I didn't know snake owners fed their snakes puppies and kittens.

Yeah... pretty stupid too cuz kittens and puppies are worth quite a bit

It's illegal to feed live in the UK unless it's necessary for the snake's survival. So there's no going rate for live as it's so rarely done. Most places won't actually adopt without the donation.

Please don't use dry ice (CO2)! Your brain is wired to feel suffocation when you breathe CO2. Use nitrogen or electricity instead.

Also, CO2 is slightly acidic, so in high concentrations you'd feel your lungs burning (in addition to suffocation).

I agree. I don't know what people are so upset about. Animals eat other animals, that's called life. Although it's clearly not the purpose of OP's rescue, so I can see why in this particular context it's inappropriate.

I disagree with live feeding because #1) I've owned rats before; they're very cuddly, intelligent, and sweet. They're like miniature dogs, honestly, that clean themselves more often than even cats do. #2) Live feeding can be dangerous to the snake; rats and mice can and will fight back, injuring severely or possibly even killing the snake. And #3) It's terrifying for the mouse or rat to be stuck in a cage with a snake that's going to eat it, and there's no escape. I just don't agree with it because I don't think anything should spend the last moments of their life in terror.

Hey I agree with you I'm just saying that because a lot of people don't seem to understand how the animal kingdom works when it's out of human control.

Thanks for your humane work!

While I disagree with live feeding , I can appreciate that you raised them and it takes dedication and love . Good for standing up for them and yourself op. I wouldn't let any of my pets or animals be eaten alive either that I've raised up from a baby.

You're a good person

Wow I never even knew there are rodent rescues, lots of respect for you my friend, especially since most people prefer adopting dogs and cats :)

Thank you for doing what you do. I had snakes for years and NEVER live fed. It is unnecessary,dangerous to the snake, and is basically animal cruelty. In the wild the live prey has a chance at escape. That is nature. In a tank there is no escape and the opposite of nature.

Well then forget my comment about it being easy to find live feeder mice. It's easy in America though? :/

Won't a lot of reptiles not eat food unless it's live?

#47 - You can argue cruelty to rodents since they can't escape the reach even if they escape the grasp, but eating a live animal is dangerous to the snake? Are you retarded? What do you think every carnivorous snake ever ate before humans started keeping them as pets? If you are arguing technicalities, then EVERYTHING is dangerous. The snakes that choked on prey died and couldn't contribute their inferior genes to future generations, increasing the percentage of snakes in the population that can swallow live prey without issue. That's how natural selection works.

It can be dangerous because the rodents fed can and will fight back and injure the snake. Those claws and teeth can do serious damage to a pet snake.

Pet snakes AREN'T naturally selected, #65. They, like any other pet on the planet, have been bred primarily for looks and tameness. During that process, they lose some of the advantages that their wild ancestors had (like being able to successfully hunt and kill their prey). Also, the unnatural environment of putting the prey into a small space with the predator also puts the snake at a disadvantage - instead of being able to sneak up on their prey undetected and attacking them before they even know what happened, they're stuck in a small space with an agitated animal with viciously sharp teeth. A rodent can and will injure and even kill a snake if they don't have the option of fleeing.

I say it's unfair to not let the snake eat mice

You obviously have no experience with snakes and live mice. The snake usually do catch and eat the mouse in the end but that mouse will use it's teeth and claws as best as it can and will harm the snake. To what extent? It varies but it is extremely possible especially to pet snakes that are not so keen on hunting skills as wild snakes are.

I think its really cool that you rescue rodents as not many people like them. I'm from the US so I don't see a problem in live feeding (pretty sure it is legal here but I don't know) but since it is illegal in the UK then I'm sorry, that's really awkward...

It depends on what they're used to. As the OP said, it's illegal to live feed in the UK (except for things like crickets), and the reptiles here are just fine. Our Florida king snake has only ever eaten frozen/thawed mice and has no problem with it. I don't think he'd even know what to do with a live one :-)

#65 ARE YOU RETARDED? You seem to be since you have an imaginary understanding of how snakes eat. Snakes can go over a month without food. If their temp is dropped for a few weeks they will not eat. If they are not hungry they will not eat. If they don't like that the mouse you gave them has a black spot on its left side it will not eat. If it is scared it will not eat. now pick ANY of those situations and insert a terrified PREY animal in to a small enclosure where it can not escape. when ANY ANIMAL is scared and realizes it can not run away (flight response) it will turn and fight for its life (fight response) the snake will if its lucky only receive a few scratches and or bites. if it's unlucky it will die. Rats are even worse than mice!

I'll probably get thumbed down for this, but I used to have an awesome corn snake that always ate live mice. She was never injured by one is the 15+ years that she lived, even when she didn't eat them. There were many occasions the mouse would live side by side her for weeks until my dad gave up and let the mouse go in the woods. I swear she made friends with a few of them, there was one that even slept next to her. Aw now I miss my snakey. :( RIP Scalia. I will admit though, when I got her at age 9 I was fascinated by watching her eat but as I got older I'd have to leave the room because I started feeling bad. My dad was in charge of feeding her, so I had no say in the matter.

#84 My friend owns a snake and I think she feeds it live. I do agree it is what you're use to. Some people are stupid though and touch the mouse than the snake which harms the person.

Hey you posted on rats are awesome about this the other day!

Thank you for what you do!!

I'm conflicted about this. Live feeding is natural and stimulating to snakes, but yes, it does run the risk of injuring the snake. If you feed live, you always watch attentively, and remove the food animal if it is not being eaten right away. Never leave it in the cage with your snake, and things are usually fine. Many snakes go their whole lives being fed live, and never get hurt. Mice are better to give live than rats, as they have less chance of inflicting damage. Sometimes snakes prefer live food, and have a hard time eating frozen/thawed. I totally understand you not wanting mice you've hand reared to go to somebody who will feed them out. That makes sense. But I do not agree that having mice bred for live food is 'cruel' and 'inhumane', as this is a totally natural life process of snakes. Have you seen what goes on our slaughter houses for our food, to animals of greater intelligence and emotional capacity than mice? I find it pretty ridiculous that a country has banned snakes from eating as they've evolved to in nature. Very strange.

@askullnamedbilly: But, you can use the same argument for feeder mice. Good breeders of them also breed them to be docile and calm. I've had a ball python, and always fed him f/t. It took a lot of 'dead rat dance' time to get him to eat, and he only ate about every second feeding. He was always pretty small. I ended up having to give him to some friends, and they began feeding him live mice, instead of the frozen rats I'd been doing. They always watch him, and there's never been an issue. The mice are always calm, and generally don't even react to being in a cage with a predator, as they have had their instincts bred out too. Now the snake is bigger, and eats every time it's feeding day. Live food was clearly a better choice for this animal.

I have owned 10 snakes in my life. Anyone who knows a damn thing about them can tell how much better it is to feed live food. If you don't like the cycle of life, DON'T GET A SNAKE.

143, Just because I think mice are cool doesn't mean I think its wrong for mice to be fed to snakes frozen or live. People have to be careful though because snakes have a strong sense of smell and can mistake a person for the mouse and attack. Sorry I didn't clarify before. Some people don't realize that and handle the mouse then the snake instead of the other way around.

in the uk they are raised on frozen so they will eat it no problem. I have two snakes both eat rats. although it seems to have confused people on the frozen side. you simply defrost them in water and the snakes are happy

Right? Sometimes all you can do is enjoy the sight of snakes savoring the taste of tasty tasty mouse flesh.

I would rather not get involved so I pass the ball on to Jesus.

It's not exactly natural to put a mouse in a tank with a snake where it has no chance of escape. Yeah, in nature, I have no issues with the predator-prey relationship... But pet snakes should be fed humanely culled animals and NOT just handed a terrifies live mouse. It's just cruel.

I'm not sure you understand the point of RESCUE. She's not there as a supplier to let the be fed to snakes, letting Darwin handle it is just a stupid comment.

Adoption fees are often called donations in the UK, at least by smaller rescues - but are usually required if you want to adopt, not optional.

As someone who works at a pet store and handles snakes there regularly, I can definitely say you're completely wrong. It all depends on the species. Some domesticated constrictors won't even go near their food if it isn't alive.

So you supervise it while it eats, like you (hopefully) would a child. Some snakes don't want the frozen crap and having to defrost a corpse and then use tongs to make it "dance" around the cage is creepy and psychotic.

As a reptile owner I can say that you are wrong on that one My red tailed boa ONLY eats live, dark colored rats and will not eat frozen. I tried for two months to get her to eat frozen and she wouldn't take. I watch as she kills her food just to make sure she's ok, but I cover her feeding tank and leave her be and usually in about 1t mins she's done.