Mice to rats

[Silhou]

Hello
Any good tips on how to get your snake onto rats if he's never had them before and only had mice? I've tried to encourage him to take them but he doesn't seem keen, any tips would be helpful please.
Thanks

 

[Jande]

I had a minor hiccup of this nature with my first snake. I think the smell was overwhelming as rats tend to smell a LOT more than mice in my experience. You'd think that'd be a good thing but it smelled it going into the tub (I feed out of the enclosures)and couldn't wait to get away from it. I simply brained a pinky mouse and coated the head of the rat in the contents. Snake didn't hesitate after that. Hope you can convert it without too many problems.

 

[leamos]

Had issues getting my jungle from mice to rats, don't offer any food for a few weeks, then offer a rat slightly smaller then the usual sized mouse it will normally take. If that doesn't work try thawing a fuzzy rat with a mouse, try offering the rat first if that doesn't draw a strike, the mouse was given and the fuzzy rat offered after the mouse was swallowed, within a few weeks you can offer just a rat on its own. Some snakes won't even notice the change, or not care. Others you'll have to go through the scenting process and can be a very frustrating process

 

[Silhou]

I think scenting's my best option, I've been told to try assist feeding if all else fails but I don't think it's entirely necessary at this stage. Thank you!

 

[Tobe404]

I mistakenly offered one of my MD's a Pinky Rat instead of a Fuzzy Mouse once. It took to it straight away. Some switch easier than others.
Apart from the suggestions already posted. You could try scenting the rat using a mouse or thaw them out in the same tub.
I also heard Snakes love Quiail... You could try scenting with that... or Finch feathers... Or even a small Lizard of some sort.

 

[Silhou]

Would washing the rat down with warm water before scenting it help to remove the rats scent and replace it with the mouses scent? Or would that be pointless??

 

[Tobe404]

I'm not too sure. It can't hurt to give it a try.

 

[Silhou]

Truetrue, thanks for the help guys :3 Ill give it all a try

 

[leamos]

Would washing the rat down with warm water before scenting it help to remove the rats scent and replace it with the mouses scent? Or would that be pointless??

Yeah you can do this, as tobe404 has said you can scent the rat with a range of things; birds (quail, day old chicks), chicken stock, egg yolk etc... all worth a try if scenting with mice doesn't work. Forgot to ask before but what type of snake is it?

 

[Silhou]

Ok sweet, I'll give that all a try if nothing works, the egg yolks wouldn't harm him? He's a diamond python , just over a year old and im wanting to get him on rats now so that when he's over a meter long he's still not eating mice.. He had a bit of trouble at first learning how to eat a all so I'm being very patient with him.

 

[leamos]

no the yolk won't do him any harm, eggs are a common item on the menu for wild snake, particular diamonds. I'm sure if you get him hungry enough, and scent a rat with something listed above you'll have no dramas, just might take some patience.

I should add with my female jungle even after she started taking rats, she never took them with much vigour. I tried a few quails on her and she scoffed them, the next feed I often a rat as usual and she happily scoffed it, so maybe try a day old quail or two and then scent the rat with a quail the next feed and see how he goes. Best of luck keep us posted

 

[Silhou]

no problems thanks a lot I'll give that a try. Yay! ^.^ I'm gonna have a big healthy rat eating snake haha

 

[Bluetongue1]

Another thing you can try is sowing a rat with cotton thread so it is attached to the rear of a mouse. The snake take the mouse and the rat automatically follows. Just use a smaller mouse and smaller rat so it is not having to over eat. After 3 or 4 such feeds it will invariably take the rat on its own.

Blue

 

[Silhou]

Thats an interesting idea, the cotton thread wouldnt harm his insides?

HE TOOK IT WHEN I SCENTED IT WITH A MOUSE!!!!! yay thanks alot guys!

 

[Bluetongue1]

Great news. I am pleased for you.

Scent the next couple and then try without scenting.

Blue

 

[notechistiger]

Good news!

For those offering advice, I think it's not a good idea to scent rats with other animals (quails, etc) to get the snake onto rats. You're setting yourself up for trouble when the snake could have lived just fine on mice (assuming scenting with mice doesn't work, of course).

 

[leamos]

Thats an interesting idea, the cotton thread wouldnt harm his insides?

HE TOOK IT WHEN I SCENTED IT WITH A MOUSE!!!!! yay thanks alot guys!

Awesome news Silhou

Good news!

For those offering advice, I think it's not a good idea to scent rats with other animals (quails, etc) to get the snake onto rats. You're setting yourself up for trouble when the snake could have lived just fine on mice (assuming scenting with mice doesn't work, of course).

Agreed, I didn't make it clear but I was advising using other prey scents as a last resort, sorry for any confusion

all worth a try if scenting with mice doesn't work.

 

[Silhou]

Unfortunately it was my last resort and he's growing rather quickly so he wouldn't be able to get a good meal out of mice for much longer, so I wanted to get him onto rats any way that I could before he's having 10 mice for each meal , worked well though and we'll try without scenting after a few more shots
Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[Jande]

Fantastic!