Getting my snake to eat Rats!

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Kaela

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I have a 10 month old Ablino Darwin Python and she is still feeding on mice. I am looking to get her feeding on rats shortly and I was wondering how other people have got their snakes to feed on rats. Any help would be great I have plenty of time to try :D.
 
Try rubbing mice onto rats or thawing mice and rats together in the same water to mix scents to allow for adjustment
 
This always works for my fussy feeders, because the snake can't refuse it.

Feed a mouse, then before the snake is finished (down to the legs, but the snakes mouth is still open), I push a rat up against the back of the mouse (so the snake thinks it's one big mouse) and the snake will continue to eat the rat.

After doing this for a little while, the snake will be use to the smell of rats and should take rats no problem.
 
I have a 10 month old Ablino Darwin Python and she is still feeding on mice. I am looking to get her feeding on rats shortly and I was wondering how other people have got their snakes to feed on rats. Any help would be great I have plenty of time to try :D.

I am having the smae problem atm, but mine is a little more extreme because i have a 7 month olive who only eats mice (breeders fault) i need to switch him soon before it become a major problem, i am going to try tieing a rat to the end of a mouse with cotton which should force him into eating the rat.
 
Ooo great info guys! I've decided to swap my jungle over from mice to rats next feed (only 2
Hopper mice left in the freezer) because I've found that it's poo really stinks!!! Especially compared to my woma who eats rats and poops fresh air and flowers :)
 
This always works for my fussy feeders, because the snake can't refuse it.

Feed a mouse, then before the snake is finished (down to the legs, but the snakes mouth is still open), I push a rat up against the back of the mouse (so the snake thinks it's one big mouse) and the snake will continue to eat the rat.

After doing this for a little while, the snake will be use to the smell of rats and should take rats no problem.
Ha ha tried this with my albino this morn and worked a treat... It's that fussy it only eats mice from my supplier and won't take the ones I breed grrrr.... But got the rat down the hatch right as the mouse feet were going in lol... Thanks for the tip :)
 
Another guy on here uses cotton to lace the mouse and rat together so it is just one prey item.
 
Ha ha tried this with my albino this morn and worked a treat... It's that fussy it only eats mice from my supplier and won't take the ones I breed grrrr.... But got the rat down the hatch right as the mouse feet were going in lol... Thanks for the tip :)

Glad to hear it worked for you.

It depends on the snake, as to how long you will need to do this for?

Ive had snakes that only needed this done twice before taking rats, but then I've also had some extremely fussy snakes, that took 6 months of this, before taking rats willingly.

Every time you try to feed from now on, offer the rat first, just to see if it's accepted rats as food yet.
 
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