# Using wild mice for food-Thoughts?



## Soli (Nov 9, 2011)

So I have a wild caught rubber boa that has been refusing every kind of food for the past year, live, furred, brained you name it. I have read multiple times on how they go crazy for field mice.
I am between two ideas:
Catching one and using its bedding for scenting live pinkies
*or*
Catching a few and breeding them and feeding off the babies

If I can get her to eat one I will chain feed her to f/t, so this_ hopefully_ would only be temporary. However, I understand that wild mice aren't the cleanest creatures and that they can carry viruses. How dangerous is this plan? Obviously I would try my best not to touch the adult mice (and probably use gloves for the babies)

I would keep the mice in my garage as well.

Thoughts, opinions and advice welcomed.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

I don't think a Uk forum is the best place to ask this question. My understanding is that US mice carry a virus (hanta virus ?) that is potentially fatal to humans. I am guessing most UK based snake keepers won't know this !

There will be people in the US who know alot more than me and the the rest of us here in Europe.


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## Soli (Nov 9, 2011)

Dragon Farm said:


> I don't think a Uk forum is the best place to ask this question. My understanding is that US mice carry a virus (hanta virus ?) that is potentially fatal to humans. I am guessing most UK based snake keepers won't know this !
> 
> There will be people in the US who know alot more than me and the the rest of us here in Europe.


My bad! I thought the UK had similar mice...oops.

Unfortunately I have not been able to find a US reptile forum that isn't mostly dead.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Its odd with a population around three times that of the Uk, that there isn't a thriving US reptile forum. 

Don't apologise, its just I thought you might get advice from people ignorant of problems with US wild rodents. This could be very misleading and potentially dangerous advice.


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

Dragon Farm said:


> I don't think a Uk forum is the best place to ask this question. My understanding is that US mice carry a virus (hanta virus ?) that is potentially fatal to humans. I am guessing most UK based snake keepers won't know this !
> 
> There will be people in the US who know alot more than me and the the rest of us here in Europe.


Isn't that only dangerous if you eat them?? Sorry if I'm being dump.. I remember the Romans eat alot of mice.. (not personally, I'll admit) and it stopped due to them carrying a virus?? This is something.I vaguely remember and can't remember the source to check it out further...

Viruses are usually pass by bodily fluids so if you took extreme care not to get bitten them I'd imagine it's safe?? But have you tried your snake with rats? Gerbils?? Hamsters??? Or any other small rodent??? First?? 

Tiger

Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

vukic said:


> Isn't that only dangerous if you eat them?? Sorry if I'm being dump.. I remember the Romans eat alot of mice.. (not personally, I'll admit) and it stopped due to them carrying a virus?? This is something.I vaguely remember and can't remember the source to check it out further...
> 
> Viruses are usually pass by bodily fluids so if you took extreme care not to get bitten them I'd imagine it's safe?? But have you tried your snake with rats? Gerbils?? Hamsters??? Or any other small rodent??? First??
> 
> ...


I think the Romans ate Dormice ?? Have a read of this. 

Hantavirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is not something I know much about, and I would feel very uncomfortable telling somebody in the US what is safe or not. Wiki gives some clues, but you can't rely on just that of course, if nothing else the virus might have spread for example.


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## Soli (Nov 9, 2011)

Dragon Farm said:


> Its odd with a population around three times that of the Uk, that there isn't a thriving US reptile forum.
> 
> Don't apologise, its just I thought you might get advice from people ignorant of problems with US wild rodents. This could be very misleading and potentially dangerous advice.


True. And there a few forums for certain species like rhacodactylus geckos and dart frogs, but I haven't been able to find one for all reptiles...it is odd.



vukic said:


> Isn't that only dangerous if you eat them?? Sorry if I'm being dump.. I remember the Romans eat alot of mice.. (not personally, I'll admit) and it stopped due to them carrying a virus?? This is something.I vaguely remember and can't remember the source to check it out further...
> 
> Viruses are usually pass by bodily fluids so if you took extreme care not to get bitten them I'd imagine it's safe?? But have you tried your snake with rats? Gerbils?? Hamsters??? Or any other small rodent??? First??
> 
> ...


Yes, I have tried rat pups and gerbil scented rodents.



Dragon Farm said:


> I think the Romans ate Dormice ?? Have a read of this.
> 
> 
> 
> This is not something I know much about, and I would feel very uncomfortable telling somebody in the US what is safe or not. Wiki gives some clues, but you can't rely on just that of course, if nothing else the virus might have spread for example.




I think door mice are a separate species than what I would be using. 
Here's the species [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apodemus

Apparently it's found in the UK? Not sure


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

Dragon Farm said:


> I think the Romans ate Dormice ?? Have a read of this.
> 
> Hantavirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> This is not something I know much about, and I would feel very uncomfortable telling somebody in the US what is safe or not. Wiki gives some clues, but you can't rely on just that of course, if nothing else the virus might have spread for example.


Right virus, wrong mouse.. 

Tiger

Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

I think the romans ate the 'Edible Dormouse' (clue in the name), which I think from memory has the very simple scientific name Glis glis. 

Which mouse do you believe they ate ?


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

I knew it was some kind of mouse.. Lol.. Just gotta wait for KFC's new range.. Lol.

Tiger

Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Are you sure KFC are not already selling them (special blend of herbs and mices) ?


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## koyotee3 (Aug 8, 2009)

i use to eat the white mice when i was a nipper but they were covered in white chocolate and only cost a 1p: victory:


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## Soli (Nov 9, 2011)

Dragon Farm said:


> Are you sure KFC are not already selling them (special blend of herbs and mices) ?


:lol2:


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i feed my king snake wild mice... the little beasts invade my trailer and when i catch them... it's meal time for my snake...



















he's fat and happy... been over four years now that i've had him... thriving...:2thumb:


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