snake food is pregnant! help!

[frankadank]

so basically as the title goes... i have 3 mice which my snake is not eating right now due to shedding soon well i clean and feed them regularly and today while i was cleaning the tub i realized one mice is a female & is massive she has to pop any day now! hopefully my snake sheds and can consume her before that time comes.. but i want to prepare for i guess a litter of mice.. i’ve watched some videos and read up on it but can’t necessarily find what i need. has anyone experienced this or breeds mice that can help me out? don’t know if i should separate the pregnant one with the other 2 and if she’ll just take care of them & nourish an help them grow until it’s my turn, or do i take over when i see pups? i’m going to go up to the store i purchase them from and see if they have any advice but thought to reach out here. thanks for any input!

[Imbri]

I've never dealt with mice, but I've had countless hamster litters in my lifetime and it's gotta be pretty similar. I'm not sure if you *have* to separate her from the others, but I do know that you *can* (ie the father doesn't play a role in childcare), so I recommend isolating her from the other mice just to play it safe.

Give lots of fluffy bedding... a little bag of Carefresh will do the trick.
Make sure she's got a good supply of food and water. Giving some extra nutrition by sharing healthy table scraps is a good idea, too (veggies, fruits, etc. This site (https://www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/looking-after-your-pet/small-pets/feeding-your-mice) might help you find safe options.).

For the most part, just leave her alone. First time moms might kill/eat the litter or they might be amazing moms. You never know, but either way they don't need any human intervention :).

[thealien]

Separate them. She will do the work as long as she has food, water, and feels safe.

[frankadank]

thanks for the advice & time!

[jarich]

Not only does the male not play a role in care giving, but if it isn't the father of those particular babies, the male will kill them. That is a brutal thing to learn by error. I remember that being a particularly gruesome clean up.