This is why you should NEVER feed live

[zina10]

. Hey, they survive just fine eating live prey in the wild - right?

In all fairness, in the wild the snake and rodent won't be confined together in a small area, either ! So while there are many reasons to either feed live, or not, this is not a valid one.

Feeding live carries risks, but doing it responsibly cuts down on the risks immensely. Like its been said, feeding in the snakes enclosure is safest. Its also
very, very important to stay nearby and supervise. If the snake doesn't grab and constrict the rodent immediately, the risk goes up. If the snake strikes and misses, the rodent will then
be on the alert, defensive and aggressive, since it cannot get away. If the snake is not interested in eating, the rodent might start gnawing on the snake.

In the wild the rodent that was "hit and miss" can run away. In the wild, a snake that isn't interested in eating, will not be forced to bunk with a hungry (and ticked off) rodent. In the wild, most reptiles
don't live to ripe old age. In captivity we try to make them last

I've fed live, pre-killed and f/t. So far, no mishaps. If I feed live, I supervise until the rodent is dead. If not struck/eaten within a few minutes, I remove the rodent.