Will the smell of a mouse torment my python?

[dailyskin]

And vice versa...

Basically, what I'm trying to work out is, if I keep our Mac and our pet mice in the same room, is it going to stress the snake/the mice/ all of the above out??

[Miss Morph-lette]

I think that it should be ok...
We've got mice in our herp room and it doesn't seem to bother anyone. The mice still breed and the snakes aren't constantly trying to find them (altho it does make it easier to find snakes if they get out of their enclosures, cos they're perched waiting for a chance to get a mouse! NB the snakes don't escape often and the haven't eaten any of the mice, nor have they hurt themselves while trying to).

But bring in some freshly thawed rodents ready to feed and the snakes work themselves up into a frenzy!!

The only time when I noticed that there was some tension in the room was when we found a rabbit running down the road and it went in a box in the snake room... it barely moved a muscle for 2 days! (which was very different it's behaviour out of the herp room)

[Just_Joshin]

Yes. It would be like leaving you in a room being filled with the smell of food when your hungry.

The snake will be able to smell the mouse but not find it so would probably keep pacing in search of the food.

[falconboy]

I would think it like torture. Someone locks me in a cage in the middle of a McDonalds restaurant, and I'd be pretty pooey!

[serpenttongue]

You may find that your snake will always be in food mode and will always greet you with a feeding response every time you open the enclosure. You may also find that the constant smell of food may put the animal off feeding (not likely though). But most likely they will just go about their business behaving as they normally would. I use to breed rats in the same room that some of my snakes were kept. There were never any problems.

[Full3R]

My Diamond only reacts to the smell of thawed mice, Granted she wouldnt turn down a live mouse in her enclosure, but i dont think she can smell it through enclosure, even the air vents which are on the back

[dailyskin]

Yeah I wonder if they'd just get used to it? I'm sure lots of people breed them in the same area...

[patonthego]

Originally Posted by falconboy

I would think it like torture. Someone locks me in a cage in the middle of a McDonalds restaurant, and I'd be pretty pooey!

hahahah, i agree mate, we don't keep rats or mice at all,. mind you we have cats.. and to tell you the truth, the snakes don't mind them , and vice versa. mum was holding tara, and her fav cat at the same time,... nothing. they both put noses together, as if they were sniffing the sense.. lol nothing happened. but also keep in mind they are just babies. lol

[Ella]

I have a pet mouse in the same room as my two yearling pythons and no-one seems bothered by it. No abnormal feeding response, no excessive snappiness, the mouse isn't scared. Everyone seems fine!!

[dailyskin]

Oh thanks for that Ella! I was hoping someone would have roadtested the pet mouse/snake thing! Maybe it will be fine then I guess if they are used to it, it's just part of the ordinary smells.

[Colin]

Personally I'd avoid having rodents and snakes in close proximity. If you must do it I would recomend keeping the rodents cage very clean and change the substarate and wash tub a few times a week as the smell of rodent urine will fill the room otherwise.If its noticeable to you it will be like swimming in it to the snakes senses.

[koubee]

I too keep our pet mouse in the same room as our snakes, none of them seem upset or pacing their cages.
The Beardies watch the mouse though, but thats just curiosity.

[dailyskin]

LOL Koubee I can imagine that would be so cute, the Beardies thinking 'ooh what is that small furry creature and why can't I play with it?'

I reckon I'll just give it a go - I keep the mice niiiiice and clean cos I hate the smell anyway!

[GSXR_Boy]

I would say yes.
We had a relative come to Sydney for the weekend and they are hand raising a small cockatiel.
The bird was placed in the centre of the lounge room where there are a few snakes.After about 10 minutes i noticed nearly all these snakes were awake and pacing the front of their cages, tongue flicking in the air.One was even so adamant she was getting a feed she was even streching her jaws!!lol
These were animals that hadn't even ate birds before! I thought that perhaps it was different people in the room and they were curious, but when the left with the bird the snakes calmed down (well until tyou put your ahnd near them).
Maybe the sanke would get used to it but i doubt it.

[ihaveherps]

Honestly, if i had my act together i probably wouldnt, although current circumstances dictate that i breed my mice in one of my herp rooms. I breed maybe 200 a month in summer and upward of 400 a month in the cooler months, and thats just births, not counting the breeders. I keep jungles, bredlis and various antaresias in the room with the mice. Depending on which members see this, a few members of this site, can attest to the fact that most of my jungles are well behaved ( jungles can be normally difficult anyway ) my Bredl's are fine (known for their extreme feeding responses in some occasions) even when handled in the room itself. No matter what those who are throwing their assumptions around say, it can be done, as it is here, although not the optimum situation by any stretch.