Live Feeding: Drop or Dangle?

Hey guys, my BP is a brat and will only eat live so I was wondering how you guys fed live and what works better/is safer. Do you dangle the prey into the enclosure until snatched up or do you just drop the prey in and watch until it's snatched?

I just drop mine in. Keep a pencil handy in case of a poor hit.

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Originally Posted by KING JAMES

I just drop mine in. Keep a pencil handy in case of a poor hit.

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What do you mean by that?

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Originally Posted by Eazyyyb

What do you mean by that?

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If the snake does not hit head first then you need to kill the rat before it begins biting at your specimen. To increase the odds of a good hit, I usually place the prey on all fours, hold the rodent's tail with a pair of tongs, and guide it slowly toward the snake.

All I meant was to keep something within reach that can be used to occupy the mouth of the feeder until it expires. This is only needed if the snake makes a poor hit (example, it bites the rat in the hind quarter and does not wrap it well leaving the head free to bite away)

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Originally Posted by Eazyyyb

Hey guys, my BP is a brat and will only eat live so I was wondering how you guys fed live and what works better/is safer. Do you dangle the prey into the enclosure until snatched up or do you just drop the prey in and watch until it's snatched?

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I've been working on switching my youngins over to F/T, so I've been using live and freshly killed to help them make the transition. I've found that Sophie (Spider F) plucks her meal right off the tongs, dead or alive. However, Peyton (Pastel M) is more stubborn and likes to slowly make his way to his meal after it's been dropped in. Generally speaking, I try to keep them "head to head" to avoid a strike to the tail end, which could result with the snake being bit when being fed a live meal.

Hope that helps..

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Originally Posted by Physician&Snakes

If the snake does not hit head first then you need to kill the rat before it begins biting at your specimen. To increase the odds of a good hit, I usually place the prey on all fours, hold the rodent's tail with a pair of tongs, and guide it slowly toward the snake.

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Interesting.....over 5K live feedings, I've never had to intervene, or guide the prey to the snake, direct hit or not. No injuries in all those live feedings either. :confuzd:

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Originally Posted by KING JAMES

All I meant was to keep something within reach that can be used to occupy the mouth of the feeder until it expires. This is only needed if the snake makes a poor hit (example, it bites the rat in the hind quarter and does not wrap it well leaving the head free to bite away)

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It's been my personal experience that no matter how the snake hits, the prey is more concerned taking its last gasp than inflicting any damaging bites to my snakes. As in the previous post, in over 5K live feeds, I've never intervened in the process for my snakes.

Drop it in.

You drop a live rodent in there that's the appropriate size, your snake will figure out everything else for you.

I don't guide, put prey in with as little stress as possible so it's just going about investigating new surroundings, normally no more than 30 seconds go by and it's coiled...

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Interesting.....over 5K live feedings, I've never had to intervene, or guide the prey to the snake, direct hit or not. No injuries in all those live feedings either. :confuzd:

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I have never had any poor hits either, but I have never chanced it either. Notice, my posts states what "I" do when I feed live...I am sure you are just as responsible of a keeper. If my post did come off to you as some some perturbing remark toward your methodology then you have my apology though.

I put the container with rat close to her hide so she smells then open it drop rat then close her enclosure. Head or rump shenails it. I do watch just incase the rat decides to try and use last resorts and bites but so far no prproblem and she's almost 3 1/2 yrs old now. She has never been biitten and only eats tail first if its smaller than usual.

So long as you feed appropriately sized meals you shouldnt have any injuries. I still watch everytime i live feed to make sure the rodent cant get to an eyeball and to make sure the snake is actually interested in eating. Slowly let the rat down into the enclosure on the far side away from the snake.

I had a corn snake that got bit and it turned to infection, so I see the possibility of this happening, but my BP has never had an issue getting live prey wrapped up and taken out. I only feed live as he wont touch f/t. Just give them lots of space. I buy a plastic tub that offers more than enough space for the job to be done.

Haha. I feel so blessed when I read through these threads all of mine will take f/t or pk. Even my picky 1500 g girl that's been fed live her whole life (:

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Do not dangle. That puts the feeders into a panic. Panic and scared animals are dangerous and your chances of a bite from them increases.
You want your feeders calm. Just gently place the rat in the enclosure and keep watch. A calm feeder will either curiously explore or sit and groom itself.

If your snake strikes and gets a bad hold where the rat's teeth are in position to bite, just shove a pen/chopstick/tongs into its mouth till its dead.

Hundreds of live feedings here and no wounds on my snakes. Just make sure youre you're feeding an appropriately sized prey. So prey not overly large.

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Originally Posted by Tannerrrtx

Haha. I feel so blessed when I read through these threads all of mine will take f/t or pk. Even my picky 1500 g girl that's been fed live her whole life (:

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Send me some of your snake charming abilities!! :)

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Send me some of your snake charming abilities!! :)

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If I could I would! Ever since I was little me and my reptilian friends have seemed to get along well lol

I don't even zombie dance with them anymore. All I have to do is lay em in. Usually somewhere around the heat tape. And everyone hits like crazy within the hour. I've never had to sit around. My new black pastel almost got me when I dropped his in yesterday lol

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Thanks for the info guys I'll get another rat this weekend and just drop and observe

Depends to be honest for my ghost,I drop it in. He is a great striker. Always strikes at the face of prey and then constrict the neck then chest,it's routine wih him. He is on point. Once in a blue if he is extra feisty for food he will strike at then neck,like he did this past Sunday. But with my ghost!he don't mess around!as soon as he detects prey,he's out and striking within seconds most all the time.

my Black pastel,sometimes I'll dangle it I'm front of him,as he is not a good striker and he's picky and shy and a pain to feed..seems like when I dangle he strikes faster then when I place the prey in the tank.

each snake is different. I also monitor live feedings from the moment the feeder is dropped in until there 100% dead

drop it in.. mine hits perfect every time.

I also drop it in. My only other advice is if you're using a tank with a lot of decorations, you may want to remove everything except the hide that your BP is currently using. I didn't once (and just once) with a king snake and he ended up playing chase-strike-miss with the mouse hopper for about 45 minutes.