Rigor Mortis

[Auskan]

One of my adult feeder mice died sometime between 10am-1pm yesterday. i.e. he was alive at 10am but when I looked in at 1pm he was lying there dead. I immediately retrieved him and put him in the freezer, since my bp is not due to feed for a few more days. So my question is, is it ok to feed an animal that has been dead long enough for rigor mortis to have set in?

[Linds]

Yes.

[asphyxia]

And on that note:

I have noticed that a F/T rat will nevert go into Rigor Mortis
However, a fresh kill will start to Rig in a few hours

Why is this?

Regards
Brian

[northernsnake]

My snakes are not fed sick rats

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Once you freeze a freshly killed rat (or mouse,etc) you are stopping the continuation of the process. What is happening is that the membranes of muscle cells become more permeable to calcium ions. Living muscle cells expend energy to pass calcium ions to the outside of the cells. Calcium ions are part of the involvment of muscle contraction. Thus you have rigor mortis. Once frozen, this process is stopped. Frozen cells are no longer 'able' to do so.

Also, if you have breeders, then I assume you have the ability to toss the possably ill feeder away and use a safer one......

[Linds]

Originally posted by C.m.pyrrhus

Also, if you have breeders, then I assume you have the ability to toss the possably ill feeder away and use a safer one......

Unless the rodent died of something environmental, there is no problem feeding off sick rodents to snakes. Snakes cannot catch the diseases rodents are commonly affected by, they are not transferrable between the two. In the wild, sick animals are ALWAYS eaten, always before the healthy ones.

[Auskan]

And now for a dumb question: What does the F/T in asphyxia's post stand for?

[Auskan]

Originally posted by C.m.pyrrhus
Also, if you have breeders, then I assume you have the ability to toss the possably ill feeder away and use a safer one......

I guess I just figured why let the body go to waste if there is no reason not to feed. What I am gleaning from the responses so far, there should be no ill effects from feeding it.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Well, I never meant that feeding dead rodents is bad, but also I was unsure as to why it died. I also feed off dead feeders, my concern was only that it seemed you had no idea why it passed, that's all. The way you were curious just made me think that it was possibly ill....otherwise I say go for it.

[Bartman]

And now for a dumb question: What does the F/T in asphyxia's post stand for?

frozen thawed :)

[Auskan]

Originally posted by C.m.pyrrhus
Well, I never meant that feeding dead rodents is bad, but also I was unsure as to why it died. I also feed off dead feeders, my concern was only that it seemed you had no idea why it passed, that's all. The way you were curious just made me think that it was possibly ill....otherwise I say go for it.

You're right. I actually don't know why it died. I only had him a week and he was fine, then went for a few days where he seemed lethargic, then seemed to be coming good, using the exercise wheel, exercising etc. So it was with some surprise that I found him dead yesterday. The two females don't seem to be showing any of the same symptoms, so I don't think its something contagious even within the species. No sign of parasites. Don't know his age - maybe he was just old.

[Jayson]

Only time i would be concerned is if it was possibly exposed to some kind of poison. Captive bred and raised rodents can die of many things that are not in anyway harmful to your snakes.
(starvation, dehydration, colds, respiratory probs, old age,)

[Lisa]

I would avoid feeding if the rodent started to bloat.