My new pet

[Jeff721]

Frozen/thawed is less risk. Unfortunately, ball pythons can be picky eaters, he might not transfer to frozen/thawed. I have seen snakes injured by prey animals before, the bites get infected and I have seen snakes that have lost eyes and some who have had to be put down because a rat or gerbil got a hold of them with a nasty bite that went unnoticed. Not something I really would worry about with anything up to a hopper mouse.

Then there's the argument of welfare of the animal being fed. I have a very "circle of life" approach to that, but others argue it's better to put the prey animal down humanely instead of subjecting them to strangulation.

Then there's always the problem of what happens if the snake won't eat the live animal. Do you keep it? do you take it back? Much less of a problem when you're talking about weaned mice and rats, more of a problem with pinkies and fuzzies.

 

[Tony]

I agree with Jeff. When we got him, our red tail boa had a rather nasty scar about halfway down his body - presumable from a rat.

Being in college at the time, we still fed him live food... just smaller food. Two mice instead of a rat, etc. Snakes have fairly tough skin and a small mouse would have trouble with a 5' boa.

Knowing what I know now about feeder fish (and having a bit more compassion towards the cuter fuzzy animals) if I was keeping a snake again though, I'd likely try frozen as well.

Mice and rats are ok as they're well... vermin. Don't think I could ever keep anything requiring feeding of live hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs or rabbits.... especially guinea pigs. :wub:

Tony, rock pythons are just bitey snakes. Retics are smart and reactive; highly variable personalities more so than any other species I can think of. They respond to visual and environmental stimuli big time whereas a Burm is only going to act different around food.

Bitey, lol. He certainly was. He was about 5 feet long and his last mistake was biting my mom - and not letting go. If he would have held on any longer, I'm sure he would have lost his head. I wasn't home at the time, but my sister (maybe 9-10 at the time) was on the way back from the kitchen with a knife.

He went to the pet store the next day.

 

[Greengirl]

The "spider gene" in Bugo makes him a little retarded and really docile. And I mean retarded in the politically correct sense. His head wobbles when he holds it up or while he eats. I have been told that pythons with two "spider" genes usually don't live long. That being said, when I fed him for the first time last week my buddy held onto the tail of the mouse and held it up a bit so it could not run or attack the snake. After a few moments of dangling, Bugo struck out so fast that I was more impressed than sad at the death squeek I heard. But he has never show the slightest amount of aggression. In fact, he is almost affectionate. He just curls up around my arm watching TV, and I even took an hour long nap and he just stayed there. I have really been enjoying his company. He is so cute and calm. He even makes a good neck massager

 

[jonclark96]

Get a pair of tongs if you are going to hold the food like that. Snake bites hurt.