Well, not only that but boiling water is COOKING the rat. NOT what you want to do. Personally, I thaw in cold water*- much faster than in fridge, but either way, thaw first, so it's soft throughout (check by hand) & only then immerse briefly in very warm water for about 10 minutes to warm it up. Many also use a blow dryer to really warm the outside (not to style the rat's hair) right before offering. I'm glad you asked, & yes, you've been doing it wrong, but you're not the only one...
*Many like to thaw the prey in ziploc bag put in water- that's slower than directly IN the water with no bag, which is what I do. And that's because there is some air in the baggy, & it's a greater barrier to thawing. I do blot the water off on paper towels once thawed- & bear in mind that water will wash off some of the rodent's scent, so if your snake is a bit confused & needs more scent to respond, you can easily pinch-damage the nose w/ your feeding tongs. I'm no fan of "braining" prey- never seen it help, & it's gross...just pinching the nose does the same thing.
About thawing on the counter- bacteria is not the only issue- it's that the tissues start to rot & your snake will be able to smell that. Since BPs are not carrion eaters, they often refuse to eat such offerings. I know many people thaw their own meats on the counter, but bear in mind that snakes are eating it raw, whereas cooking destroys bacteria in our food. (I still do NOT thaw meat on the counter, but I remember family doing that when I was growing up.)
And the bigger issue is that snakes are eating whole prey- the G.I. tract of the rat or mouse is LOADED with bacteria that multiplies happily at warmer temperatures- compared to humans, just thawing a relatively "clean" steak or chops, it's a huge difference.See?
I'm glad you asked.
Reply With Quote