Live or dead ? That is the question

Gollum · 09-21-03, 06:03 AM

Is it really all that important to feed them with dead preys... I know this guy with a ton of snakes for years and hes always been feeding live , except for a couple snakes. And what becomes of the snakes hunting instinct ?

RepTylE · 09-21-03, 07:01 AM

I have a BP that eats live or dead. I see him grab the mouse and constrict regardless. No dulling of the killing instinct there. I used ti feed him live all the time but due to feeder supply probs I have to travel farther to find a decent supply so buying frozen is my solution.

Feed live if that is your preference but please don't just drop the feeder in the cage and walk away. I'm sure that you have heard horror stories of a mouse or rat attacking the snake and doing some serious damage when left unattended.

chas*e · 09-21-03, 07:14 AM

My collection of snakes are fed thawed rats ..period. I don't need the Vet bills if complications arise from a rat bite. Besides the rats and mice stink my place up..lol.....l raised them on f/t fom the get go.....there is one BP that eats live ..he was an aquisition and is extremely old...it pisses me off but thats him.

daver676 · 09-21-03, 07:23 AM

Not this again......

Pre-killed or frozen-thawed only.

If you've tried EVERYTHING else to get your snake to eat, then a small live prey item may be used.

The instinct is still there, it just varies with intensity by the snake.

Dave

Gollum · 09-21-03, 07:37 AM

Well, no frozen around here :/
So pre killed or live. Live gives them more exercice ^^

thelessa · 09-21-03, 08:07 AM

When I first got my boa, the girl before me had been feeding live. I didn't have any problems switching him over. In fact, he didn't ever refuse. I got really lucky in that aspect.

Before I had gotten him, I had done lots of research about this vs. thing.

It really doesn't make any emotional/financial/whatever sense to feed these creatures live rodents.
I don't know about you, but I am living on a *tight* college student budget. I would prefer to avoid the vet for mites/parasites/bites and damage if I can. My animal comes first, and If I had to eat ramen for 6 months, then so be it, but why add to the issue?

Unless you just get off on watching it go down.

I can't imagine it being much different on a "rush" level. It's always exciting and my boa doesn't even know the difference. He has struck at every f/t I have twitched in front of him. Besides, captivity doesn't equal an instinctive enviroment where he is living or dying based on his food intake. The monkey behind the plexi is always going to make sure he eats.

Wow. who put that soapbox there?

Lessa

Gollum · 09-21-03, 10:11 AM

Agreed but they really don't sell f/t here to my knowledge. Does someone know online orders for europe ? Cuz i live in france :/

mykee · 09-21-03, 12:23 PM

Around and around we go in a neverending battle of live vs. dead. Shoot me.

Lisa · 09-21-03, 02:55 PM

Gollum: where are you?

If you are in canada or the united states you can buy in bulk cheaper then you can from any pet store. and if there is no one selling f/t maybe there's a niche you can fill.

jay76 · 09-21-03, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gollum
Live gives them more exercice

Yeeeeah... Live also gives them more of a chance to meet the local vet too.

If you can't find frozen then stun or kill a live one. I sort of adopted all the snakes at the petstore near where I live, and the first weekend I fed them, they all got whacked mice instead of live. The only ones who refused to eat were in shed (although they don't have any WC... there was a WC ball python that ate only live mice but someone bought him). There is NO NEED to feed a snake live prey unless it's a last resort.

Why does this keep coming up every month?

ohh_kristina · 09-21-03, 03:48 PM

you should be feeding dead. at least pre killed. I feed pre killed and it's no problem. The people at the pet store will kill the rats for me. The previous owner of my ball python (he was a rescue) fed him live, and he has the scars to prove it. He has a 2cm gash on the side of his head, and two nice scars on his sides. And this was right in front of the owners eyes, the rat did it before the owner could jump in there and remove the rat. It is too much of a risk, in my opinion.

eyespy · 09-21-03, 03:49 PM

I've never yet met a snake fed solely live prey that didn't have intestinal parasites. And I've been doing fecals since 1985. Rodents are called "pinworm factories" in medical slang.

Linds · 09-21-03, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gollum
Well, no frozen around here :/

If you have live, then you can have frozen. Wack em and stick em in the feezer for a day or two

Quote:

Live gives them more exercice ^^

How do you figure??? They don't move any more than they would with a dead prey item, and most snakes still constrict just as they would a live one. Snakes fed dead still hunt when they are hungry (how else do we know they are hungry?). The excercise arguement doesn't work, because snakes do not get anymore excercise with either method. And the natural debate doesn't work either since there is nothing natural about captivity.

There aren't really any significant cons to feeding f/t, while there are many to feeding live...

mark129er · 09-21-03, 07:24 PM

My snake ate live but that was of its own accord. It had escaped and found its way into the mouse cage. Got a nice meal and not a scratch, I know I got lucky and have every intention of feeding prekilled or f/t. But it goes to show that the instinct is still there.

this debate will never end.

mark

mykee · 09-21-03, 10:34 PM

mark, this debate will end, and when it finally does, someone new to this site will come on in a week and rehash the whole sorry topic again.