Pygmy Mice

[tricksterpup]

The other day I went to the local petshop and they had their bi weekly mouse delivery there. I started to talk to the lady about various rodents to breed for my difficult feeders, mainly balls. I just wanted to know what she could get. Well she made mention of Pygmy Mice. She said they are small and prolific breeders. They cost a bit more, almost $15 a mouse, but again they are prolific breeders. And that the babies are smaller than a normal pinky. And the shop owner and I thought that these would make great feeders for newly hatched snakes.

Now does any one here use Pygmy Mice? Are they really prolific breeders?

 

[susang]

Wow, those are really cute. Is that the only color or do they vary? susan

 

[susang]

Trickster' did you see tis web sight, susan

 

[toyah]

I found my pygmy mice did breed, but wouldn't describe them as prolific, and they seemed fairly delicate for rodents. I had a 1.5 group, and would get more - I quite enjoyed them as pets. They're completely unhandleable as they're too small. When one escaped, we had to get it with a glass and a bit of card under it, like we were catching a spider.

I don't have a comparison of a pygmy pinky with a mouse pinky, but I've included below a comparison photo of a five day old pygmy mouse with a newborn rat pink as a size comparison for you, if that helps at all.

This one is a couple of weeks old, on a penny.

 

[tyflier]

Wow, those things are tiny. Seems like they might be just the ticket for hatchling corns that can't seem to handle a full mouse pinky.

I'm glad I read this topic. I think I might have to start a colony of these guys for just such a purpose...

 

[tricksterpup]

Wow, those things are tiny. Seems like they might be just the ticket for hatchling corns that can't seem to handle a full mouse pinky.

I'm glad I read this topic. I think I might have to start a colony of these guys for just such a purpose...

Thats what we were thinking. Why give only a mouse head when you can give the entire pinky or fuzzy. And actually I think if the Fuzzies were this tiny as well then wouldn't they help really tiny snakes grow a little faster since most shoot up during the fuzzy, hopper stage?

 

[tyflier]

Thats what we were thinking. Why give only a mouse head when you can give the entire pinky or fuzzy. And actually I think if the Fuzzies were this tiny as well then wouldn't they help really tiny snakes grow a little faster since most shoot up during the fuzzy, hopper stage?

My thought was that a picky feeder that was willing to take a pygmy fuzzy would most likely take a regular pinky. So I would use the dwarfs for pinkies and fuzzies only, and ONLY to start picky feeders. I would still use regular pinkies for the majority of my food supply. I was simply thinking instead of trying to start a picky feeder on a piece of a pinky, they might take a really small pinky, until they get comfortable.

You know my take on picky feeders...it shouldn't take that long to get one going with prey that is smaller than the average 1 day old pinky. And if it does, there are most likely other issues that need to be resolved.

FWIW...I don't think a tiny fuzzy would provide a whole lot more nutritional value than a full-size pinky. I know fuzzies are more developed and provide more sustenance when comparing normal to normal, but I doubt a tiny little fuzzy is much more sustaining than a normal pinky...they probably fairly close in size. Maybe a tiny bit, but...I certainly plan to have a lot more normal pinkies on hand than pygmy fuzzies...