How to train your ball python..?

The advice wasn't cruel or dangerous its a matter of opinion.. People have different opinions and mine as stated isn't right or wrong.. I never had a bite from any mice I've thumped.. That's the whole point I was trying to get across and either my communication stinks or you read it wrong.. Your right and I shouldn't of said it like i sounds like I'm heartless.. I care for all animals that's why I prefer F/T.. My kingsnake and gopher snake wont take them.. Like I've said before your opinion is noted but yours isn't right or wrong either.. I've never had any snake bitten from thumping I've owned 100s of snakes and breed many.. Again my concern is the safety of the snakes.. And my advice is meant to be used as a reference and used if needed or take what you want from it. I've forgotten more about snakes/reptiles then 10 people combined.. You don't have any right to judge someone because your opinion is different.. I never said the others who commented that happen to have your opinion were wrong and just a FYI I could equally disrespect you and your opinion as you did me.. I never leave any of my snakes unattended during feeding of live or F/t.. And once again not one single snake of mine over 29 years of owning snakes has ever been bitten by a thumped/unconscious mouse.. The only time they have been bitten is when they are completely conscious as stated above and every time I've been able to immediatly react and handle the situation and it has nothing to do with in-proper live feeding...

Something I think helps as well is if you get your snake to strike and constrict a f/t rodent I always grab the rodent with my hemostats and shake it a little and simulate it struggling to give the snake the impression it's alive.

Some opinions are wrong. For example, recommending 'thumped' or stunned mice. That is an opinion with documented dangerous results. Just because you think something doesn't automatically make it correct. If you want to pull out all your experience, I suggest talking to some of the long-term veterans of this site about their opinions on stunning. I seriously doubt you're going to find anyone that agrees with you.

And if you truly disagree with my opinions on properly supervised live-feeding (which it doesn't sound like you do... because they are pretty well-researched) then by all means criticize them. I can explain to you why I do what I do without getting mad that someone disagrees with my opinion.

I think I'll try fresh killed with her next. The thumped rats were basically dead anyway, so hopefully she'll go for it. If not, one of my other balls will eat it. I have some that are ferocious eaters!

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Originally Posted by SerpentGirl

I think I'll try fresh killed with her next. The thumped rats were basically dead anyway, so hopefully she'll go for it. If not, one of my other balls will eat it. I have some that are ferocious eaters!

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Fresh-killed is much safer, and you don't have the risk that the mouse will suddenly come to and surprise your snake. If I could find someone to show me how to do a cervical dislocation I'd try to start my live-feeding girl on fresh-killed as well since I've heard that's a good intermediate step between live and f/t.

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Originally Posted by DVirginiana

Fresh-killed is much safer, and you don't have the risk that the mouse will suddenly come to and surprise your snake. If I could find someone to show me how to do a cervical dislocation I'd try to start my live-feeding girl on fresh-killed as well since I've heard that's a good intermediate step between live and f/t.

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I'd like to learn how to do that as well. Fresh killed seems like a good medium, so I'll give it a go!

Look up videos on YouTube, they help a lot. Just have something to hold the rodent down at the neck and pull from the base of the tail upwards and towards the head until you hear and feel the neck break. It is instant but there will be some twitching, which is just nerve reactions. Mice have very small bones, so you don't have to yank the tail like you're starting a chainsaw . Just pull firmly while keeping pressure on the neck. I usually use a pencil to hold down a mouse neck (that is my pre killing mice only pencil lol) and a cleaning rod for rats since they are bigger and obviously a little harder to hold down. You can also Co 2 chamber the rodents if you need to do a lot of them at once.

Sorry I haven't updated sooner! Good newsn is she's eating f/t now! I gave her pre-killed for a few weeks, and she transitioned beautifully. Thanks for all the help!

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Originally Posted by DVirginiana

Fresh-killed is much safer, and you don't have the risk that the mouse will suddenly come to and surprise your snake. If I could find someone to show me how to do a cervical dislocation I'd try to start my live-feeding girl on fresh-killed as well since I've heard that's a good intermediate step between live and f/t.

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I definitely agree with what you have been saying. Please please please everyone DONT try to do a cervical dislocation without having someone who knows exactly what they are doing show you first. I do this technique every day for my research animals, and it is actually harder than you think. For young mice and rats it isn't too difficult, but as they get a bit older and larger it can get tricky. I recommend using thumb and pointer finger of one hand to firmly hold the head and neck steady, and then the other hand to pull the tail in one solid jerking motion. I never liked the pencil technique.

IMO using a homemade CO2 chamber is the way to go. There are many Youtube videos on how to construct this simple apparatus for relatively cheap. This way you can euthanize the animal slowly and effectively. Multiple animals can also be put down at once.