# Ball Pythons > General BP's >  How long is it safe to thaw a rat for?

## Frost33

I wasn't sure how to state my title.  Basically I'm wondering how long can you safely thaw a rat for before it is no longer safe to feed?  I'm currently feeding my BP small rats and I generally set them out for a few hours, make sure they're thawed and feed her, but occasionally  I have forgotten them (because I get busy with kids or what not) and they sit out for much long.  I understand that summer time is different because of the heat, but here in Wisconsin, it isn't that warm yet.

Also, if I put a rat that has sat out too long into her cage will she just eat it or know its bad by smell?

Thanks for any advice.

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## Skittles1101

I'm not sure there is an exact time limit to leave a rat out, but more of a personal opinion. Define a little longer? I think if you usually do 3 and you accidentally did 5...it's not a big deal. Possibly even overnight (probably not ideal, but probably not unsafe either). I thaw completely differently, so I don't really worry about this. I usually take the rats I need out of the freezer and put them in the fridge overnight, then about 20 minutes before feeding I put them in hot water.

A bp will know the difference between a "good" rat and a "bad" rat, unless of course it's a garbage disposal like my normal, he'll eat anything. I've had a rat that I thaw out and every single one of my bps refuse and it looks normal, but it's probably bad somehow so they definitely know the difference.

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## Alexandra V

My male is eating small F/T rats, and it takes them pretty long to thaw. If it's the weekend, I'll take the rat out the night before and just sit it in the snake room, and feed it off the next morning, otherwise I'll thaw it in the fridge overnight if it's during the week (I go to school and such during the day) and then when I get home I take it out and sit it in the snake room for maybe two hours or so just to warm it up a little.

If it is visibly rotting, I wouldn't feed it, but I wouldn't worry about it staying out too long if it was just a matter of hours because ball pythons will eat carrion in the wild, so they've got some tough little stomachs. If the rat is too far gone even for the snake, then they'll refuse to eat it. Simple as that.  :Smile:

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_Anya_ (05-18-2011),CeeLee (05-18-2011),_Skittles1101_ (05-18-2011)

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## monk90222

I usually take my rats out of the freezer at 4:30 am (when I leave for work) and I don't feed until 9 at night....I actually leave the tray of rats in my incubator (when there are no clutches in there of course) and they are 89 degrees when I feed...all is well!

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## BigJ

Just a noob question...why not just take it out of the freezer and put it in warm water 20-30 mins before hand and call it good??

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Ginglis (06-16-2019)

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## Frost33

The only reason I don't use water for the primary method of thawing is I want to make sure the rat is fully thawed.  It is most likely just me being over cautious, but it also leads to me forgetting and leaving the rat out longer than I intended.  

I rarely forget to feed her once I take a rat out, yesterday was only the 2nd time I have forgotten and left a rat out over night.  I erred on the side of caution and threw the rat out instead of risking it and feeding it to her.  

The rat wasn't rotting or anything, I just wasn't sure if I should feed her something that had sat out for around 14 hours or so.  I tend to assume that she wouldn't eat something that was bad, but I don't know, and I don't know what affect it would have on her.

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## Skittles1101

> Just a noob question...why not just take it out of the freezer and put it in warm water 20-30 mins before hand and call it good??


Because thawing it too quickly will make it go boom  :Smile:

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_Popeye_ (05-18-2011)

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## BigJ

> Because thawing it too quickly will make it go boom



Clarification please!!  :Confused:

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## Skittles1101

They will explode when the snake strikes and you'll have blood and guts all over the enclosure and snake lol.

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BigJ (05-18-2011)

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## Highline Reptiles South

haha...they will explode usually out the backend...either in the hot water or with a little help from your snake....

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BigJ (05-18-2011)

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## Alexandra V

> Because thawing it too quickly will make it go boom





> haha...they will explode usually out the backend...either in the hot water or with a little help from your snake....


LOL yeah it can happen. It doesn't always happen when you thaw with water (I occasionally do when I forget to take the rat out  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  ) but if you thaw them too fast (with water that's too warm) it can and does happen.

Nobody told me about it at first, and it happened on my second f/t feeding with my male. I was thoroughly disgusted lol!

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## BigJ

wow thats great to know!

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## CeeLee

i always thaw mine in warm water and it's never exploded :Surprised:  good to know though, thanks!

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## Skittles1101

> i always thaw mine in warm water and it's never exploded good to know though, thanks!


Putting them in hot/warm water after they have been thawed out won't make them explode, going from freezer to hot water will. They generally don't with smaller prey but once you gt to weaned rats I'd say it starts to happen lol.

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CeeLee (05-18-2011)

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## CeeLee

> Putting them in hot/warm water after they have been thawed out won't make them explode, going from freezer to hot water will. They generally don't with smaller prey but once you gt to weaned rats I'd say it starts to happen lol.


i stick a frozen one in warm water i'm so glad it's never happened!  i'm about to change him over to rats though so i'm really glad i learned this little tidbit of info thank you!

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## Kymberli

> i always thaw mine in warm water and it's never exploded good to know though, thanks!


Think of the frozen rat as an ice cube. If you take the ice cube straight out of the freezer and drop it in warm water it cracks. Same basic principle with frozen rodents.  :Smile:  I've had it happen. Luckily, it was a medium mouse, not a rat. My female squeezed it and the intestines popped out.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  Fun cleanup, lol.

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_Popeye_ (05-18-2011)

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## PweEzy

I have never had a frozen rat explode while defrosting. Just don't cook your water cause you dont want to cook your rats. If you just use hot water straight out of the tap you shouldn't have any problems. I got straight from freezer to sink with no problems at all

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## Skittles1101

> I have never had a frozen rat explode while defrosting. Just don't cook your water cause you dont want to cook your rats. If you just use hot water straight out of the tap you shouldn't have any problems. I got straight from freezer to sink with no problems at all


To thaw a rat from freezer to water in 20 mins or less takes more than just warm water....they were just asking about doing it in a short period of time.

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## mainbutter

I thaw directly in warm/hot water, usually takes 10 minutes or less.. and I really don't use very hot water at all.  I do use a big cooking pot, so the volume of water is larger (and the water doesn't give up all its heat too fast).  

Nothing wrong with it, a little extra water isn't going to hurt your snake.

I've only had bursting issues with faster thawing with crappy feeders.  Monster feeders and rodent pro have never exploded on me, rat pinkies to larges.

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## CeeLee

> Think of the frozen rat as an ice cube. If you take the ice cube straight out of the freezer and drop it in warm water it cracks. Same basic principle with frozen rodents.  I've had it happen. Luckily, it was a medium mouse, not a rat. My female squeezed it and the intestines popped out.  Fun cleanup, lol.


haha gross i totally read this while eating pizza lmao  thanks for everyones advice!  now i don't have to learn the hard way what a cracked ratcicle looks like haha

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## xFenrir

> Think of the frozen rat as an ice cube. If you take the ice cube straight out of the freezer and drop it in warm water it cracks. Same basic principle with frozen rodents.  I've had it happen. Luckily, it was a medium mouse, not a rat. My female squeezed it and the intestines popped out.  Fun cleanup, lol.


I had that happen once! The whole stomach exploded.  :Surprised:  I thought it was gross but kinda cool. Luckily I didn't have to clean anything up, my girl ate it all.  :Very Happy:

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