Do You Feed White Or Coloured???

[littleindiangirl]

oh so you know what an african scent is compared to a mongolian??

the main difference between african and mongolian gerbils is their size not cent. that is like saying a brown rat smells totaly different that a white rat

Are you saying you know what a rat/mouse scent is compared to a gerbil scent?

Gerbils from Mongolia are so different from ones in Africa, they decided to make them different species! Wow!

Sarcasm aside, if you want to feed your snakes a gerbil, that's fine for your snake.

Many people that have snakes cannot afford to buy gerbils, and in many places cannot own or feed one off in case the snake refuses to eat rats after being fed a gerbil.

Rats are cheap, readily found across the globe, and therefor are a much more practical solution for feeding.

Working with a BP to find out why it wont take a certain food type is more important than just switching prey items.

In extreme cases where the BP is visibly losing weight, then I think that would warrant extra measures, but it shouldnt be the first option to try when a BP is refusing a couple of meals during Winter.

[COLDBLOODED262]

and i agree with you all i was saying is that based on my experience and reserch that giving a gerbil to a non feeder may be an option.
im not saying all gerbils come from africa im not even saying everyone sould feed gerbils to their bps i am just trying to share the info that i have learned over the years

[LadyOhh]

and i agree with you all i was saying is that based on my experience and reserch that giving a gerbil to a non feeder may be an option.
im not saying all gerbils come from africa im not even saying everyone sould feed gerbils to their bps i am just trying to share the info that i have learned over the years

Yes, it is an option.

Is it a well thought out one? Maybe not...

But as I said before, Good job for getting your friends BP to eat. I hope you have much more success in the future!

[Gooseman]

This is all so interesting and all... but I think I'll take this thread back on topic of colored/non-colored.

I may be completely wrong on this, but given the placement of the eyes on a snake, I imagine they are more used to detect movement in their surroundings to protect themselves from predators than to actually focus on an object, while use their forward facing heat-pits to hunt. As such... I'm not sure just how much of an effect the color of the rodent would have in the end.

[COLDBLOODED262]

go here it shows you that the maind diference from the african and mongolian gerbil besides the genus name is their size tak a look im pretty sure im correct

http://www.gerbils.pwp.blueyonder.co...ls/species.htm

[LadyOhh]

I think someone should just go out and buy the African Gerbil and the Mongolian Gerbil and just SNIFF for a while.

THEN we can get some good data...

[COLDBLOODED262]

the african gerbil is actually called sudevall jird

[COLDBLOODED262]

a snakes scense of smell is a lot stonger than a humans and so much easier for them to pinpoint a smell to an animal

[COLDBLOODED262]

I think someone should just go out and buy the African Gerbil and the Mongolian Gerbil and just SNIFF for a while.

THEN we can get some good data...

well i did find a place that said they can get african girbils but they are so rare in the us they cost way too much

[rabernet]

If you want to be technical - GERBILS come from Mongolia and Jerboas (which are not gerbils) come from Africa.

If you really want to feed what's closest to what they eat in the wild, get some African Soft Furred rats.