Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My question for you more experianced is this. With our larger corn snakes in particular, We raised them on frozen pinks/fuzzys. Having recently bought a adult okeete, we started feeding live mice to it and another adult we own.As you know, the snakes absolutley love this and it is cool to see them eat.
I was recently told however of the dangers feeding live mice if the mice are sick or diseased. (passing it on to the snake).
What are your thoughts on this and what are your practices? Frozen only or occasional live too?
Thanks in advance!!

IMO-The dangers of disease transportation in live mice vs frozen are at the very least so miniscule as to be ridiculous. If (by any remote chance) a mouse might be carrying a disease that would affect a snake. Freezing the mouse is even more unlikely to kill those germs.

I have fed primarely live (or freshly stunned) mice to my collection over 30 years and cannot truthfully say that I have ever seen a disease infecting snakes from any domestic rodent. Not to say there is a very slight chance of it happening but again, extremely unlikely.

Fresh is always better than frozen.

Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I too have been feeding live (99%) of the time. I raise my own rodents. Been doing it this way since the early 1990's. I do thump them before throwing them in the snake's cage. I never leave a live rodent in with the snake.

Live is fresher than f/t........go ask your local meat manager.

Kerby...

I feed frozen /thawed. If only for the convenience of being able to have food "At the ready" in a freezer in your house.

If you breed your own mice or rats, then live makes sense, but carting back and forth live mice is both costly in terms of gas, and a hassle in my opinion.

Freezing doesnt stop parasites, I agree, live and frozen both could carry the same load of em.

Most snakes prefer live. They also get hooked on them. Feeding live mice and leaving them alone with a snake is a risk. Period. They can and do turn the tables, with disasterous results.

Thumping them WELL removes this.
Feeding on tongs, and makeing sure that the snake actually eats the rodent will also do this.

I dont beleive in making the prey animals suffer any more than they have too. Ive gotten past the stage where I get much out of watching them hunt, stalk and kill their dinner.

Take care

Fred A

Thank You Frank and Kerby, appreciate it.