Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello my fellow reptile lovers.

I have a question concerning the feeding of my snakes. I have been feeding them pre-killed mice ever since I got them. Them being my three corns (two are fully grown, and the other is about 1.5 years of age and on fuzzies [other two are on weaned]), my kingsnake (on fuzzies as well), and my pine snake (i feed him anywhere from small rats to large rats). Now I have been thinking of introducing my corns and kingsnake to live prey. I just want some input on this matter from ya guys and gals. The reason I'm not intro. my pine to live rats is due to the fact that rats are much larger then mice and have a better chance of harming the snake rather than the snake to the rat. I am not really that worried about the mice harming my other snakes though. Ok thanks for listening and responding.

Ryan Isabell

... for feeding live prey to captive snakes.

>> ... Now I have been thinking of introducing my corns and kingsnake to live prey. I just want some input on this matter ...

The only time I ever feed live prey, is when I'm using pinkie mice and newborn rat pups. Naked or "velvet" prey, is incapable of harming the snake, and if uneaten it doesn't deteriorate as pre-killed prey does, so it can be left with a little snakie for a longer period of time. Also, there's no question about the temperature of the prey being correct, so less risk of a baby snakie regurging because its dinner was too cool.

>>The reason I'm not intro. my pine to live rats is due to the fact that rats are much larger then mice and have a better chance of harming the snake rather than the snake to the rat.

Any prey animal that has teeth, is capable of doing harm to a snake. The teeth of a full-grown mouse can easily cause blindness or sever a tongue, and can easily inflict a body bite that can become infected. If the snake isn't hungry, even a small mouse can gnaw on it while it is resting, and the mouse could even kill the snake.

>>I am not really that worried about the mice harming my other snakes though.

Well, you should be.

Aside from any other consideration, the practice of feeding live prey is completely unacceptable from the humane point of view. Just because wild snakes, of necessity, must kill their prey, doesn't mean that there's any reason for a captive snake to do so. Constriction and suffocation is a slow and cruel death.

Your animals are doing well on pre-killed, so stick with it.

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tricia

I agree with everything Tricia said - especially the bottom line: If they're feeding okay on pre-killed, go ahead and stick with it.

Personally, I feed mine live mice. But only with proper monitoring. Maybe I've seen Jurassic Park too many times - "T-Rex doesn't want to be fed, he wants to hunt!" Maybe I feel less remorse if it's the snake, rather than me, that actually kills the mouse. I can see where letting a mouse be constricted and suffocated can be considered inhumane, but hey, that's the way it works in nature. And I only have four serpents, and personally would rather not have a bunch of dead rodents in my freezer.

But whatever the reason, the feeding of live prey involves very close supervision from the moment the prey is introduced. If the snake is hungry, it will hunt and conquer almost immediately. If not, the snake will display a more submissive role, and the mouse must be removed immediately. Otherwise, the predator can quickly become the prey. I find this especially true with hoppers, which often can be more aggressive than full adults if given half a chance.

Just posing the other side of it. Other comments and opinions, as always, are welcome.
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MichaelB

>>I agree with everything Tricia said - especially the bottom line: If they're feeding okay on pre-killed, go ahead and stick with it.
>>
>>Personally, I feed mine live mice. But only with proper monitoring. Maybe I've seen Jurassic Park too many times - "T-Rex doesn't want to be fed, he wants to hunt!" Maybe I feel less remorse if it's the snake, rather than me, that actually kills the mouse. I can see where letting a mouse be constricted and suffocated can be considered inhumane, but hey, that's the way it works in nature. And I only have four serpents, and personally would rather not have a bunch of dead rodents in my freezer.
>>
>>But whatever the reason, the feeding of live prey involves very close supervision from the moment the prey is introduced. If the snake is hungry, it will hunt and conquer almost immediately. If not, the snake will display a more submissive role, and the mouse must be removed immediately. Otherwise, the predator can quickly become the prey. I find this especially true with hoppers, which often can be more aggressive than full adults if given half a chance.
>>
>>Just posing the other side of it. Other comments and opinions, as always, are welcome.
>>-----
>>MichaelB

As much as I love JP and Sam Neill I gotta say....that if TRex had a choice I bet he would take carrion over a chase any day. And so will most if not many snakes. It is far more natural to eat what is before you than to waste energy for a meal.
Supervision is only gonna save your snake from the gnawed snake done in the horror pict on PEs site of a snake left with a mouse. But I have seen snakes that were injured, blinded or required surgery for bites they got while they were 'hunting and conquering'. And yes, their owners were right there watching it happen. It is not physically possible for a person to be fast enough to stop a bite by the prey.
It is one of 'those topics' and I am not saying one side is wrong over the other right. Both have facets that the owner has to take responsibility for.
For the OP.....why feed live? Decide and evaluate whether it is worth it.
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Sonya

As I am totally opposed to feeding live prey to any snake. (exception being fuzzies and pinks).
Read the info and take a look at the pics and draw your own conclusion.
Brian Baker
Feeding Live Prey

...and as a result there is now (at least) one less snake owner in the universe who feeds live prey to his animals. Yesterday's hoppers are probably the last live critters my snakes will receive. I'm convinced, and I'm switching with the next feed. The pics are graphic, but they certainly reinforce the well-stated argument for feeding f/t or pre-killed rather than live prey.

Now I'll probably be back on here in the next couple weeks with questions on converting the kids over to pre-killed mice!

Thank you, Brian, (and the others who put up good reasoning for not doing what I was doing).

on behalf of Tanner, Kingie, Queenie, Billy Bob, and myself -
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MichaelB

Hi Ryan -

Thousands of generations ago my forebears went up against some pretty scary beasts with some pretty primitive tools in order to bring home a meat meal. I guess it worked out reasonably well because here I am today. I supposed there’s no real reason why that situation couldn’t be duplicated now. Put me in a corral with a sharp stone ax and a live steer and see how long it takes me to come up with a hamburger. But there’s no really GOOD reason to do so.

I’m not trying to adopt a holier-than-thou tone. For many years I fed a lot of my snakes live food (under close supervision) simply because I hated to kill the rodents I had raised. But it is not a husbandry practice I recommend. The other posters gave some good reasons why you should keep your snakes on pre-killed food. Why not tell us WHY you want to switch to live food?

-Joan

Well the only reason I want to switch to live food is mostly for the experience if any. So there is no real good reason why I want to switch. Dead food is working out fine fo rme and my snakes, so I'll stick with it. I guess I solved my own problem. lol.