I have always fed any constrictors I have live food whether it's mice, rats, or rabbits. I noticed alot of owners seem to make a big deal about feeding pre-killed food. I have never had a snake injured and I feel if a 6 foot boa has a problem taking a 6 inch rat, it's kind of a p*ssy anyways. I always watch to make sure the food is taken before I leave the room so there aren't any problems. Doesn't it defeat the purpose of having a large snake as a pet if you feed it thawed mice? Why not just make him a sandwich and trim off the crust?
2006-10-29 05:48:35 · 17 answers · asked by alf 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
> Doesn't it defeat the purpose of having a large snake as a pet if
> you feed it thawed mice?
That depends on your purpose, I guess. If you keep a pet because like seeing things die ... well, you've got issues that go beyond what you feed your snake.
Frozen rodents are healthier. The freezing process kills parasites.
Frozen rodents are safer. No snake was ever maimed or killed by a dead rodent.
Frozen rodents are more convenient. Instead of driving to the pet store, buying a mouse or rat in a little box, having it escape in the car on the way home (been there, done that, got the stink) you just thaw one.
Frozen rodents only need some freezer space. You don't have to set up a rat farm in your bedroom.
I have six rodent-eating snakes, and every one of them (even the baby ball python that the breeder told me was eating only live) eats frozen rodents with no problem. With the ball, I wave his dinner (fuzzy mice) in front of him with long tweezers. The others eat out of bowls. It's a good idea to feed in a separate enclosure, by the way, to reduce the risk of the snake eating something indigestible, or expecting anything that comes into its cage to be edible.
2006-10-29 20:58:11 · answer #1 · answered by Newton K 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If the snake is older orand has always been fed pre killed food, they dont relate live animals to food. If this is the case, they'll either ignore the food,which is when they get hurt, or they kill it and leave it alone. Also some snakes which are from a family that was bred over time may eventually not see that mice are food.
That and in some areas it's cheaper to provide pre killed rodents. And some people have troulbe with the idea of feeding live animals to the snake.
2006-10-31 12:16:22 · answer #2 · answered by Jeni 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just acquired an albino Corn, and I'd be happy for anyone to contact me...
As to your Q,,, certainly a snake would seek LIVE, in the wild. The issue isn't at all about the HUNT or PREY with a captive snake.
I've been a reptile wrangler, and owned many snakes, but the issue is more about convenience, storage, and availability.
At one time I owned a 10 ft, 155 pound Burmese Albino, who had become used to eating live rabbit. I chose to try an alternative which was accepted, Frozen/thawed, whole chickens.
Frozen/thawed is as healthy, easy to keep, more easily available than live, and less expensive in the log term. Consider the issues involving purchasing live. I assume you'd have to either make the effort to acquire rodents on some regulat basis, and not knowing how many EATERS you have, I suggest what would be the case, would be that suddenly you'd be a Rat caretaker as well as a Snake care taker.
Defeating the purpose is confusing to me,,, as the snake really doesn't care, once adapted to frozen thawed. Is this more about "watching" the KILL?
I agree that the likelyhood of snake injuries is low percentage wise, but Rats are just as desirous of surviving.
The down side of frozen/thawed exists initially, especially, in that it can't remain in the tank/enclosure for more time than ittakes to begin decomposing. At that point the sanke won't take it, even if it's used to frozen, and the smell will eventually become an issue.
Back to my issue for a sec,,, sorry. This Corn is now about 7 weeks old, thin as a pencil, and about 12 inches long. I was told that it had been fed and had eaten 3 times in it's first six weeks. I was also told it should be hungry enough to eat,,,even in a margarine tub, left alone with the frozen/thawed Pinkie. It didn't eat.
My next step will be attempt live,,, but again, the issue is travel to a shop, keeping any extras,,, IE: once a week feeding is normal, and if I don't buy extras, and allow them to grow, defeating the size limits the snake is still restricted to, then I'll be running once a week for ONE pinkie... To me, the gas cost at approximately 10 gallons, and the time expended, is hardly worth the experience. I also refuse to become a breeder/keeper of a snake food source.
Steven Wolf
2006-10-29 11:30:03 · answer #3 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good point-- I have a 10 foot Boa. She's about 15 years old now and eats full grown rabbits. She won't have anything to do with ANYTHING that isn't alive and hoppin' around her cage, but honestly I wish she would. It is safer for the snake, but I find it more troubling that it is sometimes very hard to find a live rabbit big enoulgh for her to eat for a reasonable price. Sometimes it would be helpful if she would eat frozen, but she'd rather whack my arm than even look at a frozen rabbit. I also have a baby Boa who spit out the first frozen pinky she ate.... and the second.... and the third..... needless to say, she won't eat anything frozen either! She's up to full grown rats now, and they're still easy to come by.... but just so you know..... years ago we had a retic-- meanest damn snake I've ever seen!!! And he was eating a rat and the rat killed him. It was live, and we watched it take out his eyes when he didn't get a good grip, and the wounds eventually killed him. I would hate to see that again!!! But you're right-- that's how nature goes I guess!
2006-11-01 17:01:52 · answer #4 · answered by crankyissues 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree w/ you completely. I have a 4 foot long Ball Python that I feed only live rats. I actually had someone griping me out at the pet store when I bought a rat to feed him the other day!! They kept telling me how cruel I was and how I had no business being a snake owner if I was going to put my snake in danger every time I fed him! I tried to feed my snake frozen food and he refused to even touch it. When I put his live rat in his feeding box, he has already struck it before it really even has a chance to move. If he doesn't strike the rat right away or even at all, I do remove him so he doesn't get hurt. I've had him for almost 2 years now and he has never gotten hurt from his prey.
2006-10-29 09:50:08 · answer #5 · answered by Vet_Techie_Girl 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I used to exclusively feed live food, but I had snakes that would only eat live, if it wasn't moving in a natural way, it wasn't food I guess to them. Back in 2005, I purchased a 100% het for albino BCI that was fed nothing but pre-killed, so since then I have fed pre-killed when I can, but if I can't drive the 40 miles to get pre-killed food, it gets live food. It's much easier to get live mice then pre-killed where I live.
I forgot to mention, the thing to remember when feeding live is to keep an eye on the prey item while it's in with the snake. this way if something does start to happen, you are there to stop it as soon as possible.
2006-10-29 06:09:59 · answer #6 · answered by nanookadenord 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of our snkaes eat prekilled rats but we do have one that will only eat live ones. There are many advantages to feeding pre-killed including no risk of injury to the snake and being able to keep a supply on hand without have the rodent smell in your home.
2006-10-29 05:52:36 · answer #7 · answered by Shalvia 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you're lookin' for a macho killer, why don't you buy a rabid pitbull & feed it kittens? By your logic, if your snake won't eat the rat, you should let the rat kill the snake for not being aggressive enough, huh? You should come over & watch me feed my timber rattler. He kills anything that is placed in his feeding cage, whether it was alive or pre-killed. For the record, I feed all 40 of my snakes pre-killed rodents & have done so for over 40yrs.
2006-10-30 11:00:56 · answer #8 · answered by preacher55 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok, lots of confusion on this subject i see. the main purpose for feeding prekilled or frozen and thawed mice/rats/rabbits is because it causes NO risk of harm to the snake. Although, in one of my snakes case, it will not take prekilled. some of them must see,hear, and smell the live animal to trigger their hunt mode. others are very good feeders and willl eat whatever you put in front of them. example: my ball willl not eat prekilled because he must see the movement of the animal to act on instinct, and my blood will take anything that falls in front of his face.keep in mind snakes have the least intelect of the reptiles. if your keeping a snake as a pet for pure enjoyment of watching it kill seems like a defeated purpose of a pet.
anyway, prekilled: cant harm your snake
live:could harm your snake
2006-10-29 11:26:41 · answer #9 · answered by bullshiznit39 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That was f---- funny....lol
Anyway, I agree with live feedings. HOWEVER, reptile disease is on the rise. The mice you buy may carry diseases that can be transfered to your reptiles. SO.....the biggest advantage in feeding thawed rodents would be, most of the germs and diseases will have been killed by freezing.....The choice is yours obviousely. I've fed both ways.
2006-10-29 06:54:24 · answer #10 · answered by aprilsdad97 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋