Feeding live rats (somewhat gruesome story beware plz)

...... I can't do it anymore.






Please be aware the following story is graphic if you have a weak stomach please please don't read it.




I have a beautiful 1600g breeder female that I just purchased about a month ago. She has been kind of picky, just getting used to her new environment I suppose. The previous owner told me that he fed her live rats exclusively and that she was eating 2 per week for him as she was bred this year and was trying to put the weight she lost back on. Before last night she never even showed interest in the rat I got for her. I'd put him in her tub and he would run all over her pooping and what not and finally just take over her hide and sit there. Finally (or so I thought) last night I guess she was hungry enough because she struck him and I thought that was it. Well she only constricted around his neck not his body apparently and she squeezed so hard on his head that both his eyes popped out and he was bleeding from his nose and his mouth profusely. THEN SHE LET HIM GO! I opened the tub because I heard him running around like crazy and I don't want her to get hurt and there is blood absolutely everywhere and she's sitting in the corner completely ignoring him. I didn't know what else to do and he seemed to be in so much pain so I had to take him outside and kill him.

I honestly don't think I can ever feed live again, that girl will have to learn to love f/t and fast because she's not getting any more live. I've got a small rat colony right now but all the grow outs will be euthanized prior to being fed. Sorry for the long and probably stupid post but I'm so shook up by it still the day after just had to get it off my chest.

EWW THATS GROSS!! ive seen eyes bulging, but never pop out. i hope she eats f/t for you.

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Originally Posted by evil mechanic

EWW THATS GROSS!! ive seen eyes bulging, but never pop out. i hope she eats f/t for you.

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Thanks, yeah me too. It was not a pretty picture. I'm pretty sure his skull was cracked or something. She must have had him pretty good.

o
my
god

for the love of god feed frozen.

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Originally Posted by extensive

o
my
god

for the love of god feed frozen.

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All my other snakes, with the exception of my baby corns who go back and forth between live and f/t mouse pinks, eat f/t with no problems and I have a whole shelf in my freezer full of them. I'd have fed her f/t too but like I said the guy I bought her from said she only ate live and I wanted to get a meal or two in her before I started trying to switch.

sorry, i think that is hilarious. She was probably just trying to get the rat to calm down. Anyway, just because that happened once, that does not mean it will happen again. I dont thiknk it is fair to her to deprive her of what she would eat naturally in nature. But its not my decison. i just think u should give live a couple more chances.

wow... im sorry that you, and the rat, had to go through that. i hate feeding live as it is but sometimes it cant be helped and if i had to go through something like that i dont know what i would do.

good luck getting her on frozen thawed.

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Originally Posted by spokism

sorry, i think that is hilarious. She was probably just trying to get the rat to calm down. Anyway, just because that happened once, that does not mean it will happen again. I dont thiknk it is fair to her to deprive her of what she would eat naturally in nature. But its not my decison. i just think u should give live a couple more chances.

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Well you can't really say that that is what they eat in the wild. We're talking about domesticated rats here which, I know it sounds crazy but bear with me, are not native to AFRICA!

I'll try her again on either PK or stunned but no more live, she'll switch to FT eventually.

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Originally Posted by spokism

sorry, i think that is hilarious. She was probably just trying to get the rat to calm down. Anyway, just because that happened once, that does not mean it will happen again. I dont thiknk it is fair to her to deprive her of what she would eat naturally in nature. But its not my decison. i just think u should give live a couple more chances.

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How is that hilarious?

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

Well you can't really say that that is what they eat in the wild. We're talking about domesticated rats here which, I know it sounds crazy but bear with me, are not native to AFRICA!

I'll try her again on either PK or stunned but no more live, she'll switch to FT eventually.

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i don't think he was referring to the exact species, just the fact that they eat live prey in the wild.

if it wasn't for the absurd cost for rats where i live, i would prefer to feed live. *most* of the time, your snake should eat live just fine unless there is something else going on, incorrect husbandry or shed cycle for example.

after your situation, i completely understand your choice. that must have been pretty graphic. although, i don't think you should abandon live prey altogether. :twocents: