Tricks for switching from mice to rats.

[WesleyK]

So I was just wondering if anyone would share their tricks for switching to rats
I have a ball python and a boa, both of which can take rat pups.
But here are my issues.

The ball is still young and went on a hunger strike and ended up eating again on live. And I can't get him back to f/t yet and I don't want to buy a live rat pup and have him not eat it.

And the boa I just recently got from a rescue, he is about 2' and they were feeding him mouse hoppers by sticking him and the f/t mouse in a pillowcase and leaving till he ate.
So I know he still needs time to settle in but now he is in a nice home and I'm worried he is gonna be expected to be shoved in a bag to eat.

Any help is appreciated.

[SerpentineDream]

I had varying degrees of difficulty getting my 4 ball pythons to eat F/T. All were young but accustomed to eating live. Live isn't an option--I can't even get live rats here unless I was to buy people's pets from Craigslist. I find it completely unethical to deceive someone and feed their pet to a snake. (I have pet rats myself, and they are totally off limits.) So F/T it is.

First one I was able to get to eat by thawing the rat pup in hot water, then draining the water and refilling with hot water again. Once the rat pup was nice and warm I'd take it out, dry it off with a paper towel, hold its head against a heat lamp bulb for just a few seconds--since it's presented head first--open its mouth (snakes dig the smell of rodent saliva) and then make it scurry around the floor of the cage in front of the snake before presenting it head first. I called it the Zombie Rat Puppet Show. Eventually it got to the point where on feeding day he was hanging out of his cave waiting and would strike the rat right off the tongs the instant I opened the cage. Now I can even leave a cool rat on a branch for him and he'll come and get it.

The second ball python was 18 months old and more set in his ways. The seller told me he occasionally fed him F/T but I doubt it. He had zero interest. Since he was a real hardnose and he didn't seem to be losing weight I decided to wait him out. He refused biweekly offerings for 5 months before one day he matter-of-factly snatched the rat off the tongs and coiled. Now he only refuses food when in shed.

The hardest to switch were 2 hatchling Super Mojave BEL sisters that I bought together. They really, really wanted live. I tried all my tricks to no avail. I shut them in paper bags with the rats. They were too small to go without food for long and they were getting skinny. I was forced to assist feed them. I always tried the "nice" way first, offering them the chance to voluntarily take the food. If they refused more than 1 meal I had to assist feed. Eventually they both shocked me by striking the rat off the tongs and gobbling it when offered.

A big key seems to be making the prey warm (not blazing hot). Except for my oldest guy none of them will take cool prey. It needs to smell and feel alive, even though the Zombie Rat Puppet Show is no longer necessary.

I will also note that the youngest 3 started eating around the same time as I switched out their aspen bedding for Zoo Med's cypress mulch. Albert Clark (thanks Albert!) suggested cypress mulch substrate as a solution for stubborn feeders. Whatever it was, they really seemed to like the new substrate and soon began eating. I do think that helped.

ETA: If you give in and feed live after your snake refuses F/T, it will be harder to switch them.

[SerpentineDream]

Oh yeah, and for switching from mice to rats: I've had luck with 1) feeding a mouse, then immediately following it with a rat while the snake is still in feeding mode and not questioning anything it's offered. After a few times, just offer the rat. 2) scenting the rat with the mouse.

[bigsnakegirl785]

The boa will be fine to stay on mice. Mice are the preferred prey until they're large enough for weaned rats. Your boa should be willing to make the switch immediately when that happens, they're ravenous feeders. My boas have been on hopper mice up until 9-11 months old, so hoppers can last them awhile. I would advise feeding the boa inside its enclosure, and foregoing the pillowcase.

[akane]

I just offer the different rodent. Today you don't even get rat or mouse it's gerbil. Enjoy. My snakes debate what that is, determine it's rodent, and eat it. They only really care the size and my blood isn't on f/t. I have been killing the rodent right before offering it to him and he took 2 but yesterday he was quite difficult and aggressive. It looks like he might be going into shed. My bull actually prefers his f/t and won't take live of the size he would otherwise normally eat.