iHerp Answers: My sand boa will eat pinky mice, but not pinky rats.

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My sand boa will eat pinky mice, but not pinky rats.

Posted By:

onrestriction

In Relation To:

Sandy

My daughters anerythristic kenyan sand boa is about 1 years old and can eat 3 live pinky mice in a matter of minutes. I have been trying to move it to pinky rats and although it should be able to feed on them, it will not unless it eats a pinky mouse first. And that is still not a given. I have tried a pinky rat by itself 7 times and it will not even go near them. I tried washing them, paper bag, day/night feeding, frozen, etc and nothing.

Anyone else ever experience this? Even the owner at the reptile shop is stumped. Did not believe me at first. Had to take Sandy with us to see him.


Points:	150
Topics:	Feeding
Tags:	Feedingproblems, Kenyan, Sandboa
Species:	Boas > Small Boas > Gongylophis colubrinus
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Accepted Answer

8/29/2014 2:23:27 PM

Sonja K. Reptiles

Why not feed it a mouse hopper? The nutritional value of a more mature prey item would be better. My adult breeders do just fine on adult or xl mice.

Member Comment

8/29/2014 3:03:55 PM

Sonja K. Reptiles

Mice and rats smell different, so another option to try, if you feel a rat would be better, would be a washed thawed rat scented with mouse bedding, or warmed in the same bag as a mouse.

Member Comment

9/1/2014 11:55:05 AM

shellboa

+1 Sonja. I have one male that will not eat a rat no matter how hard I try. (I call him Sam I am) But he will eat a mouse hopper in any form, f/t p/k or alf.

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