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deleted
7384 Posts |
 Posted - 02/05/2011 : 23:27:51
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I still can't believe it!
We all know about the problems of switching mouse-reared royals on to rats. And (worst case scenario) the obstinate adult royal, weighing 1 kilo+, who has been allowed to continue on mice and will eat nothing else. An adult royal of this size should be eating a medium rat (at least) every fortnight. A medium rat, according to my supplier, weighs 162gm approx; the largest mouse available weighs 45g approx. If an adult royal will only eat mice, that's fiddly, to say the least.
When I bought Surahi, my cb06 dinker, last November, the position was made clear to me. 1350gm, she would only eat mice. But by now she was wrapped securely round my neck, clearly having 'chosen' me. Furthermore she was a 'dinker' - a paler version of a normal, a sepia and beige royal with a respectable amount of mojave-like blushing, a beautiful snake ... Oh well. Love at first coil, and if it was mice, well, mice it would be, although it was commonsense to change this if I could.
First the settling-in period. Surahi was accustomed to two large mice every week. Feeding every fortnight, the correct routine for a snake of her size, would entail four mice and a possible regurge. I kept to her current routine, but of course then came the Big Fast, and then the return to eating something, anything, and not a time to fuss about switching prey items just yet.
Right, well ... Shahi emerged from his fast with a huge appetite and was successfully switched to rats (he too had been reared on mice and I, as a novice, had been too nervous to try him on rats before.) Saada, my Preloved cf09, who also joined us in Nov 10, is a rat eater, but has only eaten twice since Jan 08. Surahi too has eaten a couple of times since January. Mice, of course.
Saada ate last week, so I presented her with a rat today; she likes it left with her and to eat in private. Shahi, bless him, ate with gusto. I'd tried Surahi with a large mouse last week, but since she refused, wasn't going to bother her again for a fortnight. Funny though, for the last two or three nights she's been sticking her head out of her cool hide, a pleased, expectant look on her face.
Well, Saada refused her rat. Never mind, early days. Hmmm....
Surahi? Eat this ratty for me? Ratty placed temptingly outside Surahi's hide. Lil goes downstairs for a while ...
On my return ... Surahi's head's outside the hide. Surahi does the big YAAAAAWN!
And NO RAT!
She's EATEN it???
I check quickly inside her hide. No ratty. No ratty anywhere!
The ratty vanishes!
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2011 : 23:47:05
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In a typical BATS stylee.
cong-RAT-ulations!!! |
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sandi
Sub Adult
787 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 08:28:18
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Rat a tat tat....no rat on the mat:}
Sometimes they take you by suprise dont they? what a good girl, lets hope its the start of her new diet |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Florence
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor - Boris
1.1.0 Alaunts - Willow & Brochan |
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GMac
Grumpy scots admin
United Kingdom
1152 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 10:09:11
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| nice one BATS |
 
Royals, Corns, Boa, Kings, Hoggy, Ratsnakes
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 10:39:39
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LOL! Thanks guys!
Yeah, it was a real surprise, especially in view of her erRATic eating at present. It was a nice velvety small weaner, still warm from being in Saada's viv, just right for a fasting snake to start on, but I didn't really think she'd take it ... later she stuck her head out of her hide again, smiling like a crocodile ... 'What's for afters, Lil?'
I opened her window today and sniffed for any scent of rancid rat, just in case she'd played football with it and hidden it underneath herself last night (as they do) but no. No rat! |
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reptilemadd
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 10:44:56
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| Nice one BATS just goes to show a quiet word in there ear and they're putty in your hands lol |
1.0.0 beardie "magic"
1.1.0 100% Het Clown "Cerberus" and "Artemis"
0.1.0 Poss Calico "Ariadne"
1.0.0 Lesser " Kronos"
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 11:04:04
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| Thanks, Reptilemadd - I don't know whether she telepathed me or I telepathed her ...Just a case of being in the rat place at the rat time, perhaps ... |
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hodgie
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1197 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 19:17:22
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Congratulations, Hannah my oldest female was started on mice before i bought her and i`ve tried for the last year to get her on to rats, over that time she has gone for periods of 2-3 months at a time without eating and staying at a steady 1000g, last week i gave up and gave her 2 large mice, you`d have thought it was her birthday and last night she had 2 more. I could keep her on the odd rat every 8-10 weeks where im sure she`d be perfectly healthy but i dont think she`d ever get big enough to breed.
Fortunately all my others are rat only with Joker needing the odd one scented with a multi.
Good luck though. |
Royals owned "lots"
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:02:40
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Aw, naughty Hannah. That's why I'm so amazed at Surahi - she was refusing mice - and then accepted a rat!
Hope you get Hannah to breeding weight. |
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Dio
Yearling
United Kingdom
297 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:11:32
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| Congrats BATS and well done Surahi. |
0.0.1 Royal Python (Dio)
0.1.0 Angora Cat (Blue)
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:16:14
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Thanks, Dio.
Er, apologies to Asti, by the way, hope she hasn't read this thread ... |
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Dio
Yearling
United Kingdom
297 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:18:09
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| Don't worry she hasn't and i keep threatening to feed her to Dio every time she bites me anyway. |
0.0.1 Royal Python (Dio)
0.1.0 Angora Cat (Blue)
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:38:11
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| Aw bless, naughty little madam, bet you wouldn't! |
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Dio
Yearling
United Kingdom
297 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 20:42:21
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| No i wouldn't, mostly as she's more likely to attack Dio and she is my little baby. |
0.0.1 Royal Python (Dio)
0.1.0 Angora Cat (Blue)
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deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2011 : 21:56:57
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She's just eaten her second rat!!
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The Ratty Vanishes!
