This arguement of rodents killing snakes is hogwash for anyone who monitors at feeding time.

I monitor my snakes at feeding time even though I use almost entirely F/T. Back when I bred rodents, I would kill them myself before offering them to avoid injuries.

I had a WC female Desert Sandboa that would refuse F/T. I tried all the standard tricks and finally just started offering her a live hopper. She ate it willingly. One day, she grabbed the rodent by the head and coiled around it. As she was coiling around it, it bit down on and severed part of her mandible (lower jaw). The snake's jaw never head correctly in spite of receiving veterinary care and the snake died a few weeks later from the infection.

I have also a kingsnake blinded by a single bite to the eye received during constriction.

So it isn't just the rodents that aren't eaten that pose a threat.

Wild snakes eat all manner of young, old, sick, whatever prey they can get that fits their diet preferences.

That's true. I have watched wild snakes peel patially decomposed roadkills off the road to eat.

And when you find wild snakes, they frequently have scars etc. received during feeding errors.

Wild snakes also have a shorter life expectancy overall compared to a captive snake that is properly fed (i.e not overfed).
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

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