When should I switch to live?

[Zincubus]

Yeah ... Didn't realise it was a hatchling ... Still think it just takes time and patience to get them eating d/f though z

[scalrtn]

Cracking the feeder's skull with pliers (so a little brain matter/blood comes out), and leaving it alone with the snake in its cage for at least a few hours (close to its hide) has worked for me in a similar situation.

[kitedemon]

Anytime I hear a small snake not feeding I suspect husbandry. Your hot spot is off for a small snake 88ºF is fine. The ambient is fine IF you are measuring it correctly and if your thermometer is accurate.

Question how are you measuring the temps?

Where exactly are you measuring them from?

What thermometer are you using and what is the error range of it? (expressed in +/- usually sometimes a % of the reading)

Does your snake always sit on the cool side? Even after a feeding (when it was feeding.)

[Zincubus]

I only have corn snakes. I only feed frozen thawed. I'm also a vet tech so I'm more a 'save the small fuzzy creatures' type person. With all that aside, I am not against feeding live for a snake that is only going to take live. These things happen and I'd rather not have someone's pet starve to death. If people are careful, there are going to be very few accidents, but accidents can still occur. My sister-in-law used to work at a pet store and witnessed a rat kill a young ball python by tearing off a large chunk of its skull after it missed a strike. I have a rat snake that was fed live even after he went blind. The previous owner didn't leave the rats in with him for hours, but he still got injured a lot because he wasn't able to aim his strikes. I got him after he got bit in the roof of his mouth. He's 16 years old now and I'm fairly certain he's the snake equivalent of senile. Feeding live to him would not be responsible feeding. One simply needs to be aware of all the potential factors.

Yet another piece of evidence against feeding LIVE !

[Zincubus]

In the Reptile Community Ireland forum , even DISCUSSING the feeding of LIVE is not allowed as it's regarded as barbaric.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...ive_prey_1.jpg

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Yet another piece of evidence against feeding LIVE !

In the Reptile Community Ireland forum , even DISCUSSING the feeding of LIVE is not allowed as it's regarded as barbaric.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...ive_prey_1.jpg

You and your Pro F/T agenda are getting old, get some experience and once you do give adequate advice to people instead or regurgitating the same thing in every threads mentioning live food.

Here we believe in educating people not scaring them based on ignorance and boogeyman stories.

[Zincubus]

It's fine . I'm done .

[PitOnTheProwl]

It's fine . I'm done .

I could only hope............

[Boomerang]

You and your Pro F/T agenda are getting old, get some experience and once you do give adequate advice to people instead or regurgitating the same thing in every threads mentioning live food.

Here we believe in educating people not scaring them based on ignorance and boogeyman stories.

I agree. Completely.

[anicatgirl]

In the Reptile Community Ireland forum , even DISCUSSING the feeding of LIVE is not allowed as it's regarded as barbaric.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...ive_prey_1.jpg

Whoa meow!!! Holy heck... No. Why would you post this here. There's education and then there's just being a jerk. Yes accidents happen, yes people make dumb decisions, but there is a right and wrong way to feed live.