iHerp Answers: Switching from Mice to Rats

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Switching from Mice to Rats - Hunger Strike

Posted By:

poweredbycoffee

In Relation To:

Crush

I want to transition my snakes from F/T mice to F/T rats. I did it with my corn snake. But Crush, my IJ Carpet Python, continues to refuse the rats. It has been 3 weeks since he has eaten. Yesterday I thawed a mouse and a rat together in the same bag. Then I rubbed the mouse on the rat. Crush took it and constricted it and then dumped it on the bottom of his cage.

Will he eventually get hungry enough to eat the rat? Or is it too late to make this transition? He is over a year old.


Points:	150
Topics:	Feeding
Tags:	Mice, Rats, Transition
Species:	Pythons > Morelia > Morelia spilota harrisoni
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Member Comment

2/21/2010 1:44:51 PM

FyreFocks

Its never too late. But it will take patience.

Member Comment

2/21/2010 2:00:11 PM

joshc25

ya. my coral albino came from f/t mice and i tried everything that everyone said and nothin worked except one thing. I fed her a very small pinky mouse and when she was about done i put a small rat pup behind the pinky. so she ate both and i guess that jsut gave her the taste of the rat and she has been on rats ever since. I dont know if that will help but it helped me. also patience is the key cause it does get fusterating. Hope it works out well for you.

Assisted Answer

2/21/2010 3:44:09 PM

Sylvias

My snakes are on day 68 at this point -_- Mostly because of winter though..... I had attempted to switch them to rats before the cold days but that didn't happen... so I can only hope after a few months of sleep they will be ready to take anything and not give me problems over rats.... I have heard carpets can become mice addicts and it is best to get them on rats as soon as you possibly can... Try scenting again and leaving it in a quiet dark place... My ij is a very shy eater and will constrict in seconds but then get distracted just as easily cause he knows i'm watching him...so refuses to eat -_-

Assisted Answer

2/21/2010 4:08:20 PM

Michael Roth

Winter is a big factor for the switchover... then in spring it is the old 'males looking for sex' problem. I do my switches in the late summer early fall, when they are not preoccupied, and I do it the same way you are. I just wait until they are good and hungry, and then offer a weaned rat instead of a mouse.

Accepted Answer

2/22/2010 12:01:02 PM

shellboa

Carpets are one of the most difficult species to switch. Keep scenting and be patient. It took me almost a year to get one of mine switched and I am still working on it's sibling! Females seem to switch easier, might be because they tend to grow faster and get hungry sooner. I don't know if you do the "eat me dance" with they prey but you might get some nice long feeding tongs and try that too.

Member Comment

2/23/2010 8:56:23 AM

JohnJohn

I agree. It takes a lot of patience. I have some that switched over fairly easily. I have one that, after years, still will only eat mice. I tried every trick in the book. Feeding time for her is like a pile of mice, six or eight in a row. Pain in my butt. My little JCP gobbles down rat pinks, a few at a time, but he is still refusing larger rat fuzzies. Just be patient and keep trying.

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