feeding live

[DirtySanchez]

Hey people, I think there is nothing wrong with feed your snakes live mice. As long as you watching them and you know the scheudle( I know its spelled wrong) that you feed them on. I think its great to see nature at its best, but that just might be me. All i am saying if your going to feed them live mice be smart about it ok

 

[Serpwidgets]

I think its great to see nature at its best, but that just might be me.

It certainly isn't me. You're talking about the propagation of variations upon a theme which are then forced into a life or death struggle with one another. I don't think it's something to be emulated in my home.

In fact, if you read the first paragraph of the page linked below, you will notice that in the wild they also eat prekilled prey.

I think there is nothing wrong with feed your snakes live mice.

Most people don't, until one of their snakes is hurt or killed by its food.

As long as you watching them and you know the scheudle( I know its spelled wrong) that you feed them on.

Please. It's not like the mouse stands up and announces on a bullhorn that it is going to bite your snake. It is something that happens in a fraction of a second with no warning and you will not be able to stop it no matter how closely you are watching. By the time you've even realized what's happened, it's too late. I had a WC Ball Python that took several live meals before she acclimated to prekilled prey... I speak from personal experience.

Since you obviously didn't read this page (did you read any of the linked pages from the previous thread?) here is a quote from Flank, Lenny. 1997. Live Prey vs. Prekilled. Originially published in The Snake: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet, Howell Book House, NY.

One day, I opened her cage and plopped a nice fat live hamster inside to feed her, as I had done routinely at least several dozen times before. The Python promptly seized the hamster by the side of its body, but failed to get a good grip and hesitated for barely a moment. Whereupon, in an instant, the hamster, with its last bit of energy before it went into shock, turned and bit the snake squarely in the skull. Within seconds, both were dead.

This is a 5-foot python that was instantly killed by a hamster. The key point here is that these things happen too quickly for us to do a single thing about it.

All i am saying if your going to feed them live mice be smart about it ok

Be smart: avoid feeding prey that is capable of fighting back, period.

 

[jim]

agreeing with serp...

if you have a dog, go ask it if he would much prefer a "natural" environment where he would have to worry about hunting for food, sickness, and all of the other dangers associated with living in the wild. i bet if he could he would say no. also, would you make your dog or cat kill and eat rabbits or squirrels that you would bring home for it because it would be more "natural"??? probably not, because a squirrel could seriously mess up your cat or dog. snakes and rodents are the same way. i doubt there is a single snake in the world in someones aquarium sittin back in their hide thinking "boy i really hope Bob brings home a few live mice this week. i could use some excitement. i'm so bored. i need a really good fight." NOW READ SERP'S POST AGAIN...---JIM

 

[lynn]

I feed mine frozen\thawed and if I did feed her live I am sure it would of been bitten because she often take's them backwards I personally would not like to feed live and risk my snake's health.

 

[Iris]

Is it ok to feed live pinkies sometimes?
A friend of mine has a 5 year old amel and she feeds it live pinkies sometimes like after egg laying as a quick snack or something. Pinkies don't seem to be able to do much damage....or is this another "you think so until you see the damage it can cause" sort of a thing?
Because then I think I will tell her to stick to the f/t mice. (She usually feeds her snake full size prekilled rodents.)

 

[kellum]

if your snake is taking f/t , why bother to take a chance. If you want to see animals killing their food watch the discovery channel.

 

[nicky]

ya I agree with kellum

ya If you want to see nature at it's best watch steve I wouldn't take a chance but then again you are you and I am I. f/t would be a better choce but the choie is yours just be carefull.

 

[Jr Nimeskern]

HMMMM im scared to state my own opinion... Im one of those evil ALIVE feeding kind of people... what can I say I havent had any problems with any kind of food AS OF YET!!! that doesnt mean it wont happen to me... I know that one of my snakes takes his food wierd I noticed it when he was eating fuzzys... He just doesnt know how to kill the food correctly! so I feed him F/T my others dont seem to have a problem with killing so I will continue to serve them live food... dont hate on me I LOVE MY CORNS AS MUCH AS ANYONE HERE!!!!!!

 

[Serpwidgets]

Is it ok to feed live pinkies sometimes?

Pinks and fuzzies cannot harm a cornsnake, so this is not a concern.

my others dont seem to have a problem with killing so I will continue to serve them live food... dont hate on me I LOVE MY CORNS AS MUCH AS ANYONE HERE!!!!!!

Yeah, I love my wife, that's why I beat the hell out of her if dinner isn't on the table when I get home... whatever dude.

You even state that you know tragic consequences may befall your snakes, yet you continue to do so. Actions speak louder than words... and your actions prove that you obviously do NOT love your corns.

It is that attitude that is the reason the HSUS, PETA and other wackos actually have a leg to stand on.

 

[abell82]

feeding live IS bad

Feeding live is bad! I see nothing natural about feeding a live mouse to a snake that is caged in a little bitty aquarium with practically no room to move (compared to a wide open prairie).However I do not understand how a hamster can take down a five foot snake with one bite. Espsecially when I have seen other pics of much more damaged snakes that are still alive(most DO later die).Is there something about skull bites?Is it shock?

 

[Simon]

well I guess after reading all these posts about feeding live is bad......I think now it's time for you to make a real good decision of whether or not to feed live........
just to let you know.....I too don't feed live......

 

[Rachel]

one more thing....Dirty sanchez, if you like nature at it's best then release your cornsnake (well on second thoughts dont cos it probably wont survive after captivity etc) but if you are so hung up on "free nature" than dont keep snakes. Watch Discovery or Animal Planet or go on a trip with Steve n Terri Irwin.
I know you have had a whole bunch of people jump down your throat on this one, and Im not being nasty, but is it really worth risking your snakes life? Not to mention the trauma on the poor mouse, hampster, rat if its a slow kill!!
Ps as for skull trauma....I tink it might just be that bit more severe because you are damaging the brain...think about it, if you fell and broke a leg it would probably heal soon enough. Cracked skull?? Well coma, death, sever motor-neuron impairments would result I would have thought. Dr Mike would know more about that. Im not in the human medical profession, just an educated guess......

 

[Jr Nimeskern]

alright alright... what is the best way to kill mice? I guess ill try to start feeding prekilled food to my snakes... just to reduce the risk factor of letting the food hurt my beautiful snakes! but whats the best and fastest way to kill mice? I DONT WANT BLOOD ALL AROUND! I cant keep frozen mice... my mom dont like live mice let alone frozen mice in the freezer. should I bash their heads in? or drown them or what? Im really lost on this one... any help with this situation would be helpful...

 

[Iris]

ok people helped me on this one so I know now..
You can buy CO2 cartridges which will instantly and painlessly kill the mouse. You can also put it in an airtight container and e ventually it will use up all the oxygen in there and replace it with the CO2 which will also kill it but it will take longer. Some people also just put the mouse in the container and put it in the freezer but I know that I don't have the heart to do that....
There is also a way to snap their spines. I think you put a pencil point at the back of the mouse's neck and then pull on the tail. But i'm NOT SURE. Someone else here probably knows.

 

[Serpwidgets]

If you scroll down, there's some info on prekilling.

http://www.anapsid.org/prekill.html

 

[jim]

mice

corny,
do you breed your own mice or do you buy them from a pet store? you can buy them frozen at most pet stores and just thaw and feed them or many stores will do the killing for you. if you can't find prekilled or if you breed your own the best way i think is to use CO². (less trauma for the mouse this way) good luck!!! ...jim

 

[DirtySanchez]

hey to everyone

you know what everyone who is all pissy at me about feeding my snake live mice. I just want to tell you all i would watch a nature show but i can't get steve irwin in my dorm room and my snakes or fine and happy i just got to witness them breed and hopefully they will lay eggs and i will have babies(snow x albino)(not sure what kind of albino she is) but anyway i just want to reply to everyone how hates me for feeding my snakes live ones and no will not change

 

[Iris]

Well I don't think anyone hates you for feeding live but they just want what is best for your snakes. I don't believe your attitude is helping however. If you are aware of all the possibilities and dangers from feeding live and you choose to continue feeding live, then that's fine. Just don't ever complain or expect sympathy if your snakes ever suffer from wounds caused by a live rodent because you had sufficient warning.

 

[DirtySanchez]

sorry

sorry to everyone who thinks that i hade an attuide but i didn't have one when i wrote and i don't know and wehter or not you believe me but i do know the dangers of feeding live and the reason i posted my first reply is that i thought ever one has an attuide with me

 

[Matt L]

Death Chamber

This is the best way to off your mice. Select a plastic container to fit the amount of mice you want to kill. example: large butter tub--up to 6 adult mice. punch one- 1/4 inch hole in the lid(this will let oxygen escape) Take some dry ice and place it in a small cup in the center of the tub(you can glue it in place so the mice don't kick it over). Place your mice in, and fill the cup containing the dry ice with water. Place the lid on the tub. As the dry ice melts (frozen CO2), it will evacuate the oxygen and the mice will quickly suffocate.(similar to the death they would experience from constriction from a snake). This should take about 8 to 10 minutes, but results can vary. If your uncomfortable watching--wait longer. When the mice are dead remove them. As carbon dioxide is a by-product of our breathing,and disipates quickly in a oxygen rich enviroment, it should have no ill effects on your snakes. However you always want your feeders to be room temperature. I must admit, I do support live feeding, and have done so with many of the smaller rodents(mostly mice). In situations where I feared for the my snakes well being, I have done the responsible thing and killed the food. Now If any one finds this to be to much of an aggravation or to complicated, here is the alternative. Grasp rodent by tail, whirl rodent several times in a circle to gain momentum, with the snap off your wrist bash rodents head against a hard surface ,rendering the rodent dead. This will always work, and is not for the weak!(This does not work with hamsters--no flippin tails), besides my children have a pet hamster and I do have a heart!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Even though I have a sense of humor, I support no animal cruelty--I have spent years volunteering with animal control--and have seen the results-I love all animals--snakes are just my passion!