Posted by:
FR
at Tue Feb 5 09:20:01 2013 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
They commonly swallow prey alive if its of no danger to them, such things as pinkies, small mice to a large snake may be just swallowed.
Your question about being healthier, as you can see, there are PEOPLE on both sides of that fence. But all in all, they are people and people have many many reasons for what they do. And keeping wild animals, must have a range of reasons.
My comment was actually about respecting the snake for what it is, a real predator. Also to allow/support as much as you can, that is NATURAL to that species. Which may or may not include feeding live prey.
Your task as a keeper should be, is the snake healthy, if its healthy, then its normal to consume live prey, WITHOUT HARM to the snake. Its what they do, and it can be said they take satisfaction is doing what is natural to them. Most have a very set routine on how they kill prey, Others have a wide range of behaviors, its all of that, that makes your snake a snake. How it consumes small harmless prey, how it kills and consumes larger prey, how it consumes reptiles, lizards, birds, eggs, etc. All these behaviors are IN your snake. They are your snake.
What you decide to learn from your snake is up to you. But I would look for your answers in books about snakes, then from the snakes themselves. Not so much from people who have all manner of reasons for putting a snake in a box. My suggestion is, be wary of control freaks/protectionists, they tend to make a captive, a useless piece of meat in a box. Hmmmm maybe thats a bit strong. but it is one end of the spectrum. The other end would be feed nothing but live, the reality is, do what is best for your snake, give it as much as you can thats natural to it. Not whats so easy for you.
Now a days, keeping snakes is all about what is easy for the keeper and nothing to do with what a snake "is". Cheers
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RE: Swallows food without killing first. - FR, Tue Feb 5 09:20:01 2013