Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Heya,

Now, let me first state that the point has been driven into me that you shouldn't ever feed wild mice to a snake because they //could// carry disease.
So here's my story: We've had a bad mouse problem in my basement, where I keep my feeder mice as well. Saturday we set traps and caught two female mice, then we started doing some renovation down here. Low and behold we found a litter of baby mice, only a few days old, and I'm pretty sure we killed their mom.
So what do I do? I separate one of my lactating mice and put her in there with them! I figure if they are sick only she will die, right? She's doing a great job at raising them. Now here's my question:
If my mouse doesn't get sick, doesn't that mean these wild mice are free of this disease that could harm my snakes, so I could feed them? Since I have mice anyways, and they get into the mouse food, doesn't that mean that my mice would have what they have anyways? Input.
Also another random idea, aren't wild mice more hardy and prolific than domestic mice? Anyone know if there is a significant size difference? Possible interbreeding?
Or I just need to dispose of the foster mom mouse and the babies because they are tainted no matter what, that would suck.

if your domesticated mice are in the same area/room as all the wild mice you had problems with..most likely if they had any diseases that can be contagious between species, either via air, physical contact or fleas/mites/lice, all your mice are already infected or carriers.

I don't know of any diseases from wild mice that can infect snakes to be honest...other than possible internal parasites, its more diseases that can infect humans that is the concern with using wild caught mice and rats. Only way to know if the foster mom, babies or the rest of your collection is free of disease, is to take them to a vet experienced in dealing with pocket pets.
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PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess

worms,(tape,pin,hook, etc) bacteria as in coccidia or cryptosporidium(no cure)......they could carry and not show...you feed, you got disease in colony....all mice interact, all mice might be contaminated by flies walking from tank to tank...tub of snakes to tub....

get the idea....

wild baby mice with no mother.....

trash can......unless I have a wild snake brought here ny police or kids......then I would feed till I release....

but we don't keep wild stuff with captives....do we.....

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........JY

I will be honest for the sake of education. I experimented with wild mice. There are some buildings off my property where I get tons and tons of wild mice.... field mice. babies. fuzzies and adults. Feeding them live to snakes could give internal parasites.... also unlike domesticated mice, they realize snakes are bad and tend to attack them. They are fast. They are mean. They bite hard and can jump like crazy. What I do. I grab a few and put them in a separate raising tub in a different room for one week. They still look ok. They get one month frozen. Death by c02. Left in the c02 for awhile. Then fed. I have done this numerous times. No problems. Wanna get rid of a mouse problem. DECON. those green pellets will exterminate mice like no other. or Mousers (the little noise things) but that could drive your breeders nutso. I know this is not good practice. But I am just experimenting. I do no suggest anyone do this.

Such a bad idea, so many ways to jeopordize your health.

I don't understand in the first place why you'd want to raise the wild mice.....you just killed the adults off!

If that happened with my 'lab' mice, I'd cull them all and throw them again...start again when your wild mice free and thoroughly cleaned.