Some of the most popular foods for snakes are uncooked human items. Whether they are mealworms, rats, or spiny mice, these are great options for your baby snake. You’ll have to decide how much you’re willing to spend on these tasty treats, however. Some snake owners even brain their snakes, a gruesome method that only works for baby colubrids. If you’re unsure of what to feed your baby snake, read on for more information.
Contents
Uncooked human foods
Unlike most pet snakes, baby snakes do not enjoy packaged meats and cat food. You should only feed your snake uncooked human foods. If you feed your snake a piece of human meat, make sure you offer it as a whole, with the skin still intact. A small pinky mouse, for example, may be a better choice for feeding your baby snake. If you cannot find a pinky mouse in your local pet store, there are a few smaller mice you can purchase.
Once your snake reaches its first month of life, you can introduce them to uncooked human foods. When you first introduce them to prey items, be sure to separate their heads and brains. This will ensure that the hatchling is not stressed. If your snake refuses to eat something, you can gently rub its pinky with a feeder chick and then present it to the snake. You can also offer prey items like pinkies and fuzzies, but don’t give them anything larger than the width of their head.
Mealworms
Mealworms can be a great choice for baby snake food. They are a highly nutritious food that will increase your snake’s energy levels and build his or her immunity to diseases. Although mealworms are not suitable as raw snake food, you can cook them. Just make sure that you cook them carefully, since their exoskeleton is very thin and can easily get soaked. You can even use a reptile hygrometer to monitor the humidity in your snake’s cage.
Mealworms have many benefits for your snake, and they are not only nutritious but are also a great source of protein and calcium. Mealworms are not complete meals and can contain parasites. Therefore, you may want to add a supplement containing calcium. You can also use vitamin B1 or vitamin D3 to supplement the diet. Calcium supplements are available at many pet stores. You can also use silk worms as a snake food, since they are easy to catch and do not vex your snake.
Rats
Adult rat snakes are not the only types of food suitable for snakes. Rats make excellent food for babies, but baby snakes may be put off by the smell. Rats can also be dangerous for snakes. When choosing snake food, take into consideration the size and age of your snake. For example, adult rat snakes may not eat more than once a month. To prevent this, watch how much your snake consumes each week.
In the wild, rat snakes feed on small mammals and birds. However, captive snakes tend to feed on larger prey such as lizards. Because snakes need a natural environment to stay healthy, it is important to mimic this diet as closely as possible. Fortunately, rats are a cheap and easy way to provide a nutritious diet for baby snakes. You’ll save money on feeding costs, and the added benefit of providing your snake with a diet that is similar to what it eats in its natural habitat.
Spiny mice
Baby snakes need a variety of nutritious foods, and spiny mice are an excellent choice for this purpose. These omnivorous rodents will happily eat seeds, fruits, vegetables, and insects. Fresh fruits, such as apples, grapes, and pears, can be provided for the animal. Other vegetables to add to the diet include carrots, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. You can also provide lean meat, but make sure to cook it without sauces or adding preservatives. Avoid processed meat, too.
Newborn mice should be kept on their sides, and should not be wider than their widest point. The best mice to feed newborn snakes are pinky mice without fur, which can be easily cut into smaller pieces. Smaller mice may be available as well. If you are concerned that your snake will not eat a pinky mouse, you may want to use smaller mice instead. When choosing the prey for your snake, make sure to wash them thoroughly.
Birds
It’s common knowledge that the brown tree snake is an invasive species that decimates bird populations. Although the snake has been directly linked to the extinction of many birds, few people have considered the indirect consequences of the snake’s presence. In Guam, for example, the snake has decimated the bird population so drastically that there is a much higher spider population than in the rest of the world. And those effects reverberate throughout the entire community.
In fact, birds are a prime food source for snakes. While some birds are specialized predators, most birds are generalists. In the wild, snakes will prey on bird eggs and chicks. Even uncached eggs are a meal for a snake. It’s a sad reality, but snakes will often predate nests of birds if the eggs are in a vulnerable state.
Gophers
Gophers are excellent sources of food for baby snakes. Although their name suggests that they eat Gophers, they also eat other animals, such as mice, rats, and even bats. They usually eat insects, but gophers are not picky eaters; they will eat a variety of prey, including baby lizards. When you introduce a gopher to a snake, be sure to keep an eye out for a few of these species in the wild.
Although gophers are relatively friendly, they can be quite aggressive if handled improperly. Their respiratory system is compromised by bacterial infections, so they can’t breathe properly. As a result, they will try to breathe through their mouths and act restless and unnerving. Common symptoms of respiratory problems include nasal discharge, loss of appetite, and wheezing. Fortunately, these snakes don’t need to be euthanized, but you should be aware that their respiratory system is quite sensitive and can be easily affected by high humidity.
