Changing back to mice from rats

[Stuart]

Just curious if anyone has come across one of their animals that has successfully been on rats for over a year refuse to eat them after a period of inactivity?

I have a Python that has successfully had 23 feeds of rats with zero issue and after a few months of nothing and several attempts with rats, she took one whiff of an adult mouse and hammered it straight away even after being teased with a rat after a while. Husbandry hasn't changed although temps have risen earlier due to a slightly early wet season but I'm skeptical that it would affect food choice.

I have little doubt that she will take rats after a bit of scenting but to have her revert back after I and her breeder had her successfully "turned" is interesting and something I would like to hear more about. Would there be a reason or is it just a case of "because she felt like it"

 

[Trimeresurus]

I've had some of mine do this, no interest in rats all of a sudden but will smash mice, no interest in rats off a sudden but will smash rabbits, always ended up back eating rats in the long run though.

On the flip side I have a chondro who won't touch mice after eating rats for a while, but he goes nuts for rats.

 

[Tobe404]

The first thing I tossed in for my little MD when I got him home was a Pinky Rat (by mistake), which he ate. Breeder had been feeding him on Fuzzy Mice.
He would then have 2-3 periods of not eating for 2 months. Tried Rats and Mice. He took the Rats if they were dipped in tuna/chicken/egg. But never actually ate them. The Mice were a tad more succesful. But not by much. These days he will only eat Chicks/Quail and nothing else.

Female MD would not touch her food for about a month when I first got her. Again, I got sold Fuzzy Mice that were actually Pinky Rats - That tured out to be the problem. As soon as I got a real Fuzzy Mouse. She ate it and didn't have much trouble since. I ran out of Mice one day and by that time she was big enough for Fuzzy Rats. Took and ate one without any hesitation at all. To this day I don't know why she switched from liking only Mice to begin with but now eating Rats fine. She's been slowly increasing the number of Weaner Rats she'll take at a time since about the start of October - Wouldn't eat over Winter. She has eaten Large Adult Rats before.

Just like with the female MD I ran out of Mice one day for my Jungle. Tried a Fuzzy Rat which was taken/eaten without a problem (has also taken various sizes of Chicken(s)) Although the last thing that was eaten was a Weaner Rat on 23/6. Been trying to get the Jungle to eat again since about.the start of October (on Weaner Rats) with no liuck. Time to try a Chick or Quail I reckon.

Coastals have eaten all through Winter (on Weaner Rats). Smaller of the two did take a left over Chick that the smaller MD didn't want
(was coming up to shed at the time). Yet has had no trouble eating Weaner Rats even after tasting a Chick for the first time.

 

[Viking_Python]

My Yearling male Albino Darwin doesn't eat rats straight up. He will take a weaner mouse, then when he's up to the tail and opens his mouth. I just place the thawed rats nose onto the end of the mouse. He just continues eating. I will most probably be doing this for a couple of months then hopefully he will take a rat first.

 

[smileysnake]

yes had the same problem with my bredli he was smashing large rats at 15 months of age went of food for about 10 weeks just would not eat a rat so popped a mouse in and nearly tore it in two when he hit it at one stage i think he ate 4 mice this went on for a month i did the scenting thing again now his back to eating large rats now the final step to get him on to rabbits.....

 

[Stuart]

Cheers all. It's little cause for concern as she is eating but I did wonder if there were any factors that could influence it.

 

[killacoastal8u]

Yeah my big coastal is still like it which sucks but I'm glad he eats large mice still he didn't eat for 8-9 weeks


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[Snapped]

My 5yo MUrray Darling went off rats around August, I think I wasted 4 or 5 adult rats (tried 10-14 days apart ) but he smashed a mouse that my RSP refused a while ago, so I gave him another and he's been eating the mice that my RSP refuses. Tried a rat the other day, not a chance, gave him an adult mouse, bam!
Prior to that he'd been eating a medium adult rat every 10 days.

Now my RSP is refusing all mice, but will take fuzzy rats. Luckily I have a newly acquired adult Cape York Python that happily smashed 2 rats last night!

I think we need more snakes so that food doesn't go to waste...well that's my excuse. LOL

 

[phatty]

This guy just started eating after 9 months would only look at mice but did the follow though trick with a rat

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[Stuart]

Thanks for the feedback all.