Feeding A Snake Made Easy

Reptile owners both new and veteran alike must take special care when feeding their pet snakes. With the internet, snake owners are able to buy frozen rodents online making the process easier without the need to drive to a pet store. Better still, pet owners don’t need to worry about the extra hassle of keeping the mice alive just to feed them to their true pet.

Once you have the food however what is the best way to feed a snake? Unfortunately, it is not as quick and simple as placing the mice into the snake’s terrarium. Below are some easy to follow ways of feeding a snake after getting the frozen rodents online.

Thawing the Rodent

Since the mice and rodents will be kept frozen, you will have to thaw them for your pet snake. It is very important to not thaw the rodent in the microwave. Although it would seem like the quickest and most efficient way of defrosting and thawing the food it will also inadvertently cook the meat of the rodent and cause your snake to get ill.

After purchasing frozen rodents online, you’ll need to take them out of the freezer and place it in a plastic bag. Place the bag with your snake’s tasty meal into a bowl of water filled three-fourths of the way full with warm water. Be certain to keep the rodent completely submerged by place a heavy mug or cup on the plastic bag. The rodent should be ready to go in about two hours so be sure to set a timer for yourself.

Placing Your Snake Into A Feeding Area

Reptile experts agree that it is extremely important to avoid feeding your pet snake inside its actual enclosure. This can easily cause your slithering friend to associate anything entering its habitat as food; including your fingers and hands. Instead of the enclosure, consider feeding your pet snake inside another tank, a bin with high sides, or even a bathtub. Just be sure to cover up the drains if you do.

Another important safety aspect of feeding the purchased frozen rodents online to your snake is its behavior during and after feeding. Some snakes prefer not to be touched or handled during or after it eats. In this case, use long feeding tongs to place the rodent into the feeding enclosure. You can also place your snake’s food on a branch or rock within its habitat. This will reduce the chances of being bitten by your pet serpent.

If Your Pet Snake Has Trouble Eating

Most snakes will easily consume thawed food with little effort and should begin eating within the first fifteen minutes of introducing it to the enclosure. Unfortunately, after purchasing frozen rodents online and thawing them your snake may still not be eating. This can happen because your pet snake has not eaten dead food before.

Using a pair of long feeding tongs, you can try to wiggle the rodent in front of the snake. Sometimes the snake will seem frightened by the food. In this case, wiggle only slightly and further away from your snake friend. You may need to let the snake “kill” its food the first few times. With patience, however, your pet snake will become more accustomed to eating the thawed food.

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Frozen Rodents Online