is it ok to keep live mice and snakes in the same room?

[HypoPita]

Actually some of my finicky snakes eat better now that the rats are in the room. For the most part I notice no difference. I don't have a single ball python that has gone off feed since I moved the rats into the room. Just a question, have you ever had rodents living in the same room as your reptiles? Just curious. I'm genuinely interested, I haven't seen any negative effects from my experience - Just curious if your speak from experience. I have always wondered if anyone has seen it effect feeding responses. I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to see if you've tried it and seen it effect them.

cheers.

Yep. It's not like all rats have the same scent. All of mine still know when I bring a meal into the room.

[King's Royal Pythons]

Rat rack on the right of my snake racks, and they have an awesome feeding response!

[wilomn]

No, it is not O.K. to do. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean is right. Sure you can do it and be successful at it but you are asking for trouble. Once you acquire a finicky snake it will affect its feeding response and would be that much harder for the snake to accept a meal.

Upon what, exactly, do you base this opinion on?

I have kept multiple species of snakes in multiple rooms with mice, rats, both, and have not really ever noticed a big difference from ones that were kept totally apart from rodents. An eater will eat. A problem feeder is just that. Location may or may not make a difference for the problem feeders just as proximity to food may or may not make a difference for them, in my limited several decades of experience, anyway.

[cecilbturtle]

No, it is not O.K. to do. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean is right. Sure you can do it and be successful at it but you are asking for trouble. Once you acquire a finicky snake it will affect its feeding response and would be that much harder for the snake to accept a meal.

There are things that are definite in this world. 2+2=4 is one but keeping rodents in the same room as your snake collection is obviously not one of them.

I have a 6 year old bp that up until I started keeping rats in the same room about a year ago would NEVER take a rat let alone a frozen rat. Now he doesn't miss a meal of delicious thawed rat. I have had no negative effects of keeping rodents in the same room but I have definitely found a very positive result.

It's usually the first information people read when they are first learning a subject they are excited about that sticks as absolute fact. Don't let this happen. There is so much information out there and the things that work for someone may not quite work for you. Read, learn, experiment a little and then decide what is best for your animals and for you. Try not to make a solid imprint on the first google search you read.

[cecilbturtle]

Upon what, exactly, do you base this opinion on?

I have kept multiple species of snakes in multiple rooms with mice, rats, both, and have not really ever noticed a big difference from ones that were kept totally apart from rodents. An eater will eat. A problem feeder is just that. Location may or may not make a difference for the problem feeders just as proximity to food may or may not make a difference for them, in my limited several decades of experience, anyway.

You obviously don't know what you are talking about. Clearly you haven't gained enough knowledge through that experience. What...were you sleeping through it all?

[enchinoman]

Actually some of my finicky snakes eat better now that the rats are in the room. For the most part I notice no difference. I don't have a single ball python that has gone off feed since I moved the rats into the room. Just a question, have you ever had rodents living in the same room as your reptiles? Just curious. I'm genuinely interested, I haven't seen any negative effects from my experience - Just curious if your speak from experience. I have always wondered if anyone has seen it effect feeding responses. I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to see if you've tried it and seen it effect them.

cheers.

When I started I kept 8 ten gallon tanks (ASFs) in the room with them. They all ate fine until I got my male Pied. That is the only snake that I've had a problem with. I now breed thousands of ASFs so I had to dedicate a whole room for them. My Piebald now has had four meals in a row with a feeding response I've never seen before. I do not know if this is a direct correlation to the smell of rats not being present but it seems that it is for that particular snake. All my other snakes are voracious eaters on F/T and I am sure that they would be good eaters whether the room is full of rats or not. I just prefer to keep my reptiles smelling like reptiles and my rats like rats. Thank you for being so polite and for your interest we are all here to learn from each other!

[cecilbturtle]

When I started I kept 8 ten gallon tanks (ASFs) in the room with them. They all ate fine until I got my male Pied. That is the only snake that I've had a problem with. I now breed thousands of ASFs so I had to dedicate a whole room for them. My Piebald now has had four meals in a row with a feeding response I've never seen before. I do not know if this is a direct correlation to the smell of rats not being present but it seems that it is for that particular snake. All my other snakes are voracious eaters on F/T and I am sure that they would be good eaters whether the room is full of rats or not. I just prefer to keep my reptiles smelling like reptiles and my rats like rats. Thank you for being so polite and for your interest we are all here to learn from each other!

Wait...what?? So why would you be so adamant that it is not okay to keep them in the same room? I don't doubt your dedication or devotion to your animals but you definitely had a very clear opinion that you KNEW as fact not so long ago.

[wilomn]

Wait...what?? So why would you be so adamant that it is not okay to keep them in the same room? I don't doubt your dedication or devotion to your animals but you definitely had a very clear opinion that you KNEW as fact not so long ago.

Hence my query. This is a loooong and oft traveled road paved by good intentions and ignorance in almost equal measures held together with the glue that is the universal truth that everything posted on the internet is true.

[cecilbturtle]

Hence my query. This is a loooong and oft traveled road paved by good intentions and ignorance in almost equal measures held together with the glue that is the universal truth that everything posted on the internet is true.

I'm reading this on the internet so is this truth or am I twisting this into a snake keeping bible?

[wilomn]

I'm reading this on the internet so is this truth or am I twisting this into a snake keeping bible?

Yes. Yes indeed.