Feeding Live VS Frozen

[Valyrian]

Like its been said, live feeding carries some risk. That risk can be greatly reduced if it's done right, but not completely eliminated.

Unless you do something bad like leaving the rodent (older then a baby, with teeth and using them) unsupervised with the snake, you usually don't get fatal injuries. But bites and scratches can happen and even if you stand right there, you can't always intervene or do it quick enough.

Some snakes have lost eyes that way.

Then again, many people feed live because it's what works for them. They don't leave rodents with the snake, or they pre kill. If a small injury happens, they treat it. They have done this for a long time and quite successfully.

With live feeding you may have to do a fecal on your snake at some point, esp. if you don't have your own rodent colony.

Both ways have pro's and cons. Both ways can be done right or wrong. Ultimately it has to work for you and it is your decision.

For what it's worth, things like "it's natural" or "the snake needs to hunt and kill for mental stimulation" are not really points you have to worry about. Either method can be successful in raising healthy snakes.


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The argument some people make about it being natural in the wild and therefore good in captivity is completely illogical.

It's natural for wild snakes to be exposed to parasites and predators too. But it is completely illogical to do the same thing in captivity lol.

Incidentally, freezing a prey item kills any internal or external parasites in/on it which can only be beneficial.

Then you have all of the aforementioned dangers to the snake and the suffering of the prey animal etc.

I think each to their own. But I will always feed frozen thawed unless absolutely necessary simply because there's no reason not to and every reason to.

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