What's the deal?

[jjnnbns]

Well, my corn is still crazy... sometimes.

I have no problem getting my corn to eat if I offer fuzzy mice. In fact, her last meal 10 days ago included 3! The problem comes in when I try and fed rats...

When placing a rat inside of her cage and offering it to her, she goes ballistic! She hisses and strikes and musks (I didn't even know corns could musk!!!) She leaps around with open mouth flying and bites at anything.

Does anyone else have this problem with their corns? Did they get over it? Or am I stuck with yet another mouse eater forever?

I don't know if its worth continually trying or if I should just let her be and give in to a diet consisting of mice...

Thanks,
Brent Strande

[MouseKilla]

I have one corn that will not eat rats no matter the size. I think maybe some corns just don't recognize rats as food. I've tried several times to offer rats to this guy, not that it's necessary for corns to ever eat rats it's just what I happened to have handy at the time, but on a couple of these times he did seem a little scared of them. Mostly though he's indifferent toward it, won't eat it but won't get upset about it either.

It's weird that some corns do that but the good thing is that corns do fine on just mice.

[dank7oo]

I dont know if this is true, but I was told to not feed my corns any rats regardless of size. It had something to do with done density and not being able to digest them ... just a thought.

Jason

[marisa]

In my personal opinion that's not true at all (not argueing with you as you heard it somewhere else just stating what i have found :))

Anyways all my colubrids eat both rats and mice, in fact my big male corn just had a HUGE meal of two rats that my balls refused. He and my large female each eat small rats, while my kings eat rat fuzzies or rat pups and they will be on rats for their life. I have never ever had trouble with rats and I have raised a couple from babies on rats as well. :) :) :) :)

I would heavily scent a rat pup (regardless if that size is too small for your snake) with mouse blood or urine/feces...then introduce it. Maybe let him miss a meal and get good and hungry then try.

Then again, there is nothing wrong at all with a corn eating mice it's entire life.

Marisa

[vanderkm]

I have several yearling and two year old corns that show a marked fear reaction to rats. They have never seen live rodents so no reason to fear them, but while they eat mice like pigs, they hiss, strike and tail rattle at dead rats presented to them. I have tried a couple times with some to get them switched, but they have not been keen. Only one has given in so far. I also have one 3 year old that ate rats for me last year, but this year he has no interest.

I think it would be possible to convert them given enough time and patience by scenting the rat with mice and offering smaller rats than the mouse size normally eaten - I just don't bother - they do fine on mice,

mary v.

[jjnnbns]

I have no problem feeding mice, but would prefer rats as everything else is on them...

its wierd though... she doesnt just ignore it, she gets angry! She strikes like a maniac and her tail vibrates like the meanest rattler. I dont know why she gets so aggressive w/o any feeding response whatsoever.

Oh well, I guess that I'll always have to have rats on hand and just deal with it.

[Stockwell]

Yes, I have a female corn, that freaks right out when any rat is put in her cage even small dead ones.
Corns are perfectly capable of digesting rats, but some seem to instinctually run from them.
It could be rats are a natural predator in some guttata locales.

[MouseKilla]

Wow, a snake being eaten by a rat... that's crazy. lol! I don't doubt it though, I've dealt with some monster rats and I'm always more worried about being bitten when handling them than I am with most of my snakes. Big, nasty yellow teeth...

[latazyo]

I have fed mine rats since I got it and never had any of these problems....hmmm

[Invictus]

My corns go ballistic for rats, but in a GOOD way. They love 'em! But, as mentioned, even the biggest corns out there can be fed 2 or 3 adult mice per feeding when they are fully grown.

[Vanan]

I'm currently in the process of switching over some snakes to weaned rats and I've had different responses. One thing fer sure though, is that, all my in-blue feeders freak out when I try offering a rat when they're in blue.

[Oliverian]

Really? I just offered a rat to my red/yellow rat snake in total blue and he just garfed it down. And the corn who doesn't like eating very much just took a scented rat pink. I'm so proud! :p

-TammyR

[Nicky]

My corn seems to have a mixed opinon on rats. For 2 years of his life he would only eat adult mice no matter how hard I tried to get him to switch. Then for 3 months he just stopped, so one day I tried a rat and boom he ate it no problem. However at the next feeding session he ignored the rat, so I tried mice and the same thing happened, he's currently still not eating so i'm trying a few different things. Has anyone ever tried using DEAD hamsters ? ( Their crazy enough alive!!) I was thinking of maybe using them as a last resort if nothing else works or at least senting( kinda scared he might get hooked on them and their not very cheap either but it's worth it for him.) My corn just can't make up his mind... geeez lol.
Rock on
Kayla:)

[marisa]

KAyla- I have not tried hamsters but my corns happily eat mice, rats or gerbils and none get hooked. But this is MY corns and each are different so yours may prefer one thing over another.

Marisa

[Artemis]

How interesting that some should have a strong defensive action to rats and not mice, even f/t and p/k. I wonder- have you had these snakes since hatchlings, or might they have had bad experiences with rats in the past?

Art

[Nicky]

Thx Marisa,
I agree corns have such are such unique little guys (Which makes them all the better pet).Hopefully he won't get hooked but will see soon enough i'm feeding tonight wish me luck
rock on
Kayla

[vanderkm]

In some of our corns that are afraid of rats, we have had them since hatching and they have never had a bad feeding experience with rats - they have shown the strong aversion from the very first time they were presented with a thawed rat instead of a mouse. We usually go with a smaller sized rat than the mouse size they were taking also, to try and avoid this fear response. Some overcome it if they are hungry, but the less aggressive feeders haven't,

mary v.