!LIVE FEEDING! Viewer Discretion ~ juvenile bp catching prey comp.

[Bogertophis]

Well, just so you know- we seldom post clips of live feeding here because on the whole we promote feeding pre-killed (p/k) prey, either fresh-killed (f/k) or more commonly, frozen-thawed (f/t).

Feeding live rodents is mostly avoidable- while many snakes need a few "first" meals that are live, most can be switched to more humane methods whereby rodents are first euthanized with accepted methods to minimize their suffering. Also, in some places (such as the U.K.- where some of our members are) it's actually illegal to feed live prey (with few exceptions) so your video may well be a big turn-off to some of our members.

The other thing is that sooner or later, by feeding adult rodents (either mice or rats), your snake will get injured by them. Snakes are good at their jobs, but even they can have an off-day, their grip isn't perfect, & that rodent can turn just enough to bite & injure your snake- even though they ultimately lose the battle. It might seem to be a minor bite, but all such bites can cause not only pain & suffering for your snake, but may result in an infection that requires veterinary care- possibly even surgical repair. Bites are best avoided, because the antibiotics your snake may need to fight an infection are not without side effects (they're hard on your snake's body).

Bites can leave ugly battle scars on your snake to remind you, & in rare occasions, your snake may even die from an infection, or they can lose an eye (which will impact their skill at constricting). Another thing that's been known to happen following a bite is that your snake may fear live rodents & refuse to eat. Then what? Overall, it's just better all around to teach your snake to eat pre-killed rodents. Over the years of keeping countless snakes, I can say that it's much easier to keep a snake healthy, than it is to get them healthy again after any sort of infection or illness. And vet bills can hurt your budget too.

So I hope you reconsider feeding live rodents, & if you need some pointers to get your snake on p/k rodents, we'll be happy to help you. Wild snakes don't have any choice but to make their own kills, & their lifespan is seldom anything like our captive pets enjoy. The pets we care about can have a longer, healthier life, & we can be more humane for the rodents too, by feeding only dead prey. Oh, by the way- your snake can also get intestinal parasites- aka "worms"- by eating live prey too. Another good reason to feed p/k, eh?