Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was at another site that shows video clips from anyone who wants to show video clips. I was AMAZED at how many clips showed snake keepers feeding live rabbits and large rats to their pets. Whew, it was incredibly brutal with the rabbit kills! Their struggling screams cut right through me! And there were several clips of a burm eating chicks alive! OMG- the baby chicks kept peeping as they were swallowed ALIVE! The largest feeding was a goat! What are your comments on this issue? I wrote message after message advocating frozen thawed in the comment areas provided below the video screen format at the site. I received some negative responses. MADE ME MORE GRATEFUL MY Python feeds on F/T! Nothing but the best for my baby! I have a lot of the pros here to thank for F/T guidance. "Thanks Gang!"

I am NOT a fan of parading live feed videos on the internet; it gives our hobby a black eye. Powerful organizations like PETA use this as ammunition against the keeping of any reptile and they are having success thanks to the careless acts of unqualified keepers.

The other issue is one of ethics and philosophy. This is ONLY MY belief and that belief is that a prey animal should never, ever have to suffer more than it has to in a captive environment. Sure, a python constricting a rabbit is "natural" but couldn't that same rabbit be put down humanely and w/out any pain prior to being fed? Absolutely. The practice of "stunning" prey prior to feeding is barbaric, wrong and very useless in the context of sound husbandry. These are my beliefs. Now, some captive snakes insist on feeding live and there are times when I have to feed live to an animal in order to get it head started. We don't like to do this but it's a decision that we have to make on rare occasions. But to tape a video of one's pet retic attacking, killing and eating a large goat, for example, and then putting it on the internet just to get a rise out of people is just plain wrong, and, plain irresponsible.

Am I opinionated on this subject. Absolutely. Am I right? Not necessarily...this is only my opinion.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>I was at another site that shows video clips from anyone who wants to show video clips. I was AMAZED at how many clips showed snake keepers feeding live rabbits and large rats to their pets. Whew, it was incredibly brutal with the rabbit kills! Their struggling screams cut right through me! And there were several clips of a burm eating chicks alive! OMG- the baby chicks kept peeping as they were swallowed ALIVE! The largest feeding was a goat! What are your comments on this issue? I wrote message after message advocating frozen thawed in the comment areas provided below the video screen format at the site. I received some negative responses. MADE ME MORE GRATEFUL MY Python feeds on F/T! Nothing but the best for my baby! I have a lot of the pros here to thank for F/T guidance. "Thanks Gang!"
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I agree,
i personally have posted video's on YOUTUBE (under the same user name as here)
of my indian's eating different prey item's (all f/t) and have had lot's of comment's like "would love to have seen the Kill !"
i then reply with the reason's why i never have and never will.
There is one really sick video of some guy's feeding a Live goat to a Burmese.

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19 years in the hobbie/business.
in my personal collection at present;
1:2 p.m.molurus
1:2 chondro python viridis
1:1 dasypeltis medici
had to cutt down as i've moved back in with parent's

woah, thats crazy...I just finished watching that burm killing that live goat. then came here and read this. there is definetly alot of users posting there "awsome" kills. i think its wrong to actually put these videos on the internet. f/t is diffent though.

I also feed live but only because i can't find P/k. I do agree that it is wrong though to post a killing on the internet, the prey still deserves a little repect. It is still a living being. people wouldn,t post a dog being eaten so why a rat or goat who both still intelligent creatures.