Switching from mice to rats

[Bogertophis]

So I tried the hairdryer method and got excited because she was so interested in the rat on top on her enclosure. However both the hairdryer and the rat itself once inside the enclosure scared her! I’m starting to think it’s a mix of not liking the smell plus being afraid of the size. She was eating 2-3 15g mice. The rats are right about 40g so I figured that would be perfect and they are similar size to her girth. However she is extremely petite with a very small head size( smaller than average). I’m getting worried because she was already under weight but has lost 50g in the last month. Do I just give in and just keep feeding mice?

It can be very hard to switch BPs to rats- some snakes DO seem to fear the bigger size (coupled with the different scent & taste). If your snake is on the small side & still young, I'd personally keep on feeding mice for a while, to make sure she keeps growing. When your snake gets bigger, & she's still eating multiple mice, you can try feeding a small mouse first, followed by a scented small rat, making sure that the combination isn't too big of a meal. The first item (a familiar mouse) may help her to accept the second one (small scented rat), & gradually she may learn to accept that taste.

How are you thawing the rodents? If you thaw the rat directly in water, that can help wash off some of the scent. Then, if you can get some used (dirty!) mouse bedding from the pet store & roll the f/t rat in that for the scent, right before you offer it, that might help? Of course, it also has to be warm because BPs are focused on the temperature too.

How often have you been trying to feed her? Don't try too often, as that stresses snakes into refusing. Once a week for several tries, but if that isn't working, wait longer, like 10-14 days & try again. Good luck!