Also keep in mind that the longer they have been taken away from their mother, the less nutricious they will be. Snakes, being carnivores, rely at least as much on the gut contents of their prey as on the prey themselves. This is where the bulk of their vitamins comes from. A condition of skin splitting/tearing of the neck just due to simple ingestion of a meal has been reported in snakes that were routinely fed live mice that had been fasted 6-8 hours (by the time the vendor brings them to the show, then they get taken home, then get fed...you can easily reach this time of fasting). Although snakes do make vitamin C to varying degrees, sometimes their need for it exceeds their production. Rodents who have been fasted do not provide the higher levels found in the ingesta and feces of well-fed rodents and this leads to weakening of the skin and tearing with very little force.
This is just one condition reported from feeding fasted rodents. Just remember, when feeding live, feed as soon as possible after eating or after taking from the nest. The most nutritious rodents are those that have eaten more recently (or were euthanized and frozen immediately without a fast).
