This is why you should NEVER feed live

[WingedWolfPsion]

Some ball pythons just won't accept live. Some won't even eat if you're watching. What's best and safest isn't always possible if you want to keep your ball python alive and healthy.

If you can switch them to FT, then FT is obviously safer. If you can't...well, then, you have to feed PK or live. No sense in fretting over it, nor any sense in misleading newbies to believe that ALL snakes will take FT, and they just need to be patient. I've seen excessive 'patience' kill snakes through starvation before.

[TimmyG]

I suppose I should have swapped the NEVER for a GOOD reason to not feed live. I think in my origional post I said there are soem reasons where you have to do live (I know how heated this debate can be and I questioned if I should even post this). Although I havent considered the mass breeder situation, I still know of breeders with tonnes of snakes that still do frozen. And yes while in a human hand the bite is superficial think about how much smaller parts of the snake are. If the same bite was done to the snakes head it could very well go deep enough to do serious damage.

[JLC]

I suppose I should have swapped the NEVER for a GOOD reason to not feed live. I think in my origional post I said there are soem reasons where you have to do live (I know how heated this debate can be and I questioned if I should even post this). Although I havent considered the mass breeder situation, I still know of breeders with tonnes of snakes that still do frozen. And yes while in a human hand the bite is superficial think about how much smaller parts of the snake are. If the same bite was done to the snakes head it could very well go deep enough to do serious damage.

It could have...if the bite had happened on the eye or something. Keep in mind that human skin is very fragile compared to that of most animals, including scaled snakes. Their scales protect them from a LOT...way more than our own skin does. Does this mean a rat can't bite through? Of course not...but does it mean every time a rat's mouth gets on the snake's body that a huge chunk is going to be ripped out or internal organs damaged? Ummm, no. Especially when we're talking about an appropriately sized prey item. Obviously a grown rat will be much more dangerous to a baby snake than it would be to a 4000g breeder.

There's nothing wrong with making the post....just be really, really careful when choosing such absolute words as "NEVER" or "ALWAYS". It's a good experience to share and I'm sure someone can learn from it and possibly use it to make their own choices about feeding live or f/t.

Of course there is SOME risk involved in feeding live....just as there is SOME risk in feeding f/t. Life IS risk...just by being alive, we risk injury and death. This isn't to say as keepers that we shouldn't take steps to mitigate those risks as best we can...but we can't claim ANY sort of absolute that will negate ALL risks in life. Risk factors and benefits have to be weighed carefully in every decision we make as keepers. The benefits of carefully feeding live, for many, clearly outweigh the slight risk of a rodent bite. The benefit of the convenience of leaving a live rat overnight with your picky snake does NOT outweigh the much higher risk of the rat making a snack out of an indifferent snake. ....That's my take on the whole debate.

[anatess]

Great picture...

I would use it for a thread/blog titled:

"This is why snakes are better pets than rodents!"

I guess I'll have to post a picture of a snake bite too. I have to say, my kids have been bit by the rats/hamsters plenty of times but only got bit by the snake once (it was their fault too - they put the snake on the couch and then jumped on the couch like it was a trampoline - snake, of course, thought it was the end of the world and went wham!).

[jfreels]

I can agree with the intentions of the OP. Some people and a lot of care sheets tell new snake owners to never feed live. Hearing it enough, you can feel that "it's just the way it's suppose to be."

For example, I frequent another forum where if you mention that you feed live, you get the exact opposite reaction. All their care sheets say never feed live, it doesn't have any benefit to the snake. That having been the first forum I frequented, I started believing that. After joining here, I have realized that there can be a vast difference in a feeding preference for a ball and something else like a corn snake.

Personally, I hope to never have to feed live. All my snakes are fed f/t for my convenience and it has seemed to work out well for them. Aspiring to become a breeder, I don't think I'll be able to keep up this practice.

I will stick to my guns though when people argue that it's more natural to feed live in captivity. I cannot agree with that statement, sorry. I have no problems with people feeding live though, I don't feel I do any better by feeding f/t. I'll also say that feeding f/t doesn't necessarily change their feeding response either.

[snakesRkewl]

Great picture...

I would use it for a thread/blog titled:

"This is why snakes are better pets than rodents!"

I love my ratties and have been bitten by snakes way more times than by rats, mostly baby snakes but a few big girls have tagged me too.
I love my snakes and my rats, they are just completely different kinds of "pets"

[TimmyG]

^ Awsome idea, I have one pick of a snake bite where theres hardly one drop of blood

[Freakie_frog]

The main thing is to find what works for you and your snakes. Some cities have laws against feeding live animals to one another and so it might not be legal for you to feed live. Then again your snake might not eat F/T to save its life so feeding F/T might not be an option, it might a moral thing or an emotional thing. When making the decision to do or not do something ask yourself theses questions

1: am I providing to the best of my ability for my snake
2: am I making this decision because of my animals needs or my own reasons
3: how far am I willing to go to provide for my animals (i.e feeding live even if you don't "like " too)
4: am I trying to force my snake to change it's behavior to suit me and if so am I willing to change to suit my snakes needs..

What works for you might not work for me and my snakes..

[anatess]

The main thing is to find what works for you and your snakes. Some cities have laws against feeding live animals to one another and so it might not be legal for you to feed live. Then again your snake might not eat F/T to save its life so feeding F/T might not be an option, it might a moral thing or an emotional thing. When making the decision to do or not do something ask yourself theses questions

1: am I providing to the best of my ability for my snake
2: am I making this decision because of my animals needs or my own reasons
3: how far am I willing to go to provide for my animals (i.e feeding live even if you don't "like " too)
4: am I trying to force my snake to change it's behavior to suit me and if so am I willing to change to suit my snakes needs..

What works for you might not work for me and my snakes..

I might be wrong, but I think it is illegal in most of England.

[jnite]

I have to say, my kids have been bit by the rats/hamsters plenty of times but only got bit by the snake once (it was their fault too - they put the snake on the couch and then jumped on the couch like it was a trampoline - snake, of course, thought it was the end of the world and went wham!).

Sorry to derail the thread, but that is hilarious.....: I used to do that with my cat when I was young, fortunately for me my cat was alot more forgiving than your snake!!!!


As for feeding it is what you feel comfortable with, and remember when a snake is constricting it's muscles are soo tight that it would have to be a pretty nasty rodent to get through their scales.