the-splendid-serpent:

THIS IS A LIVE FEEDING.

Neptune, 1.0 Piebald ball python, killing and eating his dinner.

I have kept Neptune since late 2013.  He has been pretty good about eating pre-killed and frozen/thawed rodents, but lately has been a bit picky.  I do occasionally feed live, although live feeding is not something that should be done lightly - or as a “default” - without first reading about it and being prepared.

Here are a few important tips if you’re thinking about feeding live rodents to your snakes:

1)  Only offer live rodents freely to snakes who can strike well.  If you own a snake with a wobble or other neurological issue (spider morph ball pythons, etc), work hard to get him onto p/k or f/t, or grasp the rat by the tail with tongs while offering it to your snake to minimize their difficulty with getting a good hit.

2)  Never ever “stun” or otherwise injure/cripple feeder rodents.  Not only is this cruel, but it puts your snake in an even more dangerous situation should the rodent wake up or lash out.  If you need to euthanize a rodent, invest in a good CO2 set-up or seek out someone to show you how to do cervical dislocation.  Do not “thump” or freeze feeders - this is inhumane.  Feeder rodents should be treated with respect at all times.  In the same vein, always make sure that your feeder is well-fed and hydrated before you offer it to your snake.  A happy feeder will be less likely to attack your snake.

3)  Always, always stand by.  Do not leave a live rodent in with your snake for longer than you are willing to actively supervise.  Do not walk away or leave the feeder in with your snake overnight.  The exception to this rule is with rodents who are too young to bite or cause harm - rat pups and younger, mouse fuzzies and younger, etc.  Additionally, always have your tongs, a pencil, a chopstick, or something similar in-hand so that if your snake strikes and the rodent tries to bite, you can stick the instrument into the rodent’s mouth instead.  This will keep it from hurting your snake.

Thanks for watching!