How to Feed a Snake Frozen Food
Thaw the rodent in a bowl of warm water., Take the mouse out of the bowl when the timer goes off., Put the snake in its feeding area., Place the rodent in the area with the snake., If your snake is a picky eater, or has not eaten dead food before...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Thaw the rodent in a bowl of warm water.
Do NOT thaw it in the microwave! As tempting as that may seem, it will cook the meat and make your snake ill.
Take a frozen rodent from the freezer, and place into a separate plastic bag.
Place the bag in a bowl filled 3/4 of the way full with warm water.
Put a cup or mug on top of the bag to keep the rodent completely submerged.
Leave the mouse there for two hours, and don't forget to set a timer to remind yourself! -
Step 2: Take the mouse out of the bowl when the timer goes off.
Prepare feeding tongs if you have them to pick up the mouse and keep your hand a safe distance from your snake's hungry mouth. , It is highly recommended that you do not feed a snake in its enclosure, as this causes to the snake to associate anything coming into the cage as food (your hand, perhaps, could be mistaken).
You can use a bin with high sides, another tank, or a bathtub even.
Just make sure to close the drain! Remember some snakes don't like being handled before or after feeding.
In this case, you can feed your snake in it's tank as long as you use feeding tongs or place the mouse on a rock or branch within the cage.
This will reduce the risk of you being bitten. , Some snakes have no trouble eating a thawed rodent, and will begin eating in around 15 minutes or so.
If so, you are done and you can return the snake to its usual enclosure. , You can try wiggling the rodent by the tail in front of the snake.
Use a pair tongs if you do, to prevent an accidental bite.
If the snake seems afraid of the rodent, wiggle only a little and further away.
If the snake is in strike pose but not attacking, try bopping the snake gently on the nose.
However, don't do this if your snake is a Ball Python, as this may actually frighten the snake and have the opposite effect than you intended! With patience, you should find that the snake will strike and strangle the already dead rodent, and eat as normal.
You may have to let the snake "kill" the dead rodent more than once the first few times.
Don't be discouraged! Pre-killed food is a much safer and more humane way to feed your snake. , Use caution when removing the snake, as it may still be in eating mode.
Letting the snake crawl out of the bin and then picking it up usually fixes this. -
Step 3: Put the snake in its feeding area.
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Step 4: Place the rodent in the area with the snake.
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Step 5: If your snake is a picky eater
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Step 6: or has not eaten dead food before
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Step 7: you may have to work a little harder at it at first.
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Step 8: Put the snake back in its enclosure and let it digest its meal in a warm dark area.
Detailed Guide
Do NOT thaw it in the microwave! As tempting as that may seem, it will cook the meat and make your snake ill.
Take a frozen rodent from the freezer, and place into a separate plastic bag.
Place the bag in a bowl filled 3/4 of the way full with warm water.
Put a cup or mug on top of the bag to keep the rodent completely submerged.
Leave the mouse there for two hours, and don't forget to set a timer to remind yourself!
Prepare feeding tongs if you have them to pick up the mouse and keep your hand a safe distance from your snake's hungry mouth. , It is highly recommended that you do not feed a snake in its enclosure, as this causes to the snake to associate anything coming into the cage as food (your hand, perhaps, could be mistaken).
You can use a bin with high sides, another tank, or a bathtub even.
Just make sure to close the drain! Remember some snakes don't like being handled before or after feeding.
In this case, you can feed your snake in it's tank as long as you use feeding tongs or place the mouse on a rock or branch within the cage.
This will reduce the risk of you being bitten. , Some snakes have no trouble eating a thawed rodent, and will begin eating in around 15 minutes or so.
If so, you are done and you can return the snake to its usual enclosure. , You can try wiggling the rodent by the tail in front of the snake.
Use a pair tongs if you do, to prevent an accidental bite.
If the snake seems afraid of the rodent, wiggle only a little and further away.
If the snake is in strike pose but not attacking, try bopping the snake gently on the nose.
However, don't do this if your snake is a Ball Python, as this may actually frighten the snake and have the opposite effect than you intended! With patience, you should find that the snake will strike and strangle the already dead rodent, and eat as normal.
You may have to let the snake "kill" the dead rodent more than once the first few times.
Don't be discouraged! Pre-killed food is a much safer and more humane way to feed your snake. , Use caution when removing the snake, as it may still be in eating mode.
Letting the snake crawl out of the bin and then picking it up usually fixes this.
About the Author
Laura Ford
Experienced content creator specializing in crafts guides and tutorials.
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