I've seen a lot of videos where the owners feed rattlesnakes to their pet kingsnakes. Is this okay? I know they are immune to the venom and this is natural in the wild, but is this considered animal abuse? Thoughts?
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Feeding rattlesnakes to kingsnakes..
- Thread starter themichaelchoi
- Start date
RosieReal
New member
...You know...theres alot of things that people do that's borderline abuse...hard to define it really. Some people belive live feeding of mice is abuse, others think it natural. This is probably in that same category. Kings snakes eat other snakes, so in a sence its good to get them food they would normally have...on the other hand they do VERY well on mice so whats the point?
The pet industry in general is one that is easy to find problems with, and easy to get very upset about. Most of the time the only thing we can do as keepers ourselves is to try to set a good example.
But, to try to answer your question, are the rattlers alive? If they're alredy dead I dont see the problem at all, but I know next to nothing about king snakes, or rattlers for that matter.
The pet industry in general is one that is easy to find problems with, and easy to get very upset about. Most of the time the only thing we can do as keepers ourselves is to try to set a good example.
But, to try to answer your question, are the rattlers alive? If they're alredy dead I dont see the problem at all, but I know next to nothing about king snakes, or rattlers for that matter.
Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z)
Zookeeper
To me, it's abuse if you feed one living thing to another living thing. It's what kept me from getting snakes for most of my life. I still wouldn't have them if they required living, breathing mice to eat.
Humanely pre-killed seems acceptable to me, provided I'm not the one who has to do the killing.....
Humanely pre-killed seems acceptable to me, provided I'm not the one who has to do the killing.....
tyflier
[Insert Witty Commentary]
Immunity to the venom doesn't matter much if one of those 3/4" fangs punctures the king's only functioning lung, or it's liver, or it's skull. Those fangs are big, and even if the venom isn't effective, the injuries from a bite can be devestating.
I have a question...why? What's the point? Why would you capture and destroy a beautiful rattlesnake as food when rodents are healthy, safer, and fully sufficient for a kingsnake to thrive on?
The short answer...No. It is not OK. It's probably not illegal, it's a perfectly natural prey for most kingsnakes, but...there is nothing "natural" about captivity. Destroying a rattlesnake just to provide entertainment is, in my not so humble opinion, abuse. Anyone subjecting these animals to this sort of behavior deserves some form of punishment for their actions.
RosieReal
New member
Yeah, it doesn't seem practical. People do some strange things.
tyflier
[Insert Witty Commentary]
Freezing a DOR snake *should* kill any parasites. I have fed f/t wc lizards to greybands without any issues whatsoever, and I know I'm not the only one...
ceduke
Female Wiccan Heretic!!
Ditto, I've fed W/C animals after freezing, to my snakes and my dog. I do get regular fecals done for the snakes and the dog. Hasn't caused a problem yet.
Butch
New member
I sold a clutch of young pygmy's to a king snake owner to use as food before. As a trapper I can't remove live animals from the property in the State of Florida, I either have to euthanize on site or re release the animal on the property. That means if I remove the animal, it usually go to waste unless I can find another use for it, just one of the downfalls of trapping in Florida. With that said, if the snake was killed for solely the purpose of feeding it to the king, then thats abuse, but if the snake was killed due to unfortunate circumstances then I see no problem putting the carcass to good use.
charlie1
New member
In my opinion capturing a wild species to feed a pet is unethical.
Also it is probably illegal. The fish and game laws usually state that unless the animal is listed as a game species with defined hunting season or a varmint species then it cannot be hunted (taking a snake from the wild to be killed would be hunting). Lastly why do this? Rattle snakes are a beneficial species and some are endangered.
The things people do to make up for having undersized reproductive organs.
Also it is probably illegal. The fish and game laws usually state that unless the animal is listed as a game species with defined hunting season or a varmint species then it cannot be hunted (taking a snake from the wild to be killed would be hunting). Lastly why do this? Rattle snakes are a beneficial species and some are endangered.
The things people do to make up for having undersized reproductive organs.
wade
Save The Humans
I think all the good points have been made. Even Chris made a good comment. I know the OP was asking for opinions and was not necessarily going to do it. There are lots of things to be seen on Utube that are not recommended IRL.
But the simple answer is there is no need or good reason to kill a rattlesnake. It would be a waste of a wonderful creature. A live rattlesnake can and will very definitely hurt your kingsnake regardless of it immunity to the venom. Wild snakes will carry a gut load of parasites. You could very likely bring mites and ticks into your collection. There is just no good reason to do it and lots of reasons to not do it.
But the simple answer is there is no need or good reason to kill a rattlesnake. It would be a waste of a wonderful creature. A live rattlesnake can and will very definitely hurt your kingsnake regardless of it immunity to the venom. Wild snakes will carry a gut load of parasites. You could very likely bring mites and ticks into your collection. There is just no good reason to do it and lots of reasons to not do it.
Thank you everyone. Yeah, I never intended to do that because it looked so cruel. I love all snakes, venomous or not. I just stumbled upon these videos online and I didn't quite know how to react to all this. Thanks again. 
tyflier
[Insert Witty Commentary]
Unfortunately, most rattlesnake species aren't heavily protected.
In California, it is perfectly legal to capture and/or kill any rattlesnakes by any method, without constraints such as season or time of day, and without even requiring a license. Most other reptiles are protected by season and license requirements at the very least, and many are protected entirely from harrassment. But no such luck for rattlers...
Outcast
ATPSS
Brewster320
New member
I wouldn't really call it a abuse but more along the lines of stupid considering most rattle snakes species are on the decline or already endangered in the wild.
Emanon
This and That
I think it is funny that we view snakes as more valuable than rodents lol... that is why some rodent keepers don't like snake people.
(((emanon is a cold man when it comes to this stuff)))
I do not see either above the other. If I had a king I would not live feed a rattler because of the dangers to my king. Would I feed it a dead rattler... sure, and not even flinch. to the king it is a prey item... many keepers here feed nonfeeder or deformed corns to their kings. No difference to me.
(((emanon is a cold man when it comes to this stuff)))
I do not see either above the other. If I had a king I would not live feed a rattler because of the dangers to my king. Would I feed it a dead rattler... sure, and not even flinch. to the king it is a prey item... many keepers here feed nonfeeder or deformed corns to their kings. No difference to me.
tyflier
[Insert Witty Commentary]
I feed deformed or severely kinked hatchlings to my kings, but only f/t. I wouldn't feed a DOR rattler primarily because I try to donate them to various universities for their herpetology departments.
You'd be surprised how grateful a herp department will be for freshly dead and frozen, but fully in tact, rattlesnakes. It is a blessing for their DNA studies, examining stomach contents, and dissections and such...