Feed Guide for Newbies (Rats v Mice)

[Chris72]

Rats Vs Mice,

I wanted to post something like this for a few weeks as I have seen a few members who:

Mention that they don't believe there is a difference between rats V mice.
Are feeding a size of rodent that is clearly wrong. (eg pinkies to 8 month old snakes)
Feed based on when the feeders are grown enough to offer to a snake.

A few things first:

Yes I have been gathering information from around the net for this post and I would like to acknowledge that (no) I did not simply sit down and bang this out off the top of my head. (I am not Aaron)

I offer this thread with 100% certainty that there are keepers who have healthy happy Royals with feeding programs that are largely different. this thread is not intended to challenge you. Rather it is intended to benefit the animals housed by those who have takes Pet Smart at face value on proper care. Be nice; we are on the same team people!

Overall mental and physical health of your animal will be based on an number of things which diet is only one (important) part. As most of us know the list includes, but is not limited to; proper heating type, proper temp, proper humidity, opportunity to seek cover, limited daily handling of nocturnal animals during a time when they should be resting, etc, etc.

Normal Diet in the wild:
Largely the african soft furred rat (looks more like a Gerbil) and depending on local and availability sometimes a shrew or stripped mouse. Most of us do not have access to African Soft Furred rats locally and thus we defer to the common rat.

That leaves us with two things to consider:
Nutritional value of Rats v Mice....
The right sized rodent to feed your Royal Python...


What to feed:

Rats, larger than mice, have larger skeletal systems, organs and more fur, Rats are also known for having a higher fat content compared to mice. Anecdotally, young snakes begin to grow like weeds once changed over to rats.


Per RodentPro....

A Juvenile Rat has:
Crude Protein: 56.1%
Crude Fat: 27.5%
Natural Ash: 14.8%
Energy as K/Cal:g 5.55 K/Cal
Vit- A & E (in Ui): 151,389 & 139.2

An Adult Domestic Mouse
Crude Protein: 55.8%
Crude Fat: 23.6%
Natural Ash: 11.8%
Energy as K/Cal:g 5.25 K/Cal
Vit- A & E (in Ui): 578,272 & 100.4

Additionally the adult mouse has statistically insignificantly higher levels of Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium. (basically a wash) However a sub adult rat will have a statistically higher level of both Fe (iron) and Zn (zinc) which have a direct correlation to many things including red blood cell count, O2 transfer and respiratory health (Fe), and overall immune system health (Zn).

The differences we see are what is going to account for the differences in growth of the animal overall. An interesting chart tracks the growth rate of animals raised on mice V rats. This should be viewed as anecdotal as other variables and feeding habits of the animals could not be confirmed. Nonetheless...interesting:

(Growth Chart: Feed Compare)