Hamsters, Gerbils etc.

[Auskan]

It seems like most everybody is feeding mice, then rats. Where do hamsters or gerbils fit into this? Can they also be used as food?

[mykee]

They can be used as food, but rats are the more accepted nutritionally complete food for snakes.

[Linds]

Hamsters have a high fat content. Both gerbils and hamsters can be addictive to some species. Both are also far more expensive to purchase as food. Gerbils don't have high production. There may also be availability issues with both hamsters and gerbils. They have a place, most commonly they are fed to problem feeders.

[Bighead]

Positives and negatives of Gerbils:

Plusses: (1) Many snakes eat them in the wild i.e. ball pythons (2) better temperment than mice and rats (3) They do not canniblize unless they run out of water or a pup dies naturally (4) Just as easy to breed (5) Smell WAY less than mice and rats. They drink and pee way less too.

Negatives: (1) Less available, especially in bulk. (2) More expensive (3) Produce smaller litters, 4-7 in a litter and 40-50 in a lifetime. (4) Not as much research done about nutritional info, etc.

Hamsters:
Stink more than any of them, bite more, too fatty, etc. I don't even recommend them for pets.

[mykee]

Bottom line: you hear more about rats because they're all-round the best food item for your snake.

[daver676]

Originally posted by Bighead
Positives and negatives of Gerbils:

Plusses: (1) Many snakes eat them in the wild i.e. ball pythons

One source of food for a ball python in the wild is a gerbil-LIKE mammal called a Gerboa.

(5) Smell WAY less than mice and rats. They drink and pee way less too.

I have had both Gerbils and mice as pets, and the Gerbil was MUCH dirtier, smellier, and all around messier than the mice.

also some individual animals will start refusing any other prey type. I always recomend against using them for that reason alone but then use them as a technique to get BP and hognoses eating if I feel they have been refusing food to long, it generally works but still not a 'good' thing.

[mice4you]

Originally posted by Bighead
Positives and negatives of Gerbils:


Negatives: (1) Less available, especially in bulk. (2) More expensive (3) Produce smaller litters, 4-7 in a litter and 40-50 in a lifetime. (4) Not as much research done about nutritional info, etc.

The main reason they are hard to come by in bulk is that they are very poor colony breeders. They do best in 1.1 pairs. This along with the slow rate of reproduction makes breeding them a pain. To make matters worse, once snakes are on them, it is hard to get a snake to take a mouse or rat again.

[Linds]

Originally posted by Bighead
(2) better temperment than mice and rats

You must have some special gerbils. Mice are not the most interactive rodent out there, but I definitely wouldn't put a gerbil ahead of a rat in terms of temperament, or in most cases, even mice. Most of the gerbils I've dealt with didn't hesitate to bite, and were relatively nervous animals.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Hmmmm, im in alberta so forget the live rats and stuff but i have NEVER been bit by a gerbil but i have been bit by mice(mine and others) alot. I also find that the mice smell more if there are alot of males or they are not entertained(if mine dont have alot to do they just sit around and piss and **** -pardon me there-) they tend to stink alot more than gerbils. I have found that if gerbils are not cleaned enough(not that thats only with them, its with any animal but still) they tend to stink. My findings are that gerbils are in a way cleaner because they do not pee as much and they do not spread their poo all over the cage, they put it in one spot. It seems to spread the aroma less. I am still opposed to feeding gerbils as opposed rats + mice. I think the gerbils are not as nutritious(im sure most would agree) and also have one hell of a bite if they chose to bite a snake(i have never experienced one but the only person i know of getting bit by one it was brutal). I find hamsters are fatty as mentioned before and they dont have the greatest nutritional value to them. Also they have a painful bite(i know this first hand) and can be very agressive. I would definetly go with rats and mice as a feeder and only use the others(gerbils and hamsters) ocassionally or for a tough feeder.

[HERPSKEEPER]

If its got fur, legs, a tail, moves around on its own, and will fit in my snakes mouth its FOOOOOOD. I dont care if its mice, rats, hampsters, ferrets, rabbits, chickens, gerbils, fancy mice, fancy rats, cats, dogs, pigs, goats, chinchilla's, etc.I know my snakes have eaten many on this list and will eat many on this list when it gets bigger.My biggest snake is almost 11ft and 55-65lbs and growing fast.Mmmmmmmmm all that warm blooded animal talk have made me hungry.LOL

[HERPSKEEPER]

If animal huggers get wind of that post,they'll shoot me



LOL bring em on

[djc3674]

If its got fur, legs, a tail, moves around on its own, and will fit in my snakes mouth its FOOOOOOD. I dont care if its mice, rats, hampsters, ferrets, rabbits, chickens, gerbils, fancy mice, fancy rats, cats, dogs, pigs, goats, chinchilla's, etc

I can see feeding your snakes most of the above prey items, except for cats and dogs. They are domesticated animals with a certain degree of intelligence that cannot be compared to any species of rodent. Therefore, they should not be used as prey items.
I am hoping that you were j/k. I certainly wouldnt respect you as a reptile keeper, much less a human being, if you fed a cat or dog to your snakes.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Agreed.

[Linds]

Originally posted by djc3674
, except for cats and dogs. They are domesticated animals with a certain degree of intelligence that cannot be compared to any species of rodent. Therefore, they should not be used as prey items.

Playing devil's advocate for a moment... Pigs are also a domesticated animal, and have a much higher intelligence than both of the above mentioned. That being said, they are also accepted as prey items for large snake... :flick: