Couldnt agree more that feeding live or fresh killed or frozen thawed is a personal preference. Every snake is different.....I have one that will only eat off the tub floor, He will not eat live or off tongs, I have one that will strike constrict and release and you have to offeer a second time then he will eat it......As you spend more time with your collection you will get to know their preferences. I personally would like all my animals to feed frozen thawed just because the convenience and I feel freezing keeps unwanted pest out. When I feed live due to a picky eater I never leave the rat in the tub without being supervised by me with tongs in hand ready to help. It is possible for a animal to get injured during a strike but its never happened to me so far. I watch to see if the rat was sruck well and not biting or scratching if so I clamp around the rats neck if possible with my tomgs. Some balls just wont eat a rat period! You may try to rub a mouse all over a frozen thawed small rat and try to offer off tongs........Sometimes a little sent is what they need. The number one thing you never want to do is leave a live feeder in a tub unsupervised........It can kill your snake !!!! I once had a boa that Was an agressive eater that I put a rat In her cage and came back and the rat was gone so I put her cover down and the rat had went under her water bowl and spent the next 3 hours biting her .......I was lucky the bites were minor and not through the scales. Ive seen photos of bites that actually killed animals.

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