If you are thinking about bringing home a snake, there are a few things to consider about feeding them. What food you give them can have an enormous effect on their health and behavior.
As a first step, do not feed your snake live rodents. Not only is this not humane or safe for your pet, but it’s often not what they prefer to eat either.
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Rats
Snakes typically feed on warm-blooded prey like mice, rats, gerbils and hamsters. Their diet may also include insects, amphibians (frogs and toads), eggs, fish and earthworms.
Pet snakes typically feed on small rodents as part of their diet, providing them with a nutritiously complete meal that helps protect them against diseases common to other reptiles.
Frozen rats can be purchased from most reptile stores or small local hobby breeders. Before feeding it to your snake, make sure the frozen rat has completely thawed out.
Mice
Mouses make for a quiet, social pet that requires minimal care and maintenance. Plus, they’re relatively affordable – usually costing between $5-10 on average.
Mice are also an ideal choice for families with children. Mice provide valuable lessons about responsibility and cooperation, and can easily be tamed if raised from a young age.
Snake food pets, mice are an excellent source of nutrition for reptiles as they provide complete proteins and fats. Furthermore, mice contain various vitamins and minerals which support healthy skin, eyes, and ears.
Mice are social animals that live in an orderly society. Their social structure is built upon pheromones and a fierce sense of territoriality. When mice breed, their mother will fiercely protect her territory as well as that of her offspring.
Earthworms
If your pet snake is young, earthworms make a great food substitute. Not only are they small and easily digestible, but they still contain essential protein and calcium.
Fish are generally considered a safer option than their aquatic counterparts, since they do not harbor as many parasites. This makes them suitable for almost any snake species, including garter and water snakes.
Keep your worms happy and healthy by providing them with an appropriate habitat. A 2’x3′ terrarium or 10-gallon aquarium works great, filled with plenty of coco-husk, forest bedding, peat or sphagnum moss.
Eggs
If you’re vegetarian or simply don’t feel comfortable feeding your snake live prey, eggs could be a suitable substitute. Egg-eating snakes, such as Dasypeltis subgenus Dasypeltis, thrive on a diet of small bird eggs.
They’re docile and non-venomous, making them perfect pet snakes. Plus, they’re the closest you can get to having a vegetarian pet snake.
The East African egg-eating snake is the largest species in this genus, but several others make great pets as well: Arabian egg-eating snake, Montane egg-eating snake and cross-marked egg-eating snake.
Fish
Fish are a popular home pet choice for those with limited space, allergies to cats and dogs, or who don’t want to devote too much effort into high-maintenance pet care.
Fish are ideal for first-time pet owners, senior citizens, and children who don’t want the responsibility of caring for a large animal. Plus, fish add an enlivening element to any room while providing entertainment.
Garter snakes, ribbon snakes, water snakes and grass snakes are among the species that can eat fish. If you own one of these pets it’s essential to know which types of fish are safe for them as well as other prey they’ll consume.
