Fun with a venomous friend!

[kevin91172]

I see nothing wrong with live feeding-however many videos on youtube or ways that glorify live feeding or ridicule/torture the prey animal really turn people off to snake keepers. People think you are some kind of sadist if you keep a snake.

My point again and that's why i do not post videos of live feedings,and only do it in privacy in my own home.

 

[spinningspider]

The only way to garuntee yoursnakes safety is to feed frozen. Period. Live prey can and will fight back. Its not natural that snakes in drink from waterbowls or are kept on aspen or newspaper. If you want to feed live cool, but its risks an injury everytime. Not to mention freezing rodents kills all possible parasites live rats and mice may carry

 

[kevin91172]

The only way to garuntee yoursnakes safety is to feed frozen. Period. Live prey can and will fight back. Its not natural that snakes in drink from waterbowls or are kept on aspen or newspaper. If you want to feed live cool, but its risks an injury everytime. Not to mention freezing rodents kills all possible parasites live rats and mice may carry

Did not of even think of killing parasites at all in that method,,,,another good point.Yall debate some more for I can learn from this thread...THANKS

 

[Talkenlate04]

The only way to garuntee yoursnakes safety is to feed frozen. Period. Live prey can and will fight back. Its not natural that snakes in drink from waterbowls or are kept on aspen or newspaper. If you want to feed live cool, but its risks an injury everytime. Not to mention freezing rodents kills all possible parasites live rats and mice may carry

Maybe I should wrap it in bubble wrap too because it might get a splinter slithering around without my constant care lol.

I love watching them eat, always will.
Here is my GTP taking down Stuart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr93ig4HPZY

Did not of even think of killing parasites at all in that method,,,,another good point.Yall debate some more for I can learn from this thread...THANKS

Yes because there are so many documented cases of parasites being given to snakes by cb mice and rats.

 

[spinningspider]

That's why I said possible. Like I said I don't like risking the safety of my animals in nay possible way.

 

[kevin91172]

Maybe I should wrap it in bubble wrap too because it might get a splinter slithering around without my constant care lol.

I love watching them eat, always will.
Here is my GTP taking down Stuart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr93ig4HPZY



Yes because there are so many documented cases of parasites being given to snakes by cb mice and rats.

Really?Cool Info

 

[spinningspider]

And as too the aspen comment I was reffering to that substrate being unnatural. Its one of the best substrates on the market for many reasons.

 

[kevin91172]

Maybe I should wrap it in bubble wrap too because it might get a splinter slithering around without my constant care lol.

I love watching them eat, always will.
Here is my GTP taking down Stuart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr93ig4HPZY



Yes because there are so many documented cases of parasites being given to snakes by cb mice and rats.

Did not know they could get parasites this way either
I never had a problem..but I had worms before back on the farm eating wild pigs not cooked thoroughly;P;P;P;P but I am still here;P;P;P;P;P;P

 

[SK8TERBOI]

This my crotalus cerastes laterorepens I believe his is a crotalus cerastes cerastes

Thanks so much Skippy & Kevin at least i can finally have an idea of what it is

 

[Envyizm]

@ everyone blindly against feeding live to venomous due to safety risks:
Did you guys know that there are enzymes in snake venom that act as a digestion aid? Feeding live prey to venomous snakes stimulates them, causing the snake to dump more venom into the prey item thus helping in the aid of digestion. Yes, you can also do this with f/t by moving the rat/mouse while its in the mouth of the snake for a few moments, but live is probably the best for the mental and metabolic health of the snake providing that the prey item is bred captive. Oh and venomous snakes for the most part have a way faster feeding response compared to constrictors so the probability of injury to the snake is minimal when feeding live. You all also clearly have little to no experience with venomous snakes.

 

[Envyizm]

@Talkenlate04:
Love the snakes man. How many hots do you currently have in your collection?
Sorry for the rant previous to this post, but i couldn't help myself.

 

[spinningspider]

I've had lots of experience with hots. I keep elapids and crotalids and have worked with a very wide variety of venomous for years. I continue to feed frozen because through a good amount of experience I believe it is safer. Clearly I cannot change others oppinions I just wanted to share my knowledge and experience, as well as my own oppinions on proper husbandry.

 

[Ookamii]

Lol that sounds like a whale of a fish story. There is no way a healthy 10' python was taken out by a small rat. I mean think about it, the snake would have to lay there the whole damn two hours and let the rat chew on it without resisting at all.
I guess you just have to have been around snakes a while to be able too wade through a bullcrap story like this one.

Its what the woman said when she came in, of course she could have been lying about the size of her python to try and get some money out of petco, or been lying about the rat killing a snake at all.

 

[CID143ti]

I wouldn't be surprised that a hungry, stressed rat could gnaw on a large snake until it died. Some snakes won't fight back when getting picked at, they may try to flee but being kept in a container will prevent them from getting away. Sometimes all the snakes choose to do is cover their head and take the gnawing. I've never allowed a live mouse/rat to do this but I've watched a snake that was uninterested in food being picked at by a prey item. I removed it as soon as it was obvious that the snake was not interested and being was being tormented by the prey. I've seen images of quite a few snakes that have been gnawed on by prey...most have been young snakes.

I feed both to my snakes...some are really picky eaters, some are true garbage disposers. Some constrictors, especially young may grasp the prey where they can be chewed during the constriction. I've seen some hots that don't strike and release...instead they occasionally get nipped while holding on.

About the parasites from live mice/rats...I believe that I had this happen once. It was mites that were transmitted from the mouse to my snake. They were not rodent mites...instead, they were reptile mites. The pet store that I was shopping at practiced returning uneaten mice to the holding cages and they were having mite outbreak in the snakes cages (reason that I don't purchase snakes from them). I purchased the mice on their feed day and the mites had to have been transferred that way.

Oh, btw, awesome snakes. I really think the lucy is awesome but sunsets have to be my favorite morph.

W. Smith

 

[kevin91172]

@ everyone blindly against feeding live to venomous due to safety risks:
Did you guys know that there are enzymes in snake venom that act as a digestion aid? Feeding live prey to venomous snakes stimulates them, causing the snake to dump more venom into the prey item thus helping in the aid of digestion. Yes, you can also do this with f/t by moving the rat/mouse while its in the mouth of the snake for a few moments, but live is probably the best for the mental and metabolic health of the snake providing that the prey item is bred captive. Oh and venomous snakes for the most part have a way faster feeding response compared to constrictors so the probability of injury to the snake is minimal when feeding live. You all also clearly have little to no experience with venomous snakes.

Yeppers! very fast feeding response,some of my constrictors I have to leave overnight but mostly need to learn eating habits of the individual snake

Not to argue you here on feeding,but experience of keeping them and all of yall's opinions are considered,because of the group opinions and the personally experiences

Do not want to come off as I hate a "YES MAN" here but we need to express the opinions and not hold back and stay open minded if we all want to succeed in what we love

AMEN done preaching
Kevin

 

[bothriechis83]

for talkenlate, just curious what your plans are when you get bit. The risks are quite a bit more with venomous snakes than with tarantulas. You also mention that the state hasn't outlawed certain venomous species but what about your local city ordinances?

 

[SpiderGuy814]

Talken, you are very funny you have my stomach hurting over here with the sarcasm and everything else.

I used to have boas, corn snakes, and jungle carpet pythons. and regardless of what anyone would ever say to me they always got fed live mice (even though corn snakes never turn down food and eat anything lol) I chose to feed live when i had my snakes because one YES i did like to watch it (you can blame animal planet for that lol) but two because its normal for snakes to eat live prey. last time i checked even if a snake got injuried from its prey on animal planet they never stopped trying to get live prey nor did they go to rodentpro.com lol....

This quote below had me laughing the most because i agree with it, a rat is a rat and even the people on craigslist have a nerve to say "this hamster, gerbil, rat etc isnt snake food"..The way i see it if you are trying to get rid of it because you can longer care for it any more after it leaves your hands the emotional bond you have with it should be gone too. so if a person wants to (temperarily) adopt it (for a lack of a better phrase when the rodent will be used for snake food) then the person should hand it over and call it a day. So many folks on craigslist think just because they give it a certain person that person will keep it alive as a pet lol....

"Strange this really does not bother me. I raise my feeder rats, I let them out and play with them, I name some, and I have no qualms with picking up Suzie and throwing her in with a snake."

I for one dont understand why people will buy a snake but get mad when other people feed it live rodents as if the frozen mice/rats they feed their snakes just willingly jumped in their gas chamber to die lol...Those rats/mice had to be put in there some how

I'm all for feeding live. IMO snakes arent the type of pets that emotional people should have when they KNOW they have to eat other animals...get a turtle or a gold fish I've never seen lettuce put up a fight lmao.

 

[Talkenlate04]

for talkenlate, just curious what your plans are when you get bit. The risks are quite a bit more with venomous snakes than with tarantulas. You also mention that the state hasn't outlawed certain venomous species but what about your local city ordinances?

I am well aware of my city ordnances and there are many many things that are legal to keep when it comes to venomous in my city. It actually amuses me that it is harder to own an American alligator than it is to own something like a spitting cobra lol. I try to do things on the up and up because I have no desire to be breaking the law on any level.

If I get bit I am quite screwed. There is no anti-venom in my entire state. But getting bit is not really part of the plans. I feel no need to touch them or free handle them. LONG snake hooks are all I use. I do have some friends that feel the need to take theirs out and try to hold them, but to me that is sheer stupidity. If there is a reason for it I can understand that, but just for the fun of it seems really dumb. I have had to grab a cobra by its head and take its eye caps off before, that was nerve wracking to say the least, but if you pay attention and to things by the book you can do it safely.
The key to owning these guys imo is total respect.

 

[kevin91172]

Talken, you are very funny you have my stomach hurting over here with the sarcasm and everything else.

I used to have boas, corn snakes, and jungle carpet pythons. and regardless of what anyone would ever say to me they always got fed live mice (even though corn snakes never turn down food and eat anything lol) I chose to feed live when i had my snakes because one YES i did like to watch it (you can blame animal planet for that lol) but two because its normal for snakes to eat live prey. last time i checked even if a snake got injuried from its prey on animal planet they never stopped trying to get live prey nor did they go to rodentpro.com lol....

This quote below had me laughing the most because i agree with it, a rat is a rat and even the people on craigslist have a nerve to say "this hamster, gerbil, rat etc isnt snake food"..The way i see it if you are trying to get rid of it because you can longer care for it any more after it leaves your hands the emotional bond you have with it should be gone too. so if a person wants to (temperarily) adopt it (for a lack of a better phrase when the rodent will be used for snake food) then the person should hand it over and call it a day. So many folks on craigslist think just because they give it a certain person that person will keep it alive as a pet lol....

"Strange this really does not bother me. I raise my feeder rats, I let them out and play with them, I name some, and I have no qualms with picking up Suzie and throwing her in with a snake."

I for one dont understand why people will buy a snake but get mad when other people feed it live rodents as if the frozen mice/rats they feed their snakes just willingly jumped in their gas chamber to die lol...Those rats/mice had to be put in there some how

I'm all for feeding live. IMO snakes arent the type of pets that emotional people should have when they KNOW they have to eat other animals...get a turtle or a gold fish I've never seen lettuce put up a fight lmao.

sorry "ditto"

 

[kevin91172]

I am well aware of my city ordnances and there are many many things that are legal to keep when it comes to venomous in my city. It actually amuses me that it is harder to own an American alligator than it is to own something like a spitting cobra lol. I try to do things on the up and up because I have no desire to be breaking the law on any level.

If I get bit I am quite screwed. There is no anti-venom in my entire state. But getting bit is not really part of the plans. I feel no need to touch them or free handle them. LONG snake hooks are all I use. I do have some friends that feel the need to take theirs out and try to hold them, but to me that is sheer stupidity. If there is a reason for it I can understand that, but just for the fun of it seems really dumb. I have had to grab a cobra by its head and take its eye caps off before, that was nerve wracking to say the least, but if you pay attention and to things by the book you can do it safely.
The key to owning these guys imo is total respect.

getting mine Wednesday,albino monocled 3' male! I live in the sticks!!!!!!!