Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do most chondro keepers feed there snakes live or dead prey? I know this has prolly been asked a thousand times or more but do some people have the pet store kill the rodent (or kill themselves) right before feeding or just thaw out a frozen one? I am wondering if I buy food at the local reptile stores how do I know the little bastards aren't diseased? Does anyone on here buy rodents from Underground Reptiles or Ben Siegal's? Ultimately frozen/thawed would be the best but I talked to someone who mentioned buying live mice/rats and killing them herself by putting them in the freezer. I don't think I could do that. Does anyone else do that? I mean it tells me she really loves her gtp and all but is that really necessary?

I feed all my snakes frozen/ thawed mice rats. There are lots of places on the web. Wait for the sales and then stock up. There are a few picky eaters out there fortunately. I haven't meet them, yet.

Also from my experience live rodents cost alot more.

Jeff
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If your getting rodents from a breeder you should ask to see their facility. If they refuse to show it to you, kindly thank them for their time and find another rodent breeder.

You should do your absolute best to get your chondro (or any other snake for that matter) on frozen / thawed rodents.

Freezing rodents to kill them is a very slow and i can only imagine, painful way to die. If you only have access to live rodents you can hold them by the tails and "wack" them on a counter top. This will stun or kill them and you can feed to your reptile, right away. You can also ask the person or business who you get your rodents from to kill them for you. 90% of the time it's no big deal.

If you're a bit squeemish about killing them.. but one rodent in a plastic bag and "wack" them on a counter top. DON'T be gental and don't be too hard... after one not dead "woops", bloody mess or, "ew the skin came off its tail"... you'll get it down - trust me .
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Julian Garcia
Chondros Exquisite
Seattle,WA

HAHA!!!! Thanks for the responses! They sell frozen rodents near my house. I don't mind feeding live mice or rats but I would prefer to feed thawed ones. Julian do you kill your snakes' meals yourself? I couldn't put it in a freezer. I'd rather do the countertop trick. I'm sure the reptile store would kill them fresh also but is there anything to gain by that or is it mostly hype? Thanks.

I get fresh killed now from a breeder down the steet from me... I've killed before, and im not afraid to do it again .

as for the thawed vs. thumped... i have no idea..

so i posted about it - http://p219.ezboard.com/fmoreliaviridisfrm1.showMessage?topicID=4620.topic
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Julian Garcia
Chondros Exquisite
Seattle,WA

I feed only f/t to all my snakes. I wouldn't risk a bite from a rat at any time, and the freezing kills parasites. If I bred my own mice I'd probably make myself a CO2 chamber or whack em in the head. Quick and to the point.

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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.4~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin,Minuet
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie (RIP)
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

Well put!!! Hehe. I'm glad I'm not a rodent! Maybe they get reincarnated into gtps when they die. Meg seems to get away with feeding hers frozen ones and being that the freezing process kills germs it should be a better avenue. Obviously you prolly got so many gtps that some won't eat thawed ones.I hope I get lucky and mine eats thawed ones. I don't want to have to whack the little bastard but I will do it if my gtp wants me to hehe. I'm not going to rush into things because I was thinking maybe I should wait a few days before trying to feed because of travel related stress. I can't wait to watch one eat.

Meg when you got your gtp shipped how long did you wait before feeding?

About 3 days for both of them. I probably could have fed either of them the day they shipped as they were pretty laid back but I gave them the 3 days.

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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.4~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin,Minuet
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie (RIP)
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

After I picked up the gtp from being shipped I waited two days to feed. She came towards the food, smelled it and lost interest. The next night I tried again to the same effect only this time she approached the food really slowly opened her mouth/bit it like she was going to eat but didn't take it and then lost interest. Not fast but really slow. So I didn't try to feed last night. I was going to try again tonight. Is it wrong to keep trying to feed every other night? Will that hurt my chances for the future if I keep trying or is it best to wait several days. Last night I didn't try. It was the first time since I got her that I saw her drinking from the water bowl. I think she's hungry but I also think I am doing something wrong. I was told my cage is too big for my chondro so I got a small plastic 12" rubbermaid tub for when I have to clean the cage and in case I have to move her. But wouldn't that be making the situation even worse? She seems to love the cage and late at night explores all over the place. The chondro is so systematic in behaviour it's like clockwork and I am trying to determine if my timing is way off or if I am just not trying hard enough. Would trying to feed once a night for consecutive days be a bad decision?

I would give her a week before trying again. Give her time to get used to her surroundings. Mine ate after 3 days, but they were both pretty mellow snakes and I kept them in small rubbermaid containers at first. Whisper is still in the rubbermaid container but I'm hoping to build a larger enclosure for Tempest and move him into the one she's in now. It's also possible that yours is approaching shed and isn't interested in eating. Mine have greatly reduced feeding responses when near to shed. Find out from the breeder when she last shed.
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.4~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin,Minuet
1.1~Green tree python~Whisper, Tempest
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie (RIP)
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

The gtp shed on 5/23/06. Rico provides all the information when he ships an animal. He's a pro. Since I am just a newbie I was reading through forums and found Robert Wisehart who lives near me. He, like Rico Walder, is a class act and knows his stuff. He said he would help me try and get the first meal down so I am relieved to have found a local chondro breeder in my area. I gave the snake several days of not trying to feed as was suggested by many. Tomorrow I'm gonna call Bob and have him show me the proper technique. I am confident the gtp will eat tomorrow night. If he doesn't I'm sure Bob will know what to do to get him to eat - whether I have to change his enclosure or whatever I have to do. I got some thinner perches in the cage but he still prefers the thick ones for some reason. The gtp is very active at night and I have seen him drinking from the water bowl twice. I change the water twice a day and mist him twice a day. The temps are fine and so is the humidity. Everything seems fine with the snake I just need him to gulp a mouse down tomorrow. I sincerely believe it is something simple I am doing wrong and that this snake will eat. Thanks Meg for all your advice. At least if enough time passes and it becomes a health risk I have help here nearby. I feel for people who don't have experienced people around to help them if the need arises. It's only been 11 days since my chondro last took a meal so it's not that desperate of a situation I don't think. The snake seems healthy as can be.