Split from Scaleless BP - Feeding Live Debate

[B.O.S Reptiles]

about rat bites:

rats can easily bite through wood or bone. who in their right mind can believe that the soft scales of a BP protect against a rat bite?

the nastiest possible injuries are when a rat manages to damage the jaw or skull of the snake. Do you think this will change without the "protection" of scales, really?

I would like to point out that there are no issues with scaleles corn snakes and scaleless texas rat snakes. Scaleless beardeds are problematic, but i say thats apples to oranges, bearded dragons with scales have quite extreme scales, also they have legs.

i indeed do believe that if the belly scales and heat pits are fine, they will be just as perfect as scaleless texas rats and scaleless corns. no diference in husbandry. We will see.

Feeding live is a stupid idea for any snakes

[kat_black181]

Feeding live is a stupid idea for any snakes

That's not a fair statement.

Some snakes have to eat live since they won't take f/t... I'd rather feed my snakes live prey, under close observation, than let my snake starve.

[B.O.S Reptiles]

That's not a fair statement.

Some snakes have to eat live since they won't take f/t... I'd rather feed my snakes live prey, under close observation, than let my snake starve.

A snake will eventually get hungry enough and take f/t. If not...
Freshly killed √

[I-KandyReptiles]

A snake will eventually get hungry enough and take f/t. If not...
Freshly killed √

And if it doesn't, then what?

There's nothing wrong with feeding live if you are responsible about it. It's the people that don't watch or get sidetracked that have issues.

I've fed hundreds of live rodents and yet to have an injury occur. I always watch and keep a set of tongs ready to shove in a rodents mouth if the snake strikes wrong.

[sunshinenorcas]

A snake will eventually get hungry enough and take f/t. If not...
Freshly killed √

You can't use those kinds of absolutes though, especially with animals. If an animal can eat f/t, then by all means- yes. F/t is the way to go. If it won't switch then it gets tricky.
For example, my first foray into snakes was a KSB. I got her in october and she refused f/t until december. Then she refused food until April when I finally gave her a live fuzzy. I tried EVERYTHING I could think off. Braining, chicken broth, pre-killed, in the tank, out of the tank, lengthening weeks between attempts ... nothing worked. Nothing. In that case, yes, I gave her a live fuzzy. My hope was that she would get on a schedule of eating live and once it was consistent, I would try again with f/t- unfortunately she got out and passed away before I could try that.

I don't like feeding live, and if I don't have to I won't- Tali is getting fat and happy on f/t and I'm fine with that. But if I had a snake who snubbed everything I could think of, I would feed live and I'm not going to judge another keeper for their choice, especially with hard eaters- there is a point where it's more important that the animal is eating then if it's on the diet you want.

[B.O.S Reptiles]

You can't use those kinds of absolutes though, especially with animals. If an animal can eat f/t, then by all means- yes. F/t is the way to go. If it won't switch then it gets tricky.
For example, my first foray into snakes was a KSB. I got her in october and she refused f/t until december. Then she refused food until April when I finally gave her a live fuzzy. I tried EVERYTHING I could think off. Braining, chicken broth, pre-killed, in the tank, out of the tank, lengthening weeks between attempts ... nothing worked. Nothing. In that case, yes, I gave her a live fuzzy. My hope was that she would get on a schedule of eating live and once it was consistent, I would try again with f/t- unfortunately she got out and passed away before I could try that.

I don't like feeding live, and if I don't have to I won't- Tali is getting fat and happy on f/t and I'm fine with that. But if I had a snake who snubbed everything I could think of, I would feed live and I'm not going to judge another keeper for their choice, especially with hard eaters- there is a point where it's more important that the animal is eating then if it's on the diet you want.

But a snake will see no difference between a freshly killed (and I mean like... Cervical dislocation in front of the cage, and then popping that sucker in their cage immediately after) and a live rat.

[sunshinenorcas]

Uh, mine did. She didn't eat or strike at it, or even acknowledge it was there. And I pretty much killed it and dropped it in.

[sho220]

Uh, mine did. She didn't eat or strike at it, or even acknowledge it was there. And I pretty much killed it and dropped it in.

B.O.S is a clueless newb. I'd take what he says with a grain of salt...

[interloc]

B.O.S is a clueless newb. I'd take what he says with a grain of salt...

I wish I could click the thanks button more than once. I guess he is saying that for millions of years snakes have been eating wrong.

[Crazymonkee]

A snake will eventually get hungry enough and take f/t. If not...
Freshly killed √

Not true. And I'd NEVER be willing to find out

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