Rats do not normally hunt and eat healthy adult snakes, but they will bite, gnaw and sometimes kill a snake that cannot get away, such as a small, sick or shedding snake, or one in a cage with a live rat. That is why snake keepers feed frozen-thawed rodents and never leave live prey in the enclosure.
Do rats eat snakes in the wild?
A rat is an omnivore that eats seeds, grain, fruit, insects, eggs and carrion. It will scavenge a dead snake or take snake eggs and very small hatchlings when it finds them. Healthy adult snakes are rarely hunted by rats, because snakes are larger, faster and strike first. Most of the time, a rat and a wild snake just avoid each other, and snakes are the ones that prey on rats.
Why live rats are dangerous in a snake cage
A rat that is not eaten right away can fight back. Rats have strong incisors and will defend themselves. Reports from reptile keepers and veterinarians describe live rodents that were left with a snake chewing the snake’s skin, eyes and tail. This happens most often when:
- The snake is not hungry or refuses the meal.
- The snake is in shed, when its eyes are cloudy and it cannot see well.
- The snake is a hatchling or juvenile.
- The rat is large compared with the snake.
- The snake is sick, cold or weak.
Bites can become infected. A bitten snake may need a vet visit, and some snakes refuse food for a while after being injured.
The safer way to feed
- Use frozen-thawed prey. Buy rodents sized to the snake, thaw them in the fridge or in a sealed bag in warm water, and warm them to just above room temperature.
- Offer with tongs. This keeps your hand away from the snake’s strike and lets you wiggle the prey to trigger feeding.
- Remove leftovers. If the snake does not eat within about an hour, take the prey out and throw it away.
- Never leave a live rodent unattended. If you must feed live, stay and watch the whole time, and remove the rodent if the snake ignores it.
- Size matters. The prey should be about as wide as the thickest part of the snake.
Our guide to feeding snakes frozen mice explains the steps, and what rat snakes eat covers the adult diet.
Rats and wild snakes around your home
Snakes often show up where rats and mice live. Keeping feed in sealed metal bins, cleaning up spilled grain and sealing gaps helps remove the rodents, and the snakes that follow them. Do not use poison bait if you can avoid it, because poisoned rodents can sicken the animals that eat them, including snakes and pets.
Bottom Line
Rats will not usually hunt a healthy snake, but a live rat can seriously injure one in a cage. Feed frozen-thawed prey and remove uneaten food. If your snake has bite wounds, call a reptile vet.
This is general information, not veterinary advice.
