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My snake is refussing to eat rats

J

JungleTrunk

New member
Alright people,

I tried switching her to rats that are the same size as the mice she was eating but she is refusing to eat them. I have never encountered this before. I tried the rubbing with mice thing, didn't work. I tried to trick her with a mouse, didn't work.

I would really like to get her switched because I have already a breeding colony of rats that are producing like crazy. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get her used to eating rats? The only thing I can think of that she's not eating them is because she eats hoppers or weaned mice who have fur and the rats I'm offering are fuzzies so they don't have much fur at all but she should be used to eating pinkie mice so I don't know. I really wish I could switch her over. She seems a bit scared of them and just zips away.
 
Maybe try a rat pink? Not many snakes can refuse that!! Or- you're just going to have to get another snake!
 
One of my snakes would refuse Dwarf hammies when I bred them for feeders. Its a preference thing. Me? I would use it as an excuse for another snake!
 
Let her get good and hungry by skipping a feeding, then offer her a live rat. If she refuses it, then you just have a snake that doesn't like rats. I have one that much prefers mice over rats, but if she's hungry enough, she'll stoop to eating them. But then, I also have a snake that once he tasted rat will now not eat mice unless he's extremely hungry.
 
As long as you're already breeding rats, why not a few mice also. To answer your question, try washing the rat fuzzy and scenting it with a mouse. Also feed a mouse first and leave the rat fuzzy also. Your snake may just go from one to the other. I've had this work several times in the past with a variety of snakes.
 
Good ideas. First I'll try washing the rat and scenting it with a mouse, if that doesn't work I'll offer some rat pinks when I have some and see if I can up it gradually to the appropriate size. If that doesn't work I guess I'll just let her get a little bit hungry and see if she takes it then. If all fails I guess I'll just go back to mice which I really don't want to do. I don't know why she has to be so stubborn.
 
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