However, you can take it a step further and increase the safety and convenience of feeding rodents to a whole new level. See my point?īy offering freshly killed prey, you are obviously able to avoid the whole prey-fighting-back phenomenon. How about unexpected cold-snaps, or predators. To the person who insists that feeding live prey is the natural, only way to go, I offer this: Why not also expose your pets to other "natural" factors. It is up to us to do everything we can to make our pets safe and comfortable as long as we continue to keep them as pets. They are our pets, and their health and very lives are our responsibility.
So, perhaps your asking yourself, who pre-kills the rats and mice for these snakes in the wild? Well, nobody. Rule of thumb: Don't leave live prey with an unattended snake for more than 15 minutes at a time. The longer the prey item is left with the snake, the more desensitized the snake becomes to the prey item. If a snake doesn't show interest right away, chances are it won't eat right then. In any case, if the initial feeding response is not there, then leaving the rodent with the snake for hours will make no difference. It may be stressed, ill, or just plain full. Why would a snake let this happen? Simple. Remember, snakes can go months without food, but not mice and rats. Snakes are often chewed on by hungry rodents that have nothing else to eat. There are countless reports of snakes (usually finicky ball pythons) left for days in a closed box with a live prey item. In either case, the end result is preventable.Ī less common, though much more serious situation occurs when a live prey item is left unattended with a snake for some period of time. Also, despite sounding ridiculous, I have personally observed a number of snakes that, after being painfully bitten by a mouse while killing it, went on to refuse food for an extended period of time. This is relatively common, and generally not serious, but as with any wound (especially a bite) there is a chance of systemic infection in your snake. If your snake happens to be unlucky, or perhaps doesn't grab the prey just so, there is a good chance of the rodent biting back.
Weanlings through adult size mice as well as all sizes of rats are capable of inflicting a nasty bite on another creature. Large carnivorous lizards such as Monitors and Tegus tend to have little trouble with live rodents however, the principles presented here still apply and should at least be considered if you routinely feed live rodents to your monitors or tegus.įirst let me explain some of the advantages to feeding pre-killed prey, then I will offer some steps to take in order to get you snake interested in prey that's no longer alive.Īdvantage number one is directly related to the safety of your pet. When it comes to feeding vertebrate prey (i.e Mice, Rats, Rabbits, etc.) to reptiles, the animal being fed nearly always is a snake. Some keepers feel that pre-killing prey is a time-consuming and un-necessary hassle, but the fact is that in most cases it is a warned and worthwhile practice. For years hobbyists have been familiar with the concept of offering herps (usually snakes) prey that has already been humanely dispatched, and in some cases frozen for storage and re-thawed. Be it insects, rodents, birds, or fish, the fact is that many herps have the instinct to hunt for their food. Many wild reptiles include some sort of living prey in their natural menu. If you liked this article, then LIKE this article here! Stickers, Calendars, Posters, and other Gift Ideas Shipping Materials, Boxes, Heat & Cool Packs, Etc Tarantula, Scorpion & Other Invert Suppliesĭeli Containers, Shipping Boxes, Packing Materialĭeli Containers (unpunched), Hole Punchers, Etc Hermit Crab, Betta, Lobster & Aquatic Supplies Reptile Medications, Mite Sprays & CleanersĪquatic Turtle Aquarium and Pond AccessoriesĪquatic Turtle Filters, Pumps and Powerheads Lizard, Monitor & Gecko Dry and Canned Foods Terrarium Plants, Vines & Terrarium Accents Heat Pads, Heat Panels, Heat Cable & Rocksīowls, Drippers, Misters, and Humidifiers Mercury Vapor UVB Bulbs & Metal Halide UVB Bulbs UVB Fluorescent Lights, Mercury Vapor BulbsĬompact Fluorescent UVB Bulbs & LED Bulbs Heat Bulbs, Night Heat Bulbs, Ceramic Bulbs Scorpions, Centipedes, Millipedes & Other Bugs Pinesnakes, Bullsnakes, Rear Fanged & Other Snakes
0 kommentar(er)
