feeding

[JG89]

If you feed your snake frozen mice, do you have to defrost them before you feed them?

 

[Flygning]

Run them under warm water to make sure they are as warm as a live mouse. If it is still cold in the middle, the snake may regurg it.

 

[Ulster-Redneck]

the best way i found to defrost the mice was to leave them out to thaw at room temp.then warm them up with a hair drier.this also stops the mouse getting wet and heating them increases the scent.hope this helps.( never fed a frozen mouse let it thaw )

 

[Flygning]

Ah, yes, I forgot to mention, if you run it under water, don't give the snake a wet mouse. I tend to leave it in the little plastic bag it came in, and run the whole bag under water. I don't leave it out on the counter to thaw, because I've had more than one thawing mouse disappear, probably due to sneaky little dogs....

 

[Chuck]

Why not give the snake a wet mouse? I thaw mine at room temp. and place in coffee cups filled w/ warm mater. The snakes aren't soaked but they are a little wet when consumed, I had never heard that that was a problem before?

 

[Krenna]

I have all my feeders in a plastic bag. I defrost putting them in warm water. I feel the body of the mouse to make sure room temp, then feed to my snake. That simple.

 

[Flygning]

You know, I'm not quite sure why they say not to give a snake a soaked mouse. I think that some snakes refuse to eat them like that, and no one wants to create problem feeders. Of course, like any other feeding issue, it tends to vary by the snake. Some mind, some don't. Picky, picky.

 

[Darin]

I've never heard not to feed a wet mouse. I thaw mine in a bowl of warm/hot water. Feed all 10 snakes wet mice or rats. I've figuring that a little more moisture they take in. Doesn't seem like it would hurt them. I'm curious to hear what the thinking would be behind not feeding wet.

 

[Flygning]

You know how it is, differing opinions on everything. Of course, I tended to believe everything the guy at the pet store told me (he was really knowledgable), until he gave me a "free" snake that turned out to have a respirtory infection when I got it. *grumble*. Now I don't listen to that guy, don't know what to believe, and I can't seem to think of any really logical reason not to feed a wet mouse to a snake.

 

[MegF.]

I feed both of mine thawed in a cup of hot water. The mice are only dried with a paper towel to get the excess water off. They've never refused it that way, and both are quite healthy. I suppose if you had a picky eater that you wanted to give more scent to, I'd thaw in a plastic bag. I've found that temperature matters more to my snakes than the smell. If it's not good and warm, I don't get as good a feed response.

 

[CAV]

I've never heard not to feed a wet mouse. I thaw mine in a bowl of warm/hot water. Feed all 10 snakes wet mice or rats. I've figuring that a little more moisture they take in. Doesn't seem like it would hurt them. I'm curious to hear what the thinking would be behind not feeding wet.

The concerns with "wet prey" applies to weak or non feeders. The logic being that the stronger the smell, the more likely the snake will be to react. Otherwise it isn't a problem at all.