from mice to rats...

[python_boy]

Hey guys!i'm new in keeping ball python and base on some of my research rats are the best food for them in terms of nutritional value.
i have some question and please help me guys.I have 2 ball pythons who eat mice base on the previous owner.
1.How long does it takes to switch ball python from mice to rats?(I'm talking about live not F/T)
2.Other said that make ball python hungry and eventually they will eat rats.

by the way my ball python weighing about 700 grams both.

[regiusloki]

I'm currently trying to make the switch right now... And to top it off I'm trying to wean off live and move to f/t. The resounding answer to your first question is: Who knows. Each bp is different, and goes at their own pace. The best advice I have is keep reading the posts here (look for posts from the big names around here... It won't take long until they find you! ), and do a ton of research online from reputable sites. Good luck!

[Dlp40]

I too am in the process of this with a few of mine. I have found the best way to go about it, at least for my 4, is to start with live equal sized rats sented with cage litter from my mice colony. 3 out of my 4 balls are affraid of anything that is bigger then the mice right now, so I have been using lg crawler rats and sm wen rats that i put in a 6 qt tub filled with mice bedding( the funkier the better). I just let them run around in the bedding while i thaw the other rats for my other balls and presto my 3 girls take them down as soon as the hit the tub. My one 2200gr male takes f/t sented rats of any size as long as they get roled around in the same mice bedding. He must just like the smell of mice better. He actually has never eatten live in my home and only ever had one f/t mouse, over a year ago, but ever since then he has had to have his rats sented before he'll touch them.

Well hope this helps.

[FireStorm]

It really just depends on the individual. Personally, I would try just offering a rat at first, many snakes switch with no effort at all.

[zx10rBP]

I have switched my ball python to live rats. He would not eat rats at all just mice, but I put the rat in some mouse bedding with droppings and then offered it to him and he took to it right away. Now he prefers mice because of the challenge with them running around but will eat rats too. I did some research and found that rats do have a higher nutritional value than mice.

[Neal]

Some switch with no issues, some take some time, it's all going to be different with every BP. I know of some BP's that won't eat rats, though I'm not sure if by now they have switched them or not. There are other methods you can do to help your snake switch, or persuade him. My BP I had switched with no problem, all I did was I took a rat, I knocked it out, may of killed it, then I held it by the tail and wiggled the head in front of the BP. He would snatch it up with no problems. Of course I always put him in another container as well when I did this.

[satomi325]

I normally put in a rat of equal size to the mouse at the same time when switching mouse feeders. The snake always ate just the rat or both. Never had issues feeding strictly rats after.

I did some research and found that rats do have a higher nutritional value than mice.

Actually, mice and rats of equal size have the same nutritional value.

The only difference is that rats have a percentage or two of higher fat content. But that's all.


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[Marrissa]

I had Allure on "adult" mice from Petco and made the switch to rats when I ordered online. I ordered weaned rats which were bigger than the size mice he was eating. As soon as he smelled the rat on the tongs he was out and in striking position. He made the switch like nothing. He's always been a great eater though. Just depends on your snake. This is F/T though, but I don't think that makes much difference when the snake is getting the same "kind" (as in F/T or live) of food.

[KMG]

I have never had a problem switching any in my collection from mice to rats or to f/t. I believe what helped me was thawing them all together in a ziplock. Its my belief that this scented them well enough that they were taken without a fuss.

It was helpful having all different size eaters so even well before a rat was offered to a mouse eater it had been eating rat scented mice for a good while.

I think for switching to f/t the most important thing is offering at the correct temp.

[zx10rBP]

I normally put in a rat of equal size to the mouse at the same time when switching mouse feeders. The snake always ate just the rat or both. Never had issues feeding strictly rats after.




Actually, mice and rats of equal size have the same nutritional value.

The only difference is that rats have a percentage or two of higher fat content. But that's all.


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Thank you for that information. I guess I was misled into thinking that the rats were much greater in nutritional value. So my question to you is why do people switch to rats instead?