Switching and IJ carpet to rats

kernel · 06-11-12, 11:15 AM

I have a question for all you carpet python keepers. I have been trying to switch my 4 foot IJ carpet python over to rats with no success. She's currently eating 3-4 jumbo mice and that's getting to costly. I have tried rubbing a mouse on rat and she grabbed it, but she spit it back out. I have tried that several times and the same thing happens. I have tried starving her for up to 2 months, but that didn't work either. Do you guys have any idea how I can get her to switch?

exwizard · 06-11-12, 11:25 AM

Im in the same boat youre in. Mick is still a mouse eater. Im a stubborn guy though and in the end he will be on rats...

hellosugaree · 06-11-12, 11:43 AM

How much rubbing did you do? Since she started to take it, maybe you're on the right track. Try washing the rat thoroughly and then rubbing some more with a bit of stanky cut-open mouse? Are you feeding live, frozen, or freshly killed? Maybe try a fresh killed rat if you feeding frozen. Good luck!

Lankyrob · 06-11-12, 12:01 PM

Wait longer, 2 months is nothing, my guy goes 3 weeks without food intentionally - 2 months to him would be like skipping lunch

kernel · 06-11-12, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exwizard

Im in the same boat youre in. Mick is still a mouse eater. Im a stubborn guy though and in the end he will be on rats...

I'm a stubborn guy as well, but she's proving to be more stubborn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosugaree

How much rubbing did you do? Since she started to take it, maybe you're on the right track. Try washing the rat thoroughly and then rubbing some more with a bit of stanky cut-open mouse? Are you feeding live, frozen, or freshly killed? Maybe try a fresh killed rat if you feeding frozen. Good luck!

Quite a bit. I even buried the rat in mice for a couple hours. I'll have to try that, that just might do it. I feed f/t. If the first thing doesn't work, I'll try a f/k. Do you think a live would do the trick, or would that start a new problem? All, my colubrid and ball python experience, seems to be useless on carpet pythons.

kernel · 06-11-12, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Wait longer, 2 months is nothing, my guy goes 3 weeks without food intentionally - 2 months to him would be like skipping lunch

She NEVER skips a meal, she's a PIG, she just won't take the rats. Do you think a live would do the trick or would that create a new problem?

Caylan · 06-11-12, 12:16 PM

We had an Irian Jaya male that we couldn't get onto rats at all. We ever went as far as sewing the rats fact to the soft furs back end and he still spit them up by the time the rat started going down his throat... we gave him soft furs, as they are quite a bit larger then mice, but can also be more expensive if you aren't breeding your own. A ready to go prego mama soft fur was a great meal for him though, couldn't imagine having to do that with the coastal though... Best of luck, but just so you and every are aware... it might not happen

nicks75 · 06-11-12, 12:28 PM

If she's striking out then your half way there, my jungle did the same thing, I used water that I thawed mice in as a scent, I'd put it in a spray bottle and spray the rat as well as the enclosure before feeding, she would strike out then spit it out, I would then wait a few minutes an try again and she eventually ate it. Another thing you should try is placing the rat in a hide with the snake over night, that how I get my IJ to eat rats, she almost never strikes but will eat it if I keep I in her hide over night.

kernel · 06-11-12, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caylan

We had an Irian Jaya male that we couldn't get onto rats at all. We ever went as far as sewing the rats fact to the soft furs back end and he still spit them up by the time the rat started going down his throat... we gave him soft furs, as they are quite a bit larger then mice, but can also be more expensive if you aren't breeding your own. A ready to go prego mama soft fur was a great meal for him though, couldn't imagine having to do that with the coastal though... Best of luck, but just so you and every are aware... it might not happen

I don't have any access to soft furs. I hope she switches, I don't even want to think about how many mice she could be eating as an adult.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicks75

If she's striking out then your half way there, my jungle did the same thing, I used water that I thawed mice in as a scent, I'd put it in a spray bottle and spray the rat as well as the enclosure before feeding, she would strike out then spit it out, I would then wait a few minutes an try again and she eventually ate it. Another thing you should try is placing the rat in a hide with the snake over night, that how I get my IJ to eat rats, she almost never strikes but will eat it if I keep I in her hide over night.

I can try using the mouse water as a scent, but putting the rat in the hide won't work, she doesn't use a hide, she stay on her perch.

shaunyboy · 06-11-12, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernel

I have a question for all you carpet python keepers. I have been trying to switch my 4 foot IJ carpet python over to rats with no success. She's currently eating 3-4 jumbo mice and that's getting to costly. I have tried rubbing a mouse on rat and she grabbed it, but she spit it back out. I have tried that several times and the same thing happens. I have tried starving her for up to 2 months, but that didn't work either. Do you guys have any idea how I can get her to switch?

the main thing is NOT to give in and offer mice

1.
heat the rat and a mouse with a hairdryer...

then BURST the mouse open and smear the blood and guts ALL over the rat

puncture the rats head 2 or 3 times with the point of a pair of scissors

then give the rats head another quick heat with a hairdryer

then offer it to your snake

2.
another method is.....

feed the rats head into your snakes mouth,just as it's finishing swallowing a mouse

sometimes they will just keep going and take the rat

i preffer method 1

it does require some patience though mate

i wish you all the best in getting her crossed over

please let us know how it goes

cheers shaun

shaunyboy · 06-11-12, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernel

She NEVER skips a meal, she's a PIG, she just won't take the rats. Do you think a live would do the trick or would that create a new problem?

personally i would NOT go down that road just yet

i have known people to sew mouse heads onto rats bodies to get them crossed over

i would use every other available method before considering a live rat

for the record.....

i have NO issues with live feeding mate

cheers shaun

kernel · 06-11-12, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

the main thing is NOT to give in and offer mice

1.
heat the rat and a mouse with a hairdryer...

then BURST the mouse open and smear the blood and guts ALL over the rat

puncture the rats head 2 or 3 times with the point of a pair of scissors

then give the rats head another quick heat with a hairdryer

then offer it to your snake

2.
another method is.....

feed the rats head into your snakes mouth,just as it's finishing swallowing a mouse

sometimes they will just keep going and take the rat

i preffer method 1

it does require some patience though mate

i wish you all the best in getting her crossed over

please let us know how it goes

cheers shaun

I'll have to try that tomorrow. Thanks Shaun (that's your name right?), I'll let you all know how it goes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

personally i would NOT go down that road just yet

i have known people to sew mouse heads onto rats bodies to get them crossed over

i would use every other available method before considering a live rat

for the record.....

i have NO issues with live feeding mate

cheers shaun

I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm not against feeding live, but I certainly don't like it. I only consider it if it's going to get a animal eating or switched over. Thanks for the advice!

UwabamiReptiles · 06-11-12, 08:10 PM

Everyone about covered it, you just have to be patient. It'll happen in time. It took me close to a year to switch one of my guys from live mice to f/t rats. Its a frustrating task but you have to stick in there until you find something that works. Since your girl has a good feeding response, I bet once you get her to take one that'll be the end of it. Good luck.

kernel · 06-12-12, 12:39 PM

I hope doesn't take a year to switch her over. Going to try what Shaun suggested tonight, I'll let everyone know how that went.

stuart · 06-12-12, 09:25 PM

quick question, is a 3ft wide 3ft long 2ft high tank big enough for an adult female irian jaya carpet? Because i have a corner tank and i really want to get a carpet but i want to make sure that if i do get one i will have a big enough tank for when it reaches its full length. please help.