Baby snakes typically do not eat much during their first month, as their yolk sac provides sufficient nutrition until they can begin hunting on their own.
Up until that point, pet snakes rely on a natural diet of small animals, insects and eggs for sustenance. Pet snakes may even be given baby mice or rats as long as they fit comfortably in their mouth.
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Raw Human Food
Some people offer raw human food to baby snakes as a source of nutrition, but this is not advised since it could contain pathogens that could make your pet sick.
For best results, offering frozen mice or rats to your snake is a much better option. These highly nutritious creatures provide them with an all-encompassing meal.
Snakes often eat live rodents, while some prefer frozen prey. Frozen mice and rats can be safely thawed out for your snake to enjoy and they’ll remain fresh for up to six months.
Many people give their snakes small amphibians like frogs. Be sure to measure the size of these animals beforehand.
Poultry
Poultry is an ideal food choice for baby snakes due to its softness and ease of digestion. However, you should only feed your snake chicken that has been cooked or stored in a container with harmful bacteria present.
Before feeding your snake, be sure to remove the bird’s feathers and bones. Otherwise, these hard parts could break off and create splinters in its digestive tract.
Snakes often feed on large birds such as pheasants and partridges in the wild. They will also take advantage of smaller birds but these tend to be harder to swallow due to their sharpened parts.
Large constrictors such as ball pythons, Burmese pythons and green tree pythons have been known to eat chickens. Additionally, corn snakes and rat snakes can also feed on poultry.
Fish
Fish are an ideal food choice for baby snakes as they provide them with protein, fat and calcium as well as essential vitamins.
In the wild, hatchlings or newborn baby snakes eat their mother’s egg yolk sac for approximately one month before hunting for food on their own. This is because their jaws have evolved with stretchy muscles and tendons that enable them to swallow prey whole.
When providing your snake with fish, select one that’s not too large and cold to the touch. Alternatively, freeze the fish then thaw it out before feeding it to your pet snake.
Live Prey
Snake owners and professional animal keepers often disagree when it comes to feeding live prey to baby snakes, as this can cause stress for both the snake and its predator.
Your snake may suffer injuries, such as mouth rot, which may necessitate euthanasia.
Therefore, frozen prey is preferred over live animals due to its ease of storage and upkeep.
When purchasing frozen prey for your snake, make sure it is the appropriate size and of high-quality. Thawing should take place at room temperature so that it is safe for consumption within a few hours after being thawed.
Pinkie Mice
Mice are an integral part of many reptile and amphibian diets, especially snakes. Frozen mice offer a convenient option that provides a nutritious carnivorous diet without the potential risk of bite from an aggressive rodent.
Frozen pinkie mice make excellent treats for baby snakes, king and corn snakes, some lizards, and larger amphibians. You could also occasionally give these smaller snakes frozen pinkies as rewards.
When selecting frozen mice for snakes, it’s essential that they be raised and euthanized humanely. A snake’s ability to chew and digest rodent prey is greatly compromised if it has been bitten by a predator or otherwise injured.
