Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok i just bought this mousey and im wondering if he is to dangerous to feed to my ball alive... his eyes are open and hes quite energetic...hes just a baby tho...should i just kill him so he doesnt hurt my snake...i wanted to try live...what should i do?

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CKA

If you want to work on converting your snake to p/k or f/t then yes kill it and try to feed - but a small mouse won't do much damage to a snake (keep watch until it's dead tho).
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Tosha

"One of these days i am going to wake up..look around...and realize my place looks more like "Ace Venturas"s than my own." Coldthumb

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul "JP"
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 lizard rescued from vicious feline

the snakes a baby....and he wont eat f/t i wanted to try live ill just keep an eye out i guess..
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CKA

My ball won't eat f/t, nor will he eat rats... he'll only eat mice, and he's a full grown adult now (I've tried everything to get him to eat other things, just won't happen, I've resigned myself to that.) So, he gets several live mice a week, and I've never had an issue yet. I always watch just to be sure, but he usually takes them the second they hit the ground of his tank, and I've never had to remove any of them.
Of course, it's no guarentee, but I thought I'd share.
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Proud caretaker to:
2.0.0. African grey parrot
0.1.0. Amel Cornsnake
0.2.0. doggies

for me i feed my balls live mice and small rats. and anything bigger then that my snakes will eat prekilled. i think your snake can eat that mouse with out a problem. but other people might think differently. i guess i would say its up to you and what you feel is right for the snake. but just watch when you feed your snake to make sure everything is okay. hope that helps...and good luck! here is a picture of my girl getting ready to eat....

Feed it to him live. The mouse won't hurt the snake if you keep an eye on it. How big is the snake?

Quig

I feel the benefits of p/k far outweigh the benefits of live (the only benefit I can think for live would be the voyeuristic thrill, though that's up to personal taste, I guess. Not my bag, though).

p/k is better for the snake as it prevents any chance of injury, and it will ease the transition for p/k'ed rats.

p/k is better for the food, as it is often a more humane death.

f/t is better for the snake, as it will kill off parasites. It's usualy more humane for the mouse than 'thumping' them. It might be better for you, too, as you don't have to play the executioner.

Wild Ball's always have their food P/K for them?? They have survived in the wild for millions of years eating live prey items, I think they can handle it if they are healthy & not left with the prey for too long (overnight). Buy rodents from a reliable clean source also!!!
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Chad Bachman

Nice people suck!!!!!!!

Chad,

I suppose you hunt for all of your own food as well? What, you buy food at the store that you didn't kill by yourself? And, what, you say that was more convenient? And, what, you didn't have to risk injury? I don't want to bicker, but do you see what I am getting at?

As the hobby develops, we learn new things to improve the quality of the snake, prey and keeper. Pythons didn't have anti parasite medicine in th wild, but I think most people have embraced them. Unless you live down south, I bet that you're not just using the sun to heat your BPs.

So, assuming the BP would take f/t, why would you risk it? I see no benefits at all for live prey if it isn't mandatory.

Yeah, and soon they will be as screwed-up as most dog breeds are today. I feed thawed because it's easier for me, not because it's healthier for the snakes (wich I don't think it is).

JMO
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Chad Bachman

Nice people suck!!!!!!!

millions of years eh? thats one old snake!!! lol
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CKA

mines a four month baby
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CKA

Don’t kill. With a baby you want it to have the eating instinct, and when it gets used to the feeding schedule you can start by slipping it a pre-killed one now and then… and if it takes that do it with f/t until its happy. Some snake will die before they will take a pre-killed, some will take them sometimes and not take them the next time… and some will take them every time. I have a lot better luck (stressing the word luck) by letting their instincts develop as babies, then when they get older mix it up. You should be careful to not offer big mice or really active ones… it can scare some snakes… if it freaks out and strikes it and retreats, try again another day.

That’s my 2 cents.

Ben