Which is better

Which is better live or a dead mouse for a ball python

  • Dead one

    Votes: 11 78.6%
  • Alive one

    Votes: 3 21.4%

  • Total voters
    14

BigSam

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 15, 2003
Messages
1,185
What is better, feeding a ball python

Alive mouse

or

Dead mouse?
 

wayneo

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
115
A dead one is better, since occasionally the prey becomes the predator. I only feed my BP live, when I got it it hasn't ate since the person i got it from got (which was 6 months) and it took me 7 1/2 months to eat. I finally got it to eat live mice I hold the mice by the tail and let the snake take it from my hand(really stupid i found out with a 12 foot Burmese Python). If you can get it to eat dead it is the ideal way to feed them.
Live mice can bite the spine and paralyze(spelling) the snake or just chew thew crap out of the snake.

Wayne H
 

pategirl

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
788
I only feed my snakes dead mice unless the pet shop has actual live pinkies. Baby mice don't have teeth, so it isn't harmful to feed live. When my corns graduate to larger prey, I will definately stick with dead mice. I'd rather have a few dead mice in the freezer than a few dead corn snakes. It may not be as cool to watch, but it is still food to them. They eat anything.
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
1,294
DEAD for sure! Bites, mites and all that stuff! :rolleyes:

If the mice are dead and frozen they are best.
Just thaw them out and offer with TONGS please.
No need to get nailed :eek: :rolleyes:
 

Gillian

Arachnoblessed
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
1,123
When I first got my Ball Python..he was partially paralyzed. Upon visiting the vet, it was found he had an infected wound, that had spread to his spine. Upon opening the absess, a rat tooth was found.

Fortunately, with daily shots of steroids, and antibiotics, Othello healed. Frozen is better. If it bothers you, seal them in ziploc baggies, and then keep it in an opaque Tupperware.

I myself, look on them as no different than hamburger meat, or any other meat.
Peace,
Gillian
 

Wade

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
2,929
There was an article in the Vivarium a few years ago that suggested that previously frozen rodents were actually more nutritious than non-frozen because the freezing process breaks down the tissue and make it easier to digest.

The only reason to use live is if you have a snake that absolutly refuses to take frozen, but even then it's bennificial to kill the mouse immediately prior to offering it to the snake.

BTW, in case any total snake newbies are reading this, when we say "frozen" we mean stored frozen, but totally thawed out before feeding. If a snake eats a mouse that is actually frozen, it can kill the snake. This seems obvious, but I've heard of it happening!

Wade
 

Phillip

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 19, 2002
Messages
1,328
frozen all the way...

Frozen thawed is the best choice hands down. No parasites and no risk to the snake. Not to mention a tremendous cost difference with frozen being far cheaper. Live mice are really only good when the snake in question refuses to touch frozen which most snakes will readily take. Too much risk involved with live mice the largest being that if a snake takes a bite from a mouse inside of it's mouth it can develop a bacterial infection and die from it. The smaller reason and still unacceptable to me is a bite on the snakes body which can cause permanent scarring and even worse lost eyes. Nothing quite like hearing a story about someones prized super nice looking boa suddenly losing an eye to a rat. Happens more often than you may think. I do have 2 snakes that eat live but that is simply because they wont take frozen one being a chondro the other being a diamondback. Not too much risk of the chondro being hurt though and no risk on the rattler.

Phil
 

That Guy

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
289
an old teacher that i had threw a prego mouse BP into her cage, it gave birth in the cage and almost killed the BP... It was sent to the vet... She doesnt have any more animals.... God I hated her....
 
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