picky" eater and had no problem transitioning over to bigger mice sizes but now I am a bit worried because it's now rats(and I'm sure they smell different)

I just don't want Snickers to freak out about being fed a different species now and refuse food.

Do most snakes transition from mice to rats easily?

I only have concerns because I don't want Snickers to go on a "hunger strike" to the point where I have to feed her "LIVE" prey....I'd much prefer F/T for her safety. (I have read once you feed "live" it's virtually impossible to make your snake eat F/T again and I don't want to get to the point where Snickers won't eat F/T)

[Gbusiness]

Just on more question:

Snickers has never been a "picky" eater and had no problem transitioning over to bigger mice sizes but now I am a bit worried because it's now rats(and I'm sure they smell different)

I just don't want Snickers to freak out about being fed a different species now and refuse food.

Do most snakes transition from mice to rats easily?

I only have concerns because I don't want Snickers to go on a "hunger strike" to the point where I have to feed her "LIVE" prey....I'd much prefer F/T for her safety. (I have read once you feed "live" it's virtually impossible to make your snake eat F/T again and I don't want to get to the point where Snickers won't eat F/T)

I wouldn't think you would have a problem (not 100% sure) since a rat is still a rodent. A ween rat pretty much look's like a super pinky mouse. Before I fed my normal the ween rat, he she was getting f/t fuzzies. I fed him the ween rat only because I didn't want to waste it. I had intended to feed the ween rat to my larger normal bp that at the time hadn't eaten for me since I bought it. But, since she once again refused the ween rat? I didn't want to refreeze it. So, I figured it couldn't hurt to try and feed the smaller normal. The smaller normal has been before the rat eating like a champ. But, on the next feeding day he refused the ween rat. He striked it and constricted it but dropped it and didn't finish. So, I waited another week and tried again with a ween rat. He took it in no time flat and swallowed it without any hesitation. I'm guessing that it took him longer to feel hungry again. It's probably because the ween rat is a tad larger. I did notice today that he has grown alot in last two week's.

[KatStoverReptiles]

Weaned rat is not the smallest size rat. Daybreaker got the scale right:

^ Pinky rats, Fuzzy rats, Pups, Weanling/Weaners, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large/Jumbo...

They are called weaned rats because they have been weaned off their mother's milk and are eating regular food.

You can go here: http://www.frozenfeeder.com/sizing.html for a good conversion chart.

Some snakes switch right away and some are picky. There are a few methods for getting them to switch. You can try the "hungry" method where you wait it out and only offer rats till they get so hungry they take it. This takes a lot of willpower. There's the "scenting" method where you scent the rat with either a mouse or soiled mouse bedding in order to sort've trick your snake into eating the rat. I've used this method with quite a bit of success. I either thaw the rat in the same bag with the mice or I take the mouse and rub it all over the rat.

Just because a snake takes live once doesn't mean they're necessarily stuck on live for life. I've got a few that prefer live and will take them more readily, and then I've got some that will eat anything warm put in front of them. I've got an albino that I'm trying to switch to ft. He takes live great, but it takes quite a bit of the "zombie rat dance" to get him to take the ft. I have another who took live for me last week and ft tonight. So it really depends on the snake.

[KatStoverReptiles]

I wouldn't think you would have a problem (not 100% sure) since a rat is still a rodent. A ween rat pretty much look's like a super pinky mouse. Before I fed my normal the ween rat, he she was getting f/t fuzzies. I fed him the ween rat only because I didn't want to waste it. I had intended to feed the ween rat to my larger normal bp that at the time hadn't eaten for me since I bought it. But, since she once again refused the ween rat? I didn't want to refreeze it. So, I figured it couldn't hurt to try and feed the smaller normal. The smaller normal has been before the rat eating like a champ. But, on the next feeding day he refused the ween rat. He striked it and constricted it but dropped it and didn't finish. So, I waited another week and tried again with a ween rat. He took it in no time flat and swallowed it without any hesitation. I'm guessing that it took him longer to feel hungry again. It's probably because the ween rat is a tad larger. I did notice today that he has grown alot in last two week's.

I would consider upping your prey size. Most bps start out as hatchlings eating rat pinkies (the smallest size of rat). So unless your snake is less than 100 grams I'd think about increasing the size.

[Superpop]

Weaned rat is not the smallest size rat. Daybreaker got the scale right:



They are called weaned rats because they have been weaned off their mother's milk and are eating regular food.

You can go here: http://www.frozenfeeder.com/sizing.html for a good conversion chart.

Some snakes switch right away and some are picky. There are a few methods for getting them to switch. You can try the "hungry" method where you wait it out and only offer rats till they get so hungry they take it. This takes a lot of willpower. There's the "scenting" method where you scent the rat with either a mouse or soiled mouse bedding in order to sort've trick your snake into eating the rat. I've used this method with quite a bit of success. I either thaw the rat in the same bag with the mice or I take the mouse and rub it all over the rat.

Just because a snake takes live once doesn't mean they're necessarily stuck on live for life. I've got a few that prefer live and will take them more readily, and then I've got some that will eat anything warm put in front of them. I've got an albino that I'm trying to switch to ft. He takes live great, but it takes quite a bit of the "zombie rat dance" to get him to take the ft. I have another who took live for me last week and ft tonight. So it really depends on the snake.

Well I don't want to go down that road. If I can continue feeding frozen/thawed I want to continue down that road not only for Snickers' safety but for my well being as well! I don't think I could watch Snickers "kill" a mouse or rat.

I have RESCUED mice from being killed by cats before with my own hands. My friend had a very nice half million dollar house but he did have a mouse problem and he had a cat that killed those mice. Twice I was there and his cat found mice and got them them and played with them and the mice "played dead" instinctively and I scooped up those mice both times and ran outside a few blocks and then opened my hands on the ground and they bolted!(Everyone was amazed by my tenacity...though I'm pretty sure that cat hates my guts! Tough luck for the cat. Go eat your cat chow!)

I love all animals except for insects and arachnids(YUCK!)

Anyway I would have a difficult time feeding live prey to Snickers because not only would I worry about her safety doing so but It's just easier for me to feed prey that is already dead anyway.

[KatStoverReptiles]

Well I don't want to go down that road. If I can continue feeding frozen/thawed I want to continue down that road not only for Snickers' safety but for my well being as well! I don't think I could watch Snickers "kill" a mouse or rat.

I have RESCUED mice from being killed by cats before with my own hands. My friend had a very nice half million dollar house but he did have a mouse problem and he had a cat that killed those mice. Twice I was there and his cat found mice and got them them and played with them and the mice "played dead" instinctively and I scooped up those mice both times and ran outside a few blocks and then opened my hands on the ground and they bolted!(Everyone was amazed by my tenacity...though I'm pretty sure that cat hates my guts! Tough luck for the cat. Go eat your cat chow!)

I love all animals except for insects and arachnids(YUCK!)

Anyway I would have a difficult time feeding live prey to Snickers because not only would I worry about her safety doing so but It's just easier for me to feed prey that is already dead anyway.

Oh I agree. I PREFER to feed ft but when the snake is being stubborn and hasn't eaten in a month (he was 140g at the time) its time to give in. I was just simply illustrating that feeding live once doesn't mean they'll never eat ft again.

Although one of the feeder rats gave me a pretty bad bite one time. I didn't feel guilty feeding him off...

[Gbusiness]

Weaned rat is not the smallest size rat. Daybreaker got the scale right:



They are called weaned rats because they have been weaned off their mother's milk and are eating regular food.

You can go here: http://www.frozenfeeder.com/sizing.html for a good conversion chart.

Some snakes switch right away and some are picky. There are a few methods for getting them to switch. You can try the "hungry" method where you wait it out and only offer rats till they get so hungry they take it. This takes a lot of willpower. There's the "scenting" method where you scent the rat with either a mouse or soiled mouse bedding in order to sort've trick your snake into eating the rat. I've used this method with quite a bit of success. I either thaw the rat in the same bag with the mice or I take the mouse and rub it all over the rat.

Just because a snake takes live once doesn't mean they're necessarily stuck on live for life. I've got a few that prefer live and will take them more readily, and then I've got some that will eat anything warm put in front of them. I've got an albino that I'm trying to switch to ft. He takes live great, but it takes quite a bit of the "zombie rat dance" to get him to take the ft. I have another who took live for me last week and ft tonight. So it really depends on the snake.

Ok Ok kat I'll retract my statement. Ween rat's are not the smallest rat you can buy,lol ! I just took out some f/t ween's and small rat for today's feeding's. The ween rat look's nothing like I had described to the OP.
I'm sorry OP, but a ween rat is well developed already. Has all of it's fur and is larger than a pinky rat.
This size and stage of the rat's life should be a good start for you anyway (OP).

[Egapal]

Alright, my fears have been subdued haha. If it clarifies anything, he's been eating the frozen "Small Adult Mice" from Arctic Mice. Well it's a good thing he's not underweight then. I've personally got no problem with him being a bit on the small side, he's a pet, not a breeding machine. Soon after I first got him I did try feeding him every 4 days, but when my parents found out they threw a fit haha. Once I have a source of income my snakes will be fed a wee bit more.

If I were you I would still be a bit concerned. It sounds like you are underfeeding. At that size I would be offering 10% to 15% of your snakes weight every 5 days. If you don't know what your snake weighs you should go out and get a scale. For the record if you are going to breed a male BP you wouldn't fatten them up. You would want them lean. If your parents are complaining about money you need to get a source of income. When I was a kid I was a paper boy. It sucked but it was a source of income.

[Egapal]

Well I don't want to go down that road. If I can continue feeding frozen/thawed I want to continue down that road not only for Snickers' safety but for my well being as well! I don't think I could watch Snickers "kill" a mouse or rat.

I have RESCUED mice from being killed by cats before with my own hands. My friend had a very nice half million dollar house but he did have a mouse problem and he had a cat that killed those mice. Twice I was there and his cat found mice and got them them and played with them and the mice "played dead" instinctively and I scooped up those mice both times and ran outside a few blocks and then opened my hands on the ground and they bolted!(Everyone was amazed by my tenacity...though I'm pretty sure that cat hates my guts! Tough luck for the cat. Go eat your cat chow!)

Stories like yours make me sad. You realize that those frozen mice were alive at one point right. Also the mice you released a few blocks away probably made it right back into your friends house. If not that particular mouse then its offspring.

I love all animals except for insects and arachnids(YUCK!)

Translation you love all cute animals. Makes me sad.

[angllady2]

The OP didn't ask for your criticism, and doesn't need it.

Of course the OP realizes they were once alive. Doesn't make listening to the agonizing squeals of a poorly constricted mouse or rat any less painful. I fed F/T for a long time for the same reason. I eventually switched to live when my collection got so large that the wasted f/t rats from refusals got very expensive. I still cringe when a bad strike results in several minutes of heart-wrenching squeals.

And so what if the fool mouse did go right back to the house with the cat ? At least the OP did what made a difference at that moment. I do the same thing when a wild mouse gets into my house. I've got 6 cats, but they know if I catch any of them with a mouse, they HAVE to give it up, and I have no qualms about releasing that mouse back into the field behind my house.

As to not liking bugs and spiders, well most people don't. Even the majority of reptile people here can't deal with tarantulas and giant cockroaches and foot long centipedes. You were rude to the OP, and it was not called for.

Gale