Do I have a strange BP?

[connie]

Jefferson, one of my BP's is 6 months old. I have had him for 2 months. He is doing wonderful....eats once a week until today. I offered him a rat pup instead of a mouse and he refused to even look at it. Is this a normal behavior? Should I offer him a mouse? Before long he will outgrow mice. My other BP inhaled his rat pup. Should I wait until next Monday and offer him another rat pup? His behavior has got me puzzled. Thanks for any advice.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

[louise]

had the same problem with my BP. i finally cured it by going to the petshop and getting dirty mouse shavings. i would put the rat in the dirty mouse shavings and shake it around. the rat would smell like mouse and he would eat it. i had to do that about 4 feedings. now he just eats the rats. hope this works for you

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

[Weepngprpht]

What means did u go to to make him eat it...I know some people haev said to use tongs to dangle the mouse in front of the snake..or dip it in chicken broth...Could be if its in shed..Id say offer another one if he doesnt take it offer the mouse if he takes the mouse atleast then you know if theres a specific reason if not then maybe u could research another reason atleast that way you can council out him purposly refusing the rat as opposed to the mouse...hope that helps

[CritterHouse]

sometimes when an animal is raised on mice they see only mice as food. Just like when lizards are raised on meal worms some won't eat anything else, its like crack for lizards. When you thaw out a mouse leave some of the water that the mouse was thawed out in and rub the thawed rat in it for the smell....if that doesnt work get a small mouse and feed the snake the mouse and when hes almost done the mouse put the rat behind it...he'll think its a big mouse.

[louise]

it is common for them to not want to switch from mice to rats. boas on the other hand will switch right away.

[connie]

Louise, I never thought of getting a mouse scent on the rat...I have a pet mouse, squeaky downstairs....I am going to go get some of her bedding and shake the rat up in it and see if it works...I will let you know. Thanks!!!

[Eric From Cincinnati]

Also as long as it is Prekilled, you can put the snake in a pillow case with the dead rat and leave it in overnight...sometimes you'll find it gone in the morning. There are several other methods of making the switch, some more painful than others...

[louise]

i will keeep my fingers crossed. e_rock i had tried that first. i tried so many things to get him to switch. finally i tried the dirty shavings and it worked like a charm.

[connie]

I tried rubbing the rat pup with the mouse smell and offered it to him..Even tried the "rat dance"... He totally ignored it......so, being a softie mom I thawed him out a mouse. Put him BACK into his feeding container and he hit that mouse so hard it about knocked the tongs out of my hands. My BP doesn't like rats... I think the next feeding I will get a smaller mouse let him eat it with a rat pup right behind it. Maybe he will learn that rat isn't so bad afterall. At least he is eating something... right???!!!! LOL

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.