Switching from Live to frozen food

[Bogertophis]

For what it's worth, I thaw frozen rodents in water- it's much much faster. (science! heat or cold transfers faster thru water than thru air) And faster is not only convenient, but allows much less time for spoilage, which our snakes CAN smell & which CAN make them refuse to eat. Just saying.

I thaw directly IN water, then blot off on paper towel before feeding. I'm not feeding BPs or any snakes that insist on "warmed" prey, so I skip the "blow drying". But water will wash off some of the rodent's scent, & to rectify that, I may pinch-damage the rodent's nose with my feeding tongs right before offering- that releases a little more scent to help your snake target the nose.

Some people prefer to keep the rodent in a zip-lock bag, & put that in water. That works too, but because there is some air in the bag, it's slower. The larger prey (like small or medium rats) will take quite a bit longer to thaw, & whatever method you use, be sure to feel the rodent by hand, to make sure it's soft thru-out- no ice left.

If the water is really cold (like in winter), I do change the water once or twice, &/or may use a final soak in warm water so the rodents aren't quite so cold when I offer them. (Never use hot or boiling water- don't "cook" the rodents!)

When you offer the prey using tongs, try to make it appear like the rodent is just passing cluelessly nearby, but never 'approaching' the snake, because that can make a shyer snake refuse food- in the wild, prey animals do not volunteer to be dinner! Remember that BPs like to "ambush" their prey, so it's best if they feel like there's a slight "chase" involved, in which they have the "upper hand". Too much motion by the "zombie rodent" can also turn them off- keep it to a subtle wiggle, no breakdancing.