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  1. #1
    Juvenile snake
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    West Michigan.
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    171
    Country: United States

    Feeding with Gerbils

    I work at a pet store, and so I often get free "feeders" from people who can't take care of them anymore (hampsters, rats, mice, etc)...well, I got a gerbil yesterday, and this thing is a terror! I tried to feed it to my monitor, and my monitor freaked out. He dove at the gerbil, and then went to a corner and arched his back and hissed. So I tried feeding to my California Kingsnake. My snake ran(I hope you all appreciate personification) from it, and the gerbil kept biting my snakes tail! Have any of you guys tried feeding with gerbils? same experiences? What would explain this strange behaviour from my herps, and from this gerbil? I have ne'er seen anything like it!
    -Caleb

  2. #2
    Juvenile snake
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    West Michigan.
    Posts
    171
    Country: United States

    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    Oh, and I can't feed to any of my garters...too big, you see.
    -Caleb

  3. #3
    "Second shed In Progress"
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    241
    Country: United Kingdom

    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    The only thing i can think of is that both Monitor and Kingsnake have never come across a Gerbil and once it lost it's fear of the Kingsnake it atacked it as its best defence to being eaten. I would keep the gerbil and give it a good home. Also i am against feeding live rodents to reptiles but that's my own opinion and it's up to each indiviual to choose wether to or not to. If one of your reptiles does eat a gerbil it might get a taste only for gerbils witch can be costly.

  4. #4
    Juvenile snake
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    West Michigan.
    Posts
    171
    Country: United States

    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    My kingsnake only takes live prey, unfortunately for my wallet haha. all of my herps enjoy a wide variety of meat, so I wouldn't worry about them changing their preferences

    You may be right about the defence mechanism....the gerbil chose fight over flight!
    -Caleb

  5. #5
    Forum Moderator infernalis's Avatar
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    Feb 2008
    Location
    Upstate NY
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    7,920
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    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    Ball pythons consider gerbils a tasty treat, but sometimes will then only want gerbils after.

    I have a milk snake the refuses all pre-kill rodents, he will not eat unless he kills it himself.

    However his feedings are strictly supervised, and if the rodent bites my snake, I quickly whack it over the head, and the snake will keep on eating at that point.

  6. #6
    Forum Moderator aSnakeLovinBabe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    USA
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    4,162
    Country: United States

    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    I fed a dead gerbil to my bullsnake once... she didnt waste any time!

    Ball pythons love gerbils, but then again i would not do it unless your ball is starving himself, because ball pythons tend to get a taste for something like that, and want only that!!
    Mother of many snakes and a beautiful baby girl! I am also a polymer clay artist!


  7. #7
    Juvenile snake
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    West Michigan.
    Posts
    171
    Country: United States

    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    I will try killing it for my monitor...I would like to feed it to my T. s. sirtalis, but it is a REALLY old gerbil, and it is fat as all get out.
    -Caleb

  8. #8
    "PM Boots For Custom Title" Snake lover 3-25's Avatar
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    Mar 2008
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    NY
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    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    it was a pet????
    S h a n l e y
    1.3 eastern garters
    1 midland painted turtle
    1 bernese mountain dog
    1 half siamese cat

  9. #9
    "First shed In Progress"
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    Jun 2008
    Location
    eden prairie, MN
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    90
    Country: United States

    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    Sorry but I think that is horrible!!! People bring their pets back to the store thinking they are going to a home and your feeding them to your snakes and lizards...I think that is awful!!! I only feed mine frozen mice...I couldn't watch them get killed..but atleast they are raised to be snake food..not someones pet!!
    Jenny

  10. #10
    "PM Boots For Custom Title" Snake lover 3-25's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    NY
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    Re: Feeding with Gerbils

    me too!!! that's why i asked if it was a pet or a retired breeder!!!! that's horrible!!!! it's like giving your cat to your neighbor and having them eat it for dinner!!!!
    S h a n l e y
    1.3 eastern garters
    1 midland painted turtle
    1 bernese mountain dog
    1 half siamese cat

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