When you have poisonous snakes in your home, you have to be aware of the hazards and risks that come with feeding them live food. Using rodents as the source of their diet is not the right choice. Instead, you have to use insects. These are easier to catch, more effective, and safer for the snakes.
Using rodents as live food is a form of animal cruelty
It is a fact that using poisonous snakes to feed your pet is a form of animal cruelty. You should never capture or kill a snake to use it as your pets food. This can be dangerous and can lead to serious injuries.
Live feeding is prohibited by many veterinary and welfare associations. Using rodents as a live feed is also a form of animal cruelty. Not only do they carry life-threatening infections, they are also prone to transmitting diseases through parasites.
The best way to feed your snakes is to feed them healthy, nutritious food. For this reason, it’s a good idea to purchase pre-killed mice or rats for your snakes. Alternatively, you can use dead frozen rodents.
If you do decide to go ahead and use live rodents, ensure you keep your reptiles in a temperature controlled environment. They should not be kept in their enclosures overnight. Also, be sure to use dead frozen mice instead of live ones, because they are more humane and less harmful to snakes.
Using insects as prey is easier
In a recent survey of hundreds of pet owners, we found that using insects as prey is more common than you might expect. This isn’t just a case of a lack of a good ol’ fashioned enclosure, but also a lack of knowledge on what to do with the creatures that aren’t lucky enough to be born with a reptilian gene pool. One can only hope this trend will soon morph into a positive rather than a negative. As an added bonus, a good old fashioned slugfest with a predatory vermin may prove to be the ultimate stress buster.
The best way to ensure this kind of situation doesn’t crop up is to learn the best practices for the oh so tame. For example, it is imperative to take note of the local weather and temperature trends, as well as a regular hygienic inspection of the living quarters. If you happen to come across a sassy viper, you’d better be ready to defend your turf with a shotgun.
Pre-killed prey is safer
Whether you’re just looking to provide your snake with food or you’re a reptile hobbyist who cares about your snake’s health, you may have heard that you should feed pre-killed prey. In fact, it’s considered a much safer choice than feeding live prey. However, you may have to adjust to your snake’s new diet.
Pre-killed mice, rats, and teiiids are ideal foods for your snake. Frogs, lizards, and mealworms are also suitable choices. You can purchase these prey in the wild or get them frozen from a pet store.
When you choose to feed your snake a live rodent, it’s important that you know how to prepare it correctly. The first step is to expose the rodent’s brain. Next, you’ll need to cut it open. This allows you to see the brain’s blood. Afterwards, you’ll need to use tongs to remove it.
The size of the prey depends on the snake’s body size and ability to digest it. If it’s too large, the snake may regurgitate the food and injure itself.
