feeding day in the reptile room.

[mikeythefireman]

There's tons more interesting stuff about CO that you gotta learn as a firefighter. It's freakin' deadlly stuff.

 

[ThomasH]

Boa,

I agree with most of your points, I've no intention of ever feeding live vertebrate prey, but you offered up no "evidence". You offered up anecdotal references and hearsay. The injured snakes in the link were all "rescued" snakes*. No telling the level of abuse or neglect involved. In no way does that thread provide evidence that appropriately sized live prey, offered for brief intervals dramatically increase the risk to the animals. Using a thread where there is still debate over the danger might not be the best method to proving your point.

Mikey

*There may have been better examples deeper in that thread, but I'm not gonna read all that drivel to find them.

Thank you and I respect that, there are only rescues on that thread because
1. Feeding live is considered neglectful among almost all the primarily herp keepers, everyone I've heard from there feeds p/k. Only uninformed keepers feed live meaning they would make more mistakes.
2. That is a tougher forum, definitely not one that you would go around talking about your stupid mistakes in. I'm sure a few of those people called their own pets "rescues" that THEY made the mistakes with.

 

[hairmetalspider]

Alright so. I had to throw this in here after reading this again, and again...

As far as the argument of it 'being completely natural'; Yes, it is. In the wild.
But, as you can see, they are NOT in the wild. We have taken them out of their natural habitat by force and it is our responsibility to care and defend them.

That said, a live rodent in a closed in class container is much more likely to attack and feel threatened, and possibly harm a reptile than it would in a free range open field, woods, etc.

Also, in a natural habitat, snakes really don't have any other choice. Period. They eat to survive. When taken into a domestic situation, we have that option to feed pre-killed rodents; a potentially safer and healthier alternative.

That said, I don't have anything against feeding live in specific situations and under the stipulation it is not being used for entertainment or sadistic purposes. But seriously, you can't take a debate out of the context it's in and compare situations.

 

[Nich]

the chondro? actually i got him 2 years ago as a import for 160 bucks. there was somthing wierd going on with his shipment and like 3/4 of the other chondros that came in with him all died within weeks.. he sold him to me for cost and i took him to the vet to get him treated for parasites, worms, dehydration, exe. he has done awsome.. best purchace i ever made

Thats a sweet deal, he looks like an awesome stud! Im dying for a critter room, and have alot planned around my lease ending....