My MBK is growing like a weed. Stepping up from the hoppers she is currently eating. The question is, should I go to Medium (Weaned) Mice or Rat Fuzzies? They both seem to be the same size. Is one more nutritious than the other? Can I sub one for the other if supply necessitates?
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I think someone here said something in another thread about rats having more calories (and maybe nutrients??) compared to mice. I vaguely remember reading something about it here on the forum.
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What rat fuzzies have a lot more of is fat. I don’t recommend switching to rats until your kingsnake is big enough for weaned rats. In general, the fat content is much higher in baby animals vs older individuals of a smaller species.
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I feed all my colubrids exclusively rats as soon as they are big enough to take rat pinks. I’ve never had a problem with growth rates for breeding or weight problems with to much fat. Most colubrids digest things quickly and grow fast to boot. The time spent on fattier food is not detrimental to the overall lifespan of the snake. Personally if you can get rats and have snakes that’ll eat rats then do it.
(I know this wasn’t the original question but felt this needed added)
That said I do not recommend Hognose or other colubrids that eat other reptiles or have a generally specific diet in the wild to eat rat. Same goes for Sand Boas as well. Most dont get really big enough to get the quality out of rats that they would from mice.
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I switch all my colubrids to rats as soon as they have the size for them…Especially the ones that grow fairly large. I currently have a Chinese King Rat Snake thats been a total pain so far when it comes to rats. He just wants mice…He eats 2 in one sitting.These snakes grow up to 9 feet so I worry dude’s not getting the nutrition he needs. Well anyways I’m sure he’ll come around.
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