2006-09-22 03:20:46 · 12 answers · asked by Sputterfud 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
My son was given this snake from a city dweller ,I have lots of free mice in the forest where I live ,He was told only to feed the snake a certain size frozen rat which so far the pet store has not been able to supply , 2 weeks now this snake has not been fed . I don't understand why a snake cannot eat a live or (fresh dead) mouse as I have access to either free , I could catch them in live traps or snaptraps then freeze them , Is the freezing for preservation or does it kill off disease? Do I have to worry about disease in a forest mouse , I understand the eye scratching thing ,If I clunk it in the head first it won't scratch ! Thanks
2006-09-23 02:09:44 · update #1
maybe the guy said frozen because that was what it was raised on. i bought a snake in florida(i live in CT.)the man told me that the snake was bit by a mouse(dinner)so the snake was very scared of its meal for a while.truthful a snake can go a very LONG time without eating.mine actually went almost a year!!
5 years later i still have her(ball python) snakes are prone to having to cathch for for themselves.its in their nature. start small(mice)
if tha snake doesnt eat it within 10 min. take it out. if the snake wants it it will defintly reconize it immediatly!!(the heat is what they sense)call your local pet store im sure they will help also.one more thing..some say to put your snake in a small,darker area for feeding time.(shoe box)once you have her for awhile, you (and she) will grow to know what suites her BESt!!! good-luck hop you get as many enjoyable years that we have.
2006-09-28 01:49:28 · answer #1 · answered by KIM F 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The frozen / live debate will continue forever and will never be solved by Yahoo answers. Here is a list of facts: 1. wild snakes always eat live things 2. frozen is safer due to lack of biting by the rat 3. rats are better than mice 4. if its eating mice than its still a baby and should be fed weekly 5. captive bred live rats do not have the parasite issue any more than frozen 6. Ball pythons are finicky eaters and you may not be able to choose what it eats. 7. not all snakes will accept frozen no matter what method you use. 8. Now is the natural time for the snakes to slow down on their eating so dont get upset if it doesnt eat either way for awhile. You can try to switch your snake over and it might work. Make sure it is warmed up to body temperature, try dangling it and moving it around until the snake grabs it (just watch that you don't get caught up too, use a stick or something that wont harm the snake if it gets caught too)
2016-03-18 00:01:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can get one to eat frozen/thawed, I say go for it. It's safer for the snake and a LOT cheaper if you buy them in bulk. You can get live too, but some pet stores won't sell you live if they find out what you're using them for... Generally mice aren't dangerous if your snake is an aggressive feeder. They can't do a whole lot of damage... However if you are eventually going to be feeding rats I'd get it on stunned/freshkilled/frozen as soon as possible, because rats fight back a little more and bites can be nasty.
2006-09-22 03:34:02 · answer #3 · answered by snake_girl85 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some snakes will only eat live prey but if this snake has become accustom to frozen then please feed him frozen. Its better for the rat and live prey also bite. a bite can become very serious then you have a vet bill. Mice and rats in the wild can have desease or mites, fleas what have you. You can raise mice or rats for feeding then you know they are safe, but the safest way is to kill them first
Then
2006-09-27 06:29:51 · answer #4 · answered by LisaMarie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wild rats are not recpmmended due to pesticides, as the other person said. Also, taking the snake out of it's cage and putting in a different box for feeding is a good idea. Don't handle the food until you have the snake in the other box. Handling food and sticking your hands in the cage is a sure way to get bit. Especially if you feed them in their home cage. Wait 'til that baby gets to 13 ft. and snatches a rabbit out of your hand from 5 ft. away as soon as you open the cage! Whew! What a rush!
2006-09-28 02:00:20 · answer #5 · answered by Gregg J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason that a lot of places encourage you to feed your snakes frozen food is because live rodents can carry diseases that will spread to your snake.
If you truly want your snake to eat live food (and yes, they can eat live food. it's an instinct.) then find a source with an excellent reputation for healthy animals. Otherwise I'd stick to the frozen food.
2006-09-22 05:19:18 · answer #6 · answered by crystal_pepzi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I find that feeding snakes LIVE rats is the best.Buy them from a pet store and don't feed ANYTHING from a Field.Your mice/rats caught in the wild could have eaten something that could kill your snake like pesticides
2006-09-26 04:11:25 · answer #7 · answered by Dee T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can definitly eat live mice....but if after about an hour or so they havent attempted to, take the mouse out of the cage because it can injur the snake. Not likely but it is possible. Mouse could scatch a snakes eye.
2006-09-22 17:55:50 · answer #8 · answered by choppin_up_tha_block 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a snake is use to the Kill than u should keep feeding live mice, if u try to switch to frozen they might stop eating.,they get use to eating a certain way , just like u.
2006-09-26 10:58:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lots of questions....
I would say they can eat anything they will eat... I mean, if it was eating frozen before, you should keep him eating frozen... it IS safer to avoid the scratches and any bites.
You can also try to switch the snake from eating live to eating frozen... depending on how picky the snake is...
2006-09-22 03:30:10 · answer #10 · answered by enyates2002 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋