It all depends on the snake, I have 6 ball pythons, 5 of them will eat just about anything you put in there live, F/T rats or mice. I have one girl that wont eat anything but live, she just refuses. You will just have to see what your snake prefers. If you only have one snake feeding live is not a bad idea, it doesnt cost much... The reason I feed f/t is to save money...