Quote Originally Posted by BALLPYTHON
hey adam
how do you responsibly feed a live adult rat to a snake.
for example how do you feed live and make sure there is a low chance of a rat bite?
1. I feed my snakes in their enclosure ... this minimizes stress on the snake and allows them to "hunt" from familiar ground.

2. I leave their hide boxes (and everything else) in the cage ... this gives them some cover to hunt from and protects their bodies from the rats.

3. I feed nothing bigger than a small rat ... small rats teeth are still very soft just in case ... that said, I've never had to worry about "just in case".

4. If the meal isn't eaten within a reasonable about of time, it is removed before the rat gets the chance to become hungry/bored/curious.

In my experience, the rats are oblivious to the idea that there is even a snake in the box with them and usually just hang out in the corner and chew on the substrate until they are nailed (although, most of the time they are nailed mid air before they even hit the floor of the cage)!

-adam