Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today I went to a reptile shop that I hadn't been to before. I needed some frozen mice and I asked the man for 2 frozen hoppers. He said they didn't have hoppers, but that rat pups were the same size. I said that would do fine. He then told me that he had just put them in the freezer, so they weren't quite frozen yet. I said that would be fine since I lived close and would be feeding my snake that same day. But when he brought them out, they were still alive and wiggling around. Aren't they supposed to be gassed before you freeze them? It didn't seem very humane to me.

from what i have heard, you can just put em in the freezer. the low temp causes them to get groggy, then sleep, then slip into hibernation, and eventually freeze solid.

of course there will be debate about cruelty etc, but that is what i HEARD.

Gassing pinkies and fuzzies is generally not a good method due to the levels of CO2 you'd have to attain to do so...They're CO2 tolerant so freezing is the most humane method of euthanization.
-----
Lucien

1.0 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)
3.1 Leopard geckos (2 Blizzard and 2 het Blizzard)
0.1 Savannah Monitor
13 rats
12 Gerbils
2 Dogs
3 cats
1 Albino Corey (fish)

I've never sat in the freezer to watch what these critters go through before they freeze... so I thunk mine in the head and kill them before freezing them. Then I won't have to wonder about it.

I LOVE these forums
MissHisssss

I agree with Lucien...sort of...
Pinkies seem VERY resistant to CO2. It takes far too long for them to die and (in my oppinion) the longer it takes the more cruel it becomes. So, pinkies go directly in the freezer. I use the small "snack size" ziplock bags, each with 2 or three pinks inside. If you put all of the pinks together, they will huddle together for warmth and live longer (longer= more cruel, remember?) AND when they are frozen are a total bugger to pull apart (just plain...well...ooky). Further, with only 2 in a bag I find it far more convenient to thaw them out later.

BUT... for hoppers and older, who are more able to produce and maintain body warmth I Gas them first. It takes maybe 30 seconds or so and it's over. A mouse with fur would last well beyond that in the freezer, maybe as long as 30 min or so (shudder).

I don't disagree with misshiss, her method is quicker, and probably painless. I just can bring myself to do it anymore.

The bottom line is, you are killing a defenseless little animal for use as food. Simple. All of the talk is really about finding a way to do it, that YOU can live with.