what are the chances....

[mattramsfan]

what are the chances of a rat biting my BP. i would of course be watching to see if the rat bit him but do they usually bite or is it safe to feed my BP a live rat. Currently I pre kill the rat and then feed it to my BP. just wondering if its safe to let my snake kill the rat instead of me

[Kaorte]

Snakes are killing machines. That is what they do best. The majority of injuries caused by rodents are from them being left alone with a snake that was not interested in eating. As long as you are keeping a close eye on the feeding there should be no issue. Maybe a tiny scratch or a small bite, but nothing life threatening.

I see a lot of people freak out when a live rodent scratches or bites the snake. They have very tough skin and heal pretty quickly as long as you keep the wound clean. It really is nothing to worry about.

In short, don't leave the snake alone with a live feeder and it is perfectly safe.

[stratus_020202]

^^^ X2. I feed all 8 of mine live (for now). You will get the occasional scratch and bite. It mostly comes with the young ones, or the ones who just have bad aim. Lol. A perfect striker should have the head controlled for no biting.

Remember, nobody pre-kills them in the wild. As long as you take it away if they are uninterested. They can't get away in captivity. Good luck!

[mattramsfan]

true. they have to kill their own rats in the wild.... if my snake does get bit.... does neosproin help or anything i can put on it.....

[stratus_020202]

Well, they heal pretty rapidly without anything. Neosporin does help, as long as you use the kind without painkiller. From my experience (the whole year that it has been), they are great healers. Most scratches go away after one shed.

[iCandiBallPythons]

Theres always risk of a bite, the ones that would concern me is the snake losing an eye to a bite. One in a million yeah but it has happened.

[Raverthug]

What I do is I dangle it for the snake. It increases the chance of the snake getting the rat by the hear. Also after the snake wraps the rat, If it looks like the rat might bite my snake I will flick it in the head to knock it out.