Live prey question

[Marshallarts]

I'm just wondering, what exactly do you do if you feed live prey and it starts attacking your snake? I fed a couple live ones to Marshall the first few times cuz he wouldn't take f/t. They were just fuzzies but they still went after him. Whenever they did I would push them away with the tongs.

[millertime89]

Kill them before putting them in. Are they actually biting your snake or are they just moving his way? If they're fuzzies they're eyes aren't open and they're barely crawling.

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/108235-humane-euthanasia.html

[Marshallarts]

Kill them before putting them in. Are they actually biting your snake or are they just moving his way? If they're fuzzies they're eyes aren't open and they're barely crawling.

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/108235-humane-euthanasia.html

I'm not feeding live anymore, they are f/t. Maybe they were hoppers, because they were jumping and eyes fully open. It would try to bite him though.

[ManSlaughter33]

If you absoulutely have to feed live, you can stun the mouse first. Less likely to attack that way

[Aaron_S]

It's rare for a mouse or rat to actually attack the snake at first glance. Rodents bred for consumption never have encountered predators for generations. So they have no idea on what is in front of them. Often I find the rodent quite curious and just go up to sniff the snake. Poor things don't even know what happens next.

[millertime89]

If you absoulutely have to feed live, you can stun the mouse first. Less likely to attack that way

I'm not a fan of stunning. When the rodent wakes up if it isn't consumed immediately they can become defensive and more prone to attacking a snake that isn't interested in eating right away. Fresh killed is the way to go IMO. The food appears the same as when stunned, but there's no chance of it waking up and harming the snake.

It's rare for a mouse or rat to actually attack the snake at first glance. Rodents bred for consumption never have encountered predators for generations. So they have no idea on what is in front of them. Often I find the rodent quite curious and just go up to sniff the snake. Poor things don't even know what happens next.

This is what I've observed as well which is why I asked if they actually bit the snake. Sniffing my snakes never seems to end well for the poor things...

[Marshallarts]

I'm not a fan of stunning. When the rodent wakes up if it isn't consumed immediately they can become defensive and more prone to attacking a snake that isn't interested in eating right away. Fresh killed is the way to go IMO. The food appears the same as when stunned, but there's no chance of it waking up and harming the snake.



This is what I've observed as well which is why I asked if they actually bit the snake. Sniffing my snakes never seems to end well for the poor things...

Well it certainly tried to bite him. Not hard, just a nibble at first but then I think it got angry( probably my fault, I was holding it with tweezers by its tail and probly pinching it my bad ) and it started to go after him. It could have been the mouse in particular, it was really hoppy as well, more than usual. I guess you could say it was a bit of a crazy mouse, lol.

[millertime89]

Mice are jerks. They will bite with little to no provocation anyways. I was bit while cleaning my friend's breeders' cages, I'm sure holding it didn't help. I would switch to fuzzy rats, most BPs can take that size out of the egg and when they're bigger they're less likely to bite. Rats are very inquisitive, they'll still nibble or bite, but in my experience they're less prone to it.

[Marshallarts]

Mice are jerks. They will bite with little to no provocation anyways. I was bit while cleaning my friend's breeders' cages, I'm sure holding it didn't help. I would switch to fuzzy rats, most BPs can take that size out of the egg and when they're bigger they're less likely to bite. Rats are very inquisitive, they'll still nibble or bite, but in my experience they're less prone to it.

Live rats are illegal here, but it doesn't really matter now because he's on f/t. Yes mice certainly are mean! The things bit me a few times as well!

[jossh27]

Yes mice certainly are mean! The things bit me a few times as well!

And then they are killed and eaten by your snake... Revenge is sweet.