Saved a baby rat

[RabbitMage]

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It's apparently enough of a risk that no herp person I know recommends feeding live unless your other option is starving your pet.

 

[Nekhebet]

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Yeah, that doesn't seem normal. What the heck kind of rat were they feeding it, was it the proper size??

I do feed live, and regretted it for one snake, who struck badly and got nicked several times....but my other python seems fine. Usually, even if they don't want to eat it, my snakes would always take the time out of their days to kill the rodent. My boa was notorious for killing the interloper and then leaving the body there without eating.

Anyway, it seems odd that the snake didn't fight back? Perhaps there was something otherwise wrong with the snake, or it was unheated and left overnight with a hungry rat. Just my thoughts.

A mouse was left with that ball python over night. In a tank, predator and prey cannot get away from each other like in the wild, and if the snake isn't hungry, it usually will just ignore the prey. Mice and rats can be aggressive and defensive, especially if they are frightened or nervous. Even a bored rodent will start to gnaw on whatever is in the tank, snake included.

Yeah....leaving a rodent in with a helpless reptile overnight is pretty fail.

 

[Nekhebet]

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It's apparently enough of a risk that no herp person I know recommends feeding live unless your other option is starving your pet.

I've had a lot of reptiles, and I USUALLY feed live. I did even breed them for awhile.

I would never, however do this without keeping a very good eye on the situation.

In any case that last statement...I don't think you ever have *no* choice, it's simple enough to dislocate the cervical vertebra.

 

[drdoolittle]

Cute rat---love the name. I used to have several pet rats, until I started developing an allergy to them. I cannot be around them long any more, before I get a serious asthma attack.

 

[ultasol]

Why wouldn't you use pre-killed prey? You can use tongs to make it jerk and move like live prey to initiate the strike.

 

[RabbitMage]

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Some herps won't take dead prey, no matter how live you make it look. In those cases it's obviously better to feed live with caution than to let the animal starve.

 

[rancher hicks]

Saw a show that Florida's natural snakes are being outed by pets let go. You don't want to know what I think about pet snakes or rats but I bet you can guess.

Just had to add my 2 cents.

Rancher

 

[sheila3935]

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thats what I said to hubby. Now he is going to get frozen ones from now on. He is also looking for a new home for it. I an not a real fan of snakes. Wasnt really of rats til DD got hers they really are sweet.

 

[Sumatra503]

I've found that my Corns will feed more readily when I feed live. If they don't eat it or at least strike it within 10 minutes I generally assume they aren't ready and remove the mouse. I also feed in a clear tank and observe the entire time.

Mainly the danger comes with adult rats. Mice and baby rats are generally harmless unless the snake is too small for them.

Feeding live can be perfectly safe if done correctly. Part of that is correctly sizing the prey to the snake. A rodent that is too large for the snake to handle is when problems occur. Also being sure the snake is ready to eat will greatly help the outcome.

It mainly carelessness that causes these incidents. The picture before is pretty nast, but that was an adult rat and I'm sure there was something else wrong there as well. The snake was probably sick or had no heat or some other circumstance that wasn't normal.

I doubt much would've happened between a baby rat and a python unless that was one nasty baby or a very small snake.

 

[bagendhens]

oh he is just the cutest little hooded ratty!
im glad he ended up in the pet cage and out of the snake tank

i miss having ratties!