Order Frozen Rats Online? Top Answer Update

Unlike most domesticated pets, snakes cannot eat processed meals made by commercial pet food companies. Providing your reptile with healthy rodents is essential to its health, but can you have live feeder mice delivered right to your door? No, it is illegal to transport live rodents or deliver them via a postal service.

Why can’t you have Live Feeder mice delivered straight to your door?

Because rodents can carry several deadly diseases and could create a logistical nightmare when stored, the USPS, FedEx, and UPS are opposed to storing or shipping warm-blooded animals. A few years ago you could ship live rodents, but in 2017 it became illegal. However, most pet owners were unwilling to pay the astronomical shipping costs to obtain live mice.

Under ideal conditions, shipping live mice appears to be an easy task. But even rodents intended as future meals should not suffer inhumane treatment. During shipping, extreme heat or cold could kill the mice, and long-distance delivery would likely result in a crate of injured or dead mice. If you’ve ever seen videos of angry delivery people throwing packages onto a porch, you probably understand that delivering live rodents is a bad idea.

Can you buy feeder mice at pet stores?

Your best chance of buying live mice is at a local pet store. Franchised pet stores may stock live mice for snakes, but they are less likely to have an adequate supply than a private business. Some snake owners complain that corporate pet stores rarely stock the size rodents they need. Before heading to the pet store, contact the manager and ask if they have enough feeder mice for your snake. You can also ask what day of the week rodents will be delivered so you can schedule a pickup.

Where else can you buy feeding mice?

One place to avoid as a source of live mice is your home and yard. Field mice, house mice, roof rats, and pine rats should never be fed to your reptile if they are from a suburban area. House mice are similar in size to feeder mice, but the potential for transmitting parasites and disease is much higher than a rodent from a breeder. If you can’t go to a nearby pet store to buy feeder mice, you still have a few other options.

snake breeder

Reptile breeders often breed feeder mice to sell to their customers. Most don’t offer to deliver the mice, but you can get lucky and find someone willing to deliver mice to your home. If your breeder doesn’t stock mice, you can request a reference for their rodent supplier. Feeder mouse breeders rarely advertise their services, but a breeder should know who to call for the best snake food.

online forums

If you join a reptile club or online group, you can ask the other members for links to feeder mice. Social media platforms have several reptile groups that can help you find the nearest breeder or store.

exhibitions

Check online for announcements of reptile shows in your area. Shows are great places to meet breeders and find sources of supplies and groceries.

What are the alternatives to buying live mice?

Buying frozen mice online or from a pet store is the safest and easiest way to provide your snake with a healthy diet. Replicating how your reptiles hunt in the wild might seem logical, but even in the wild, the snake can be injured by a rodent. Live feeder mice can bite or scratch your pet, but you don’t need to worry about that with a frozen specimen.

However, frozen mice must be thawed before feeding them to your pet. Swallowing a frozen creature can lower the reptile’s internal temperature, and a frozen claw could injure the snake on the way down. Mice should be thawed at room temperature before the snake bites. Compared to feeder mice, frozen rodents are much cheaper and easier to store. You can buy a bulk order to keep in the freezer and feed your pet for several months.

Final Thoughts

Snakes survive in the wild by preying on rodents, but you don’t need to provide your pet with live food to keep them healthy. After you throw a feeding mouse into a closed tank, it has no choice but to fight for its life when caught by the snake. A frozen mouse provides food without a fight, and you can buy a large quantity that will save you money on your pet food costs. Some snakes take a while to warm up to eating frozen mice, but eventually they get used to devouring prey that lies still.

Selected image source: Kapa65, Pixabay

1. How do you euthanize your animals?

When it comes time to euthanize our rodents, we use CO2 as a quick and humane method. This is an accepted industry standard.

Your rodents have received the best food and well water to ensure a happy and healthy eater!

So if you are feeding a corn, king, milk, boa, ball python, bearded dragon, monitor lizard or other reptile, amphibian, lizard or bird of prey, you can rest assured that your pet is getting the best and healthiest eats frozen mice & rats.

2. How do you ensure high quality rodents?

Our rodents are fed exclusively with a scientifically compiled rodent diet. Regular examinations and product samples are tested in the laboratory. We inspect and verify the internal quality and health of our rodent colony to ensure rodent health is of the highest standards.

We also maintain quality with quick freezing and special insulated shipping containers that ensure your pet’s food arrives fully frozen, ensuring freshness for your pet.

3. What do you feed your mice?

We feed a Mazuri diet. This food is scientifically formulated and has an excellent reputation as one of the best rodent foods available and is used in most zoos. We also offer this product to our customers who want to raise their own live rodents.

4. How long will the rodents last in my freezer?

We conveniently ship all of our rodents in thick, resealable plastic freezer bags. These are sealed with very little air inside to prevent freezer burn. By carefully resealing the freezer bags after each use, the rodents should last for 12 months or more.

5. What is the best way to thaw frozen rodents?

There are a few options for thawing frozen feeders:

#1 – Remove the rodents from the packaging and place them in a separate ziploc bag. Then slide the bag containing the frozen rodents you want to use into the water. The water should be warm; not burning hot or scalding. Mice typically thaw in less than an hour, while larger rats take more than 3 hours.

#2 – Take your rodents out of the box in the morning and place them in the fridge throughout the day to thaw. In the evening the feeders should be thawed and it only takes a short time to warm them up using Method #1.

Important: Never use the microwave to thaw your frozen rodents. This will cook the rodent and lose valuable nutrients your pet needs. The rodent could also be cool to the touch but very hot inside. This could injure your pet.

5. Are your rodent sizes the same as other online sellers or pet stores?

Often rodent dealers vary greatly in the size and weight of their rodents, which may share the same names as other dealers. This can make comparison difficult. Because we have been doing this for so long, our rodents’ sizes and weights are used by many other professionals. However, some use the name one size larger and sell one size smaller to increase profits. We never use this practice. Our rodents are the right size, weight and price. We tend to send the average of the weight and height range. In the product description of our rodents you will find a number of grams that each individual mouse or rat weighs, along with a quarter or bill for sizing.

To compare prices between companies that sell frozen rodents, it’s important that you check the weight listed for each rodent and then compare prices of products that are roughly the same weight. Note which unit of measure is used; Grams are the most commonly used.

6. Do you also sell live rodents?

Yes! Live rodents must be collected from our facilities in Northeast Georgia. Simply call or email to make an appointment and we’ll be happy to help. We also offer our customers the same excellent feed and bedding that we use in our facilities. If you would like a pickup we require 24 hour notification and the quickest way to schedule an appointment is to text 706-892-6381 with your name, your order and the day/time you would like a pickup .

Pricing and Payment Questions

1. How much are your rodents? What about group discounts?

We often send out codes for sales that we have. If you create an account and give us your email address, we will send you our sales. You can opt out of this program.

We also have what we call “B Class”. These are rodents that don’t live up to the visual expectations most customers want. There is nothing wrong with the health of the rodents and they are just as healthy as our “A Grade” mice. We only have a small selection of “B Grade” and customers who buy them are very satisfied.

2. “Have you ever had special offers on MiceDirect?”

If you sign up for our newsletter you will find that it is a very good way to get early notice of upcoming sales and promotions and to stay up to date on all the great offers we have to offer you here at MiceDirect .

3. “Is there a minimum quantity of rodents that must be ordered from your company?”

No, there is no minimum order value. To get free shipping and shipping there is a minimum of $69. If the order falls below this minimum, a $29 shipping and handling fee will be charged.

4. “Do you accept credit cards?” What about personal checks?”

We are pleased to be able to offer you various options for your payment convenience. We accept VISA and MasterCard and are also registered merchants with PayPal and Braintree. We do not accept cash on delivery. and all orders must be prepaid. For orders to be picked up in person at our facilities, please text 706-892-6381 to schedule an appointment and discuss payment options.

5. “What is your warranty policy?”

Our policy is 100% satisfaction guarantee. We want to earn and keep your business.

When your order arrives please inspect it immediately and call us at 706-348-7634 or email us [email protected] if there are any issues with the quality of our products and we will provide a 100% refund your purchase price. We ship products same day or next day of order and we ship 5 days a week and packages are delivered 7 days a week. So check your package daily or use your Fed Ex tracking number. The rodents will thaw and spoil if left beyond the time it takes to ship to your home.

General questions about rodents, reptiles and birds of prey

1. “Why feed reptiles frozen rodents instead of live ones?”

Although some people mistakenly believe that live food is better than frozen for their birds of prey and reptiles, frozen rodents are actually the preferred choice of many professional breeders, wildlife carers, zoos and hobbyists.

There are mutliple reasons for this:

1. Your pet can be bitten or scratched by live rodent and your pet will kill anything it wants to eat because it cannot eat live rodent.

2. Many prefer frozen rodents because of their convenience (they can be easily stored in large quantities, they are easier and more economical to receive than shipments).

3. The rodents are humanely euthanized, making them easier to manage than a live rodent.

4. It eliminates the many disadvantages of either having to maintain a live animal colony or having to repeatedly go to the pet store for a small number of live animals. For this reason, they are economically the better choice.

5. Finally, most importantly and worth repeating…because they are a safer, healthier choice for the animals in their care. Often live prey will fight back and bite or scratch and injure the reptile, and animals captured alive or purchased from unreliable sources can harbor all sorts of diseases and parasites which can then be transmitted to the raptor or reptile that ingested them.

Many people assume that live food is always better than frozen food for raptors and reptiles because they will eat it in the wild. However, what some fail to realize is that when we bring these animals into captivity, we have already changed the game and at that point we take responsibility for their health and safety. Yes, animals in the wild do not eat frozen food. But they also don’t live in cages or artificial habitats, and they can die in the wild from wounds from live prey or from parasites and diseases transmitted by prey in the wild.

3. “How difficult is it to transition our reptiles from live food to frozen food?”

First of all, it is important to ensure that your frozen food is completely thawed. Some people have found it helpful to ensure the rodent is still warm from the warm water rather than completely cooled. Snakes see with infrared, so they see that they are attracted to the heat. The first step is to use a pair of hemostats to dangle the food in front of your pet and move the food around to tease your pet as if it were a live animal.

Very important: Never hand feed your pet. They will quickly identify your hand as food and start hitting you when you pick it up. Using pliers takes your hand out of the equation and makes life better for you and your pet. If that doesn’t work for you, read our article on Frozen vs. Live in our Articles section of our website or email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help you with that or any other Area where you need advice on feeding or caring for your reptiles or birds of prey.

4. “How do I get a reptile to feed on live rodents from other food sources?”

One of the best ways we’ve found to address this issue is to take the food you normally feed your pet and rub its scent onto the rodent. Often this is enough to convince the predator that the rodent is good prey. If that isn’t effective, you can get other ideas by reading the article on Frozen vs. Live in our Articles section of our website (from “Feeding Pre-killed vs. Live Prey” by Melissa Kaplan) or you can give a shout Call us at 706-348-7634 or email us at [email protected] and we’d be more than happy to share our experience as true rodent professionals and to assist you in this or any other area, in which you need advice on feeding or caring for your reptile or bird of prey.

Questions about the site

1. “How do I find what I’m looking for on your website?”

When you are on our site, you will see links or section titles at the top of our page that will take you to different areas of our site. Just click Mice, Rats, Chicks or Class B to go to that section. Each page has a menu of links to guide you.

2. “Is ordering online with MiceDirect safe?”

Our shopping cart is very secure and certified by the Equifax Secure Certificate Authority through our host provider Powweb. We have an SSL certificate that makes our website secure. If you use our shopping cart, or any other secure site on the web, you’ll know it’s safe when you see a lock icon in the bottom right of your screen or notice the URL path change from normal http:// to https: // (the “s” stands for safe). To view the certification, double-click the lock icon.

However, if for any reason you do not wish to order your shipment online, please call us at 706-348-7634 and we will be happy to take your order over the phone instead.

3. “Does MiceDirect ever give or sell my personal information to other companies?”

No, we value our customers’ rights to privacy and security and we will never sell or share your information with third parties except for shipping purposes (Fed Ex or UPS). For more information about our policies and how we use your personal information, see our policies in our Privacy Notice section for more information.

Can you remember the last thing you ordered online? i know i can

It’s certainly amazing how convenient life has become for the everyday consumer.

But as far as we’ve come, it’s surprising that consumers still can’t have live feeder mice shipped directly to our homes.

In fact, shipping mice and rodents is banned by major carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS (more on that later).

So what’s a good snake owner to do?

Don’t worry, there are alternatives to buying live feeder mice. In fact, now in this post, you will discover four options. Stay tuned.

What?! No deliveries of live mice?

Unfortunately yes. This is the case.

You see, unlike their reptilian counterparts, major mail carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS have viewed mice and rodents as restricted items to ship.

But regardless of whether you’re a picky eater who only takes live mice or just haven’t bought them in a while, there are alternatives that we’ll discuss now.

Alternatives to supplying live feeder mice

pet shops

Local breeders

Reptile Expos

Own breed

Frozen feeder mice

Live feeder mice in pet stores

You could certainly buy feeder mice at your local pet store, but there are a few things you should know first.

Availability and size may be limited. What I’ve learned from previous experiences is to call ahead! It’s often not uncommon for local pet stores to run out of mice of a certain size.

Learn from my mistakes and call ahead to ensure availability before wasting time and money.

Live feeder mice from local breeders

This is possibly the best alternative to buying online as you may be able to have it delivered.

To do this there are two places I recommend looking:

craigslist

Facebook reptile groups

Here you are likely to encounter two types of individuals: those who raise feed for profit and those who raise for personal use but have leftovers they wish to part with.

Facebook

Go to Facebook and search for “Live Feeder Mice” under Groups or check out these groups first. You should also check out other reptile-related Facebook groups.

Ideally you will find someone like that.

craigslist

Start by looking for your surroundings. Then use keywords like “Live Feeder Mice for Sale”. If you’re in a densely populated area, there’s a good chance you’ll find something like the following.

Reptile Expos

Have you ever been to a reptile show? If so, then you know there is more than just reptiles to buy.

In fact, breeders of all kinds flock to these events to meet face-to-face with consumers and bring many types of species with them. Here you can get both frozen and live food mice.

Find out when and where the next reptile fair is near you by clicking here.

breed your own

Breeding your own can be a great way to lower your costs. As we all know, snake care can get expensive, especially when you have many to care for. However, this option doesn’t make sense if you only have a single snake.

If you hate the smell or don’t want to go through the hassle of growing your own, then this may not be your best option.

Nonetheless, this is a viable option for those looking for live feeder mice and cases where it makes sense.

Buy frozen mice online.

With this option, owners buy frozen mice and thaw them before feeding them to their snakes.

This is the option I personally recommend as the benefits of feeding your frozen snake outweigh its live counterparts.

I use this brand in particular.

Advantages of Feeding Frozen Vs. Live Mice

Cheaper. Buying frozen mice can save you money as you can buy them in bulk.

Safer and easier. Feeding your snake a live animal is a stressful situation for both the snake and the mouse to be killed. During this encounter, the feeder could easily bite and injure your snake as it reacts to the snake trying to eat it.

more humane. Frozen feeder mice die from carbon dioxide gassing, which is more humane than being grabbed, strangled, and suffocated by your snake.

Conclusion

Some snakes will only accept live food. It’s not the end of the world if you can handle it. Just know that there are several alternatives to get live feeder mice delivered to your door that you can use!

By Nichole Royer

No rats or mice can be sent by post or UPS.

Shipping is via the airlines.

Most airlines do not allow rats or mice to be taken on planes

Rats and mice must be transported as cargo.

Shipping is very expensive, so sending someone a bunch of pet rats or mice is really out of the question.

Shipping is very time consuming to coordinate.

I have received several requests from people living in other parts of the country and other parts of the world who would like to get rats or mice. There are probably others out there who are concerned about this as well.

Most of us in California are more than happy to bring animals to people when taking car trips. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very often. We all have critters at home and I’m sure everyone knows that looking after them when you go on vacation can be a nightmare. Most of the time we don’t drive when we travel, we fly. Airlines do not allow rats or mice to be brought on the plane like you would a cat or small dog. All rats and mice must be shipped as cargo and packaged and paid for exactly as if you were shipping them.

Shipping Terms

We are receiving more and more questions about shipping. However, many of us in California only ship under certain conditions.

The person we ship to must be a member of AFRMA. The person must be given a full box of rats/mice. If they don’t, it’s not worth our time or money, and the animals just don’t travel well. The person must send all money before the animals can be shipped.

The Nitty Gritty

A full box consists of about 8-12 rats and 12-20 mice (depending on size, age and sex). In many cases, rats and mice can be shipped in the same box (the box is divided). The cost is usually around $10-$20 per mouse and $20-$40 per rat.

The actual shipping box* costs $35 and the required vet check costs an additional $25 to $40.

To the airport

Shipping is via the airlines. No rats or mice can be sent in the mail. The animals are delivered to the airport on this side and you pick them up at the airport on your side. Typically, US shipping costs are around $150-$250 per box. Shipping internationally often requires additional paperwork (to be completed by the buyer) but does not always cost more.

More often than not, the person coordinating shipping will ask for a little extra money to cover their phone calls, driving, and time spent shipping. I would guess it takes about 40 hours of work at this end to put together a show.

Expensive offer

Needless to say, this is quite expensive. Shipping a bunch of pet rats or mice to someone is really out of the question. Most of the time we don’t ship to a single person. Instead, it goes to a group of breeders who have teamed up to get a shipment. If you split the cost among several people who then each get a couple (or whatever the arrangement is) then the cost is much more reasonable.

If we have enough time, most California breeders plan litters around shipping so the people we ship get what they want. Of course, the whole thing can be more of a project that needs to be coordinated.

See Shipping Notes for more information.

See also article “Outbound and return shipping”

Update 2014:

Two breeders have reported that United Airlines now offers a PetSafe® shipping program for around $75 to $90 for less than 10 pounds. A breeder in Chicago, IL has a Facebook page with her information about shipping with United PetSafe® Mail Order.

Update 2015:

AFRMA recently had the opportunity to use Clear H 2 O’s HydroGel™ hydration packs and although the rats did not appear to try them and instead ate the provided carrots, they assured the animals would have a source of hydration if needed. We recommend this product for those who ship with rats or mice or who travel long distances.

We have also used the United PetSafe® shipping program and have had very positive results.

We used one of the Horizon (formerly Sage) animal shipping containers along with one of the Taconic transit cages to separate the male and female rats and were able to glue the boxes together into one unit since there was only one space available on the flight. The Sage container has small clear windows at the top that allow you to see the animals inside once you’ve packed them up, as well as a door in the lid that allows you to open the box without having to remove the entire lid.

An important note about health certificates: While United doesn’t require health certificates to ship rats and mice, if something happens to the animals, you must have one in order to receive a refund.

Another shipping-related article is Shipping Rats by Meghan Rabon, Paper Heart Rattery, Hope, NJ. She advises that boxes should not be overstuffed and that shipping may be possible in the summer, but only in the evening/night hours when it’s cool.

Taconic had a Taconic Transit Cage Density Chart that gives you an idea of ​​how many animals you can comfortably pack in one of their shipping boxes (archived page; current page only lists how many mice per box).

Update 2017:

United PetSafe® Shipping no longer allows shipping boxes for rodent air shipments.

Posted on March 1st, 2012 by Ashley Palmer. Last updated August 8, 2017.

The following article was written by Alicia Woempner.

As a vegetarian college student who loved animals, I was thrilled when I was offered a summer job at PETCO. I was thrilled to spend my days talking to animal rights activists and meeting their furry companions, who would often accompany them into the store to tend to the birds, reptiles, fish, guinea pigs and other small animals. However, I quickly realized that this store, which seemed like heaven to me, was actually hell for the animals that lived there.

The first shock came when I noticed a large open wound on the face of a small white mouse. When I immediately informed my supervisor, I was told not to worry as the animal was “just a feeding mouse”. This is because PETCO stocks live mice and rats that are sold as food for “pet” snakes. Mice and rats placed in a cage with a snake can spend hours or even days trembling in fear before the snake eventually becomes hungry enough to eat them (which may or may not happen), and they may even attack and injure the snake in an attempt to defend itself. I will never forget how horrified I was every time a customer walked into the store wanting to buy a “feed mouse” or rat, knowing I was responsible for feeding any mouse or rat I could catch terror and a horrible death and wrestle in a box. I noticed sick or injured “feeder mice” on a daily basis, and having lived with a companion mouse, I was heartbroken to see the suffering these intelligent, affectionate animals endured in a business that claims that “animals always come first.” stand. ”

PETCO also sells live “feeder fish” for turtles and reptiles that people keep in captivity as “pets.” These small goldfish are kept in their hundreds in huge, heavily overcrowded tanks without enrichment. The death toll at the store I worked at was such that part of the closing procedure each day was to take out the dead “feeder fish” that had been sucked into a filter, wrap them in a plastic bag and putting them in the filter “dead” freezer, along with dead rats, mice, hamsters, birds and other victims. There were so many fish in the filter each day that it was impossible to separate those that were alive and breathing but too weak to swim out of the filter, so they were thrown into the freezer with the dead ones. (Whether they suffocated or froze to death beforehand, I don’t know.) Of course, we also “counted dead” all of the aquarium fish on a daily basis, since they, like the other animals in the store, are seen by the company as disposable goods.

One of the most gruesome incidents I witnessed was the result of the intense confinement that the animals in the store are subjected to. Birds that would fly, migrate, nest and raise their own families in the wild are kept in overcrowded cages and are denied the opportunity to engage in their natural behavior which can lead to them going insane. One night after I closed, I heard a cacophony of screeches coming from the parakeet cage. A colleague and I ran over and found that one parakeet had been the victim of frantic pecking by cagemates – the other birds had pecked all the flesh from the animal’s head, completely exposing the skull. I asked to be allowed to take the bird to a 24 hour vet to mercifully euthanize and was eventually granted, but only after wasting valuable minutes on the phone asking for permission, the extra money to spend on an emergency vet . When I got to the doctor, the budgerigar was already dead. I will never forget this bird.

The “goods” in the store can also be “damaged” by careless employees. One person I will always remember was a tiny baby chameleon whose back was broken when a worker accidentally slammed the animal’s cage door shut. The chameleon died the next day without the dignity of euthanasia.

These are just some of the incidents I have witnessed as a PETCO employee, but undercover agents have also uncovered horrific animal cruelty at the breeding facilities that supply PETCO and PetSmart, among others. I challenge you to learn more about the terrible pet industry. As you can imagine, I didn’t last very long at this job, but I will always regret having been involved in such a small way in such a cruel industry. I hope you will join me in boycotting retailers like PETCO and PetSmart who still sell animals and that you commit to always adopting pets and never buying pets.

Do you think you know snakes? Take our snake quiz

Snakes are often treated as voracious and extraterrestrial creatures in popular culture, and there is a degree of truth to that. The ability of snakes to open their jaws and swallow prey of seemingly impossible sizes whole is incredible, and that’s doubly true when talking about a giant snake like an anaconda. But what may seem frightening to us is a sign of evolutionary success.

Natural selection caused the snake to lose the four legs of its ancestors, but snake species today represent one-third of the total number of reptilian species. On the surface, the snake takes several complex biological processes and reduces them to their most basic parts to preserve their primitive adjust body shape. But that also forces snakes to take on some genuinely creative — and often ghastly — traits to help them accomplish tasks that come naturally to creatures like humans and chimpanzees.

Because of some of these unique changes, snakes can go without food for long periods of time. But the why and the how are the important part of the answer. Here’s how some snakes evolved the ability to go long periods without food, and how circumstances caused them to become that way.

11,603 people failed this quiz. Do you think you can? Take our brand new A-Z Animals Snakes Quiz

How snakes eat their prey

Because snakes are unable to tear or cut the flesh of their prey, they must open their jaws as wide as they can wiggle their lower jaw under their prey. iStock.com/tikephoto

A snake’s open and hissing mouth might be terrifying up close, but it’s also a reminder that we’re lucky to be able to chew. All snakes are ambush predators, but they have evolved three primary methods of consuming prey, each with varying degrees of effectiveness depending on a species’ size, species, and environment.

Venom is perhaps the most effective. Snakes’ needle-like fangs might not be great for ripping and tearing through an animal’s body, but they’re effectively built like hypodermic needles. Once the venom takes effect – either killing or paralyzing prey – the snake can proceed to swallow it. In some cases — as in pit vipers like rattlesnakes — the venom may even begin to liquefy the insides of a prey to make it easier to digest. But only about one in five snake species is poisonous.

Constrictor species are more common, as they crush their prey using a variety of methods to incapacitate them before swallowing them. Others – like the garter snake – are simple, effective predators that can swallow their prey whole. For constrictors and venomous snakes, the real duty is to actually swallow their prey. These snakes cannot tear or cut the flesh, but instead must open their jaws as wide as possible and slowly wiggle their lower jaws under the prey as if leveling a forklift. A snake’s upper and lower jaws do not separate, but can open up to four times the width of a snake’s body. Their skin is similarly designed to be flexible and to mold around the food.

How snakes use their energy

Contemplating how these legless reptiles can go so long without food requires an understanding of how and why different animal species require dramatically different amounts of energy. While the organisms that cover this planet take incredibly diverse forms, the process of natural selection that underlies it all is driven by the simple arithmetic of energy expended and expended. Being warm-blooded, humans and all other mammals can maintain their body temperature inside. While this allows mammals to be more active than their reptilian counterparts, this active metabolism is also energy consuming. The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal, but proper care of this body means it eats over five pounds of meat a day.

Reptiles can afford to be more energy efficient because they use an external power source. Natural heat and light keep them active and moving, and snakes can perform at optimal effectiveness between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Their lower metabolism means they need to eat less food altogether, and the average reptile only needs 20-25% of the nutrient intake of a mammal. It’s an effective way to succeed because it allows them to thrive even when the opportunities for more deadly yet also more energy-dependent mammalian predators may not be sustainable. It also allows them to survive cold weather effectively without incurring the expense of maintaining their body heat or developing specialized behaviors like hibernation.

How snakes digest their prey

Being able to incapacitate their prey with a single venomous bite and then swallow it whole often allows these ambush predators to both hunt and eat—but digesting their meal—with very little expenditure of energy is a very expensive process. The Burmese python is an extreme but representative example. Once a fresh meal is carried into the esophagus and the chemical process of breakdown begins in the snake’s stomach, that snake’s body begins to mutate wildly. Their metabolism speeds up to 44 times its original rate, and their organs can grow up to twice as large to maximize the efficiency of the digestive process. This isn’t the norm, but it’s impressive considering most snake species typically eat a quarter of their body weight in a single sitting. Pythons are particularly voracious eaters, and some pythons have been known to eat up to 95% of their body weight.

Humans may need three decent meals a day, but a snake can just eat once and then take a long nap while it digests it. The actual digestion process can vary depending on the size of the snake, the ambient temperature, the size of the meal, or several other conditions. Shorter meals can take three days, but a giant snake like an anaconda can take weeks to fully digest a larger meal like a deer.

Longer and more difficult digestive processes harbor dangers. Larger game is more likely to have horns, fangs, or claws that can pierce an internal organ and kill the snake. They need exposure to heat to properly digest, but they’re also vulnerable targets while they’re stuffed with their meal. And while the digestive acids used are strong, a snake’s organs are in a race with their prey. If it can’t dissolve the prey faster than the corpse can decompose, the snakemeal could poison them, grow in their stomachs, or set off a gas explosion. It can be a costly risk, but a large meal dramatically increases the time a snake can go without food.

The Average Snake’s Diet

Snakes can sometimes go for weeks without food. iStock.com/mjf795

How often and how much food the average snake needs can vary widely between different species. Researchers have identified both common and rare feeders, with the latter displaying the behavior of ball pythons, which have been shown to grow their organs to aid in digestion. Baby snakes and gluttons can eat about twice a week, while infrequent eaters can easily go several weeks without food. In extreme cases, it can take weeks for the last meal to be digested at all.

As reptiles, snakes are also capable of reaching a state called brumation, which allows them to sink into a deep torpor during the colder months. It can be a crucial survival technique when prey is scarce and difficult to track—and with a lack of sunlight and heat, most snakes are ill-equipped to hunt anyway. Corn snakes are known to go two to three months without food during breeding, but many species periodically pause during longer breeding seasons to forage for new food.

How long snakes can go without food

A baby snake begins to starve seriously after about a week without food—and once that baby grows into an adult, members of most snake species can get along comfortably for at least two to three weeks. But the time it takes for a snake to starve can vary significantly by species. Smaller snakes tend to feed more frequently than larger ones, but species like the ball python can go up to two years without food. With no internal metabolism to deal with, the energy cost of doing nothing is much less than that of a comparable mammal.

However, science is only just beginning to uncover the full survival capabilities of snakes. A study looking at the tactics snakes use when they’re about to starve took different species of snakes and observed their behavior when they weren’t fed for six months. In addition to their naturally low energy requirements, three different snake species demonstrated the ability to lower their metabolism by an additional 70%. It’s an intriguing, but still uncertain, look at how these creatures function and how they may be able to survive without food for even longer than we think possible.

Next: Do butterflies drink blood? And 13 more surprising facts about butterflies

Ball pythons are important pest controllers in Africa; They feed on rats, mice and birds. Ambush predators, these strong snakes use their colorful scale patterns to blend in with their surroundings and ambush prey.

As pets, ball pythons feed on rodents and will happily eat either live or already killed prey.

But how much should you feed and how often?

Feeding charts are an essential resource for ball python owners of all experience levels. They help understand the relationship between snake size, age, and prey.

Read on for our complete guide to ball python feeding. We share the best feeding schedules (for all ages), tips, and beginner mistakes to avoid.

What Do Ball Pythons Eat?

Ball pythons are carnivores that hunt and eat small mammals and birds. In their native range of west and central Africa, they favor African giant rats, black rats, grass mice, weaver birds, and red-nosed rats. However, their prey is not limited to these animals, they will feed on any bird or mammal small enough to be swallowed.

Like all pythons, this species is an ambush predator that sits and waits for prey to come to them.

Pythons use a combination of chemical signals, movement, and vision to find prey. As soon as they find prey, they strike and then kill it with constriction. They use their unique and irregular color patterns to blend in with their surroundings. This is one of the reasons why there are many natural ball python morphs.

Their ambush hunting strategy and slow metabolism keep these snakes running between meals for weeks or even months.

Male and female ball pythons differ in the type of prey they eat. Males live more in trees than females and therefore eat more birds than mammals. Females spend more time on the ground and subsequently eat more mammals than birds.

Unlike other pet snake species, ball pythons do not eat food such as amphibians, eggs, fish, or other reptiles.

Ball pythons are primarily fed on house mice, rats and chicks.

Just like wild pythons eat a variety of prey, it’s also important for your pet snake to have variety. Mice and rats are a ball python’s staple diet, but the occasional addition of chicks, quail, or young rabbits can be an enrichment.

Wild ball python diet Captive ball python diet African giant rats House mice Red-nosed rats Black rats Shaggy rats Chicks Weaver birds Quail Grass mice Gerbils Shrews Rabbits

Ball pythons can go without food for long periods of time. Their ability to fast helps them survive a period of drought or hatch their eggs. But just because these snakes can go long without food doesn’t mean they should.

It is your job to feed your snake prey, which will provide good nutrition without underfeeding or overfeeding.

The best way to ensure your python is getting the right amount of food is to use a feeding schedule.

Sticking to a feeding schedule is important to accurately regulate your ball python’s weight.

Schedules help ensure your python doesn’t go hungry, but you can also easily track and adjust the amount you feed to prevent overfeeding. Knowing when your snake last fed will help you be alert to feeding anomalies, such as: B. Refusal.

Ball Python Feeding Chart

A ball python feeding chart will change as they grow and age.

Young pythons need to feed more frequently than an adult male, which grows very slowly. Younger people need a lot of energy to invest in rapid body growth. Nutritional needs differ even in adult pythons depending on whether they are pregnant or preparing to breed.

Exact feeding requirements vary from person to person, but there are guidelines for how much the average python needs to eat based on size and age.

Snake age Snake weight Prey size Frequency Hatchling 50-100 g Hopper mouse or small rat (8-12 g) Every five days 3 months 120-200 g Small mouse or fuzzy rat (13-19 g) Once a week 6 months 300-370 g Adult mouse or rat pup (20-30 g) Every 7-10 days 1 year 500-900 g 1-3 adult mice or 1 small rat (45-80 g) Every 10-14 days 1.5 years 700-1500 g 3-5 adult mice, 1 medium-sized rat or 2 small rats (80-150 g) Every 10-14 days 3 years 1200-1800 g 4-5 adult mice, 1 medium-sized rat or 2 small rats (90-150 g) Every 14 – 21 days 5 years+ 1800 – 2300 g 4 – 5 adult mice, 1 medium rat or 2 small rats (90 – 150 g) Every 21 – 50 days

The size of your python will determine what prey you should feed.

A good rule of thumb is to feed prey that is wider than most of your python’s midsection. Hatchlings can be started with small mice, while adults may be able to eat large rats.

hatchlings (baby)

Young pythons grow very fast! Females can grow up to 12 inches in a year and males can grow 8 inches per year. In order to keep up with their growth, young animals have to eat a lot. They should be fed a bouncy mouse every five days for the first four weeks of life.

This is also the time when you should make sure their feeding response is strong and that they are capable of accurately attacking prey.

Overfeeding ball python chicks is not a problem due to their extremely high metabolism.

3 months old

Pythons under one year old are considered juveniles. Adolescents are still growing at a tremendous rate. To maintain this growth, they need to eat a small mouse or fuzzy rat every week.

During this growth phase, you may need to increase your snake’s prey on a regular basis. The prey should be no larger than the widest part of your snake’s body, this will help your snake swallow and digest the rat with ease.

6 months old

By six months, your python should be between 20 and 27 inches tall and have a good appetite. They can now offer a larger prey item for longer periods of time. A rat pup or adult mouse every ten days works well for most people.

1 year old

Meanwhile, male and female ball pythons will differ in size. Females are consistently larger than males. This size difference means you may need to feed male and female pythons different prey. Smaller males can have 1-3 adult mice and larger females can have one rat.

You should still feed the prey based on the size of your individual python.

A small 1-year-old female may not be big enough for a rat, or a particularly large male may swallow a rat with ease.

3 years old

By the age of three, ball python growth begins to slow significantly. It is also the age at which males become sexually mature.

You can now start doing the biweekly feedings and slightly increase the prey size again. The prey should be slightly smaller than the widest part of your snake. Bigger snakes need bigger prey, but less often.

Pythons at this age often become overweight because their owner continues to use a juvenile feeding schedule (i.e. feeds every 5-7 days). Make sure you only feed every two or three weeks.

5 years old

Both male and female ball pythons are fully grown by the age of five. Interestingly, they will continue to grow gradually for the rest of their lives.

Your ball python should now be a consistent weight (unless used for breeding) and your feeding schedule shouldn’t need to change. Most adults are happy with a single medium-sized rat, two small rats, or 4-5 large adult mice every one to two months.

breeding females

Female ball pythons do not feed while laying and incubating eggs, and their energy requirements increase significantly during ovulation. Because of this, a breeding female needs to be fed a lot before she lays.

Feed a pregnant python a large rat once a week from the time she shows the first signs of ovulation until she lays. Feed her as long as she will eat to maintain that weight. This helps build up fat reserves for post-laying when she’s guarding the eggs. Make sure a female weighs at least 1,500 grams before breeding.

breeding male

Unlike females, breeding males only need energy for mating.

Breeding males only require a minor increase in their feeding and this depends on the frequency of use.

If you only breed a male dog once, he will be fine with his normal feeding schedule. If you breed him with more than two females over several days or weeks, increase his meals to every 14 days during that time.

Feed ball python

Feeding a ball python can be done in two ways: by using live or pre-killed prey.

Using live prey may feel more natural for a beginner, but mice and rats can do serious damage to your python. Especially when both animals are kept together in a very small space.

We highly recommend feeding your frozen rodents python.

While both methods are used by snake keepers, feeding pre-killed prey is both safer for your snake and more convenient for you.

Pre-butchered prey is sold frozen at most pet stores and can be easily thawed before feeding. Ball pythons happily eat frozen and thawed prey, but snakes that have previously eaten live prey may take some time to get used to dead prey.

Ball pythons are nocturnal, so the best time to feed is in the evening or just after you’ve turned off the lights.

How to feed a ball python frozen and thawed prey

Thaw your prey/rat in the refrigerator five hours before feeding (2 hours for a mouse). Alternatively, rodents can be kept in the fridge overnight to thaw before feeding day. Never attempt to thaw a frozen rat in the microwave, as it may heat up unevenly or explode. After the prey is thawed, place it in a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag in warm water and allow it to heat to around 110°F. Dry the rat. Pick up the rat by the tail with soft-nosed pliers and offer it to your snake. A pair of pliers will keep your snake from touching your hand with the food and give you extra room in case it misses a strike. Alternatively, you can place the heated rodent on the bottom of the tank. Remove the prey if it hasn’t been eaten for 12 hours.

How to feed a ball python live prey

Choose a rat that is smaller than the widest girth of your python. Check that the rat is free of injuries and parasites. Use soft forceps to pick up the rat by the tail. Open your python’s enclosure or the lid of its feeder and let the rat dangle in front of its head. The rodent’s movements, combined with its scent, should entice your snake to strike. Never drop the rat on your snake or let it loose in your snake’s enclosure.

tips and mistakes

Ball pythons are forgiving of feeding mistakes, although you should still do your best to avoid them in the first place. Many errors are the result of misinformation and can be easily corrected.

Below are some of the most common ball python feeding mistakes that we see in beginners.

overfeeding

Because ball pythons are naturally heavy, it can be difficult to tell if they are overweight.

Overfeeding can be avoided by sticking to a regular feeding schedule and consistently monitoring your python’s body score:

Healthy individuals should have a hard, fairly triangular body shape when viewed from the front. They should not have a protruding back.

Obese individuals have a round or slightly flattened body, are soft to the touch, and have folds of fat around the head and cloaca.

Good management of your python’s feeding habits will help you maintain your snake at a healthy weight. Not too thin and not thick.

Feeding in the enclosure

It might not seem like a mistake to feed your snake in its terrarium, but it can cause some unintended behavioral problems.

Your ball python will quickly learn that opening the enclosure doors = feeding time.

This can cause it to bang when the doors are opened, even for cleaning or fiddling.

It is best to feed your python in a separate feeding enclosure. This can be something as simple as a plastic bucket or an empty fish tank, provided it’s safe and big enough.

After feeding, return your snake to its enclosure and leave it alone for up to 72 hours.

Handling after feeding

Reptiles have slower metabolisms than mammals and take longer to digest their food.

Handling your ball python after eating is uncomfortable and stressful for them. An interruption can even cause a burp.

Be sure to give your snake plenty of privacy while it eats and digests prey.

After eating, leave your snake alone for 72 hours or until it shows just a slight bulge. After this time, your Python should be digested long enough for normal handling to be fine.

power supply

Power feeding means feeding a ball python more than once a week. This is a controversial practice used by some ball python breeders to quickly add weight to their snake.

Power feeding quickly leads to obesity and can shorten your snake’s lifespan. It shouldn’t be done.

vitamins and dietary supplements

Unlike many pet reptiles, healthy ball pythons do not require any additional vitamin or mineral supplements.

If you feed quality rats, all the nutrients they need will be in their prey.

summary

Your ball python should eat weaned mice and young rats as a juvenile, and adult rats and several mice as adults, supplemented with the occasional chick, quail, or gerbil.

Ball python feeding charts should vary based on size, sex, and age. Of course, no table will give you the exact requirements for your individual snake.

They should be used as a starting point based on the average weight of your snake. Adjust them to fit your snake based on its growth rate and size.

Have we cleared up your feeding questions? Let us know in the comments below!

Mice and rats are both types of rodents and both are something you do not want invading your home.

But when you suddenly come face to face with a furry rodent, how do you know if it’s a mouse or a rat?

There are actually several different ways you can tell if rats or mice have entered your Maryland, DC or Virginia home.

One of the most common mistakes made when trying to find out what type of rodent is in a household is confusing a young rat with an adult mouse.

However, if you know your rodents, you can easily tell the two apart. A young rat’s head and feet are large compared to its body, and its face is blunt and blunt with broad noses.

They will look clumsy overall, like most young mammals, including humans! This compares to an adult mouse, whose body is more proportionate and slimmer, and whose head has a more sharply angled appearance.

Rats must not leave tracks

Customers who call us about rodent issues often suspect that someone or something “thing” ate a late night meal of biscuits, bread and chocolate. But in some cases, spotting a rat problem isn’t always that easy.

Opportunistic rats with a case of nocturnal feeding often LNT of this evidence. In some cases, the only evidence of a rodent infestation (that can be found) is a questionably torn packet of ramen noodles. No feces, no sightings… nada.

Rats move food twice as often

While mice typically eat a small amount of food at the source, rats are more likely to gather and take the food elsewhere before enjoying it.

This may be because rats are larger and more physically able to tow a granola bar, or simply personal preference. However, rats are notorious for taking food to a more remote area to consume.

Mice leave poop where they travel (and eat)

Where there are mice, there is feces. The droppings are small; resembles a grain of rice with pointed ends. They are located where mice travel and where they eat, e.g. B. behind a stove, in the pantry or under cabinets.

Their urine also plays an important role in communicating with other mice — whether that’s to attract a potential female mate or to warn other male mice to stay away.

Mice don’t turn into rats

Surprisingly, many people are unaware that rats and mice are different species. Rats will always be bigger, heavier and longer than mice. And their poop will be bigger too.

Adult mice have bodies that are 3 to 4 inches long with 3 to 4 inch tails. Adult rats can grow up to 9 to 11 inches long with 7 to 9 inch tails.

Who reproduces faster, mice or rats?

In the short lifespan of a female mouse of 1.5-2.5 years, she can produce more than 300 offspring. And these offspring can start mating as early as 4 weeks old!

As you can probably imagine, a few mice can quickly spawn a large population. But mice cannot compete with rats. In a short year, a pair of rats can produce up to 2,000 offspring.

What is the difference between a rat’s diet and a mouse’s diet?

Both mice and rats are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals, but they tend to enjoy different foods.

Rats tend to eat more as they are larger and can get into larger objects. They will eat anything, but generally lean toward meat, pet foods, fish, and stored cheese.

Mice prefer grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, but they can eat meat, including meat from dead mice. In times of hunger, a mouse will even eat its own tail!

Differences between mice and rats include:

Adult mice are about 7 ½ inches long, including the tail; while adult rats can grow up to 18 inches in length, including the tail.

Mice have thin, slightly hairy tails; Rats have a thick, hairless, scaly tail.

A mouse’s nose is triangular in shape; A rat’s nose is blunter and rounder.

Both mice and rats can be brown or gray in color, but rats can also be black.

Mouse droppings are about 1/4 inch long with pointed ends.

Rat droppings are longer (3/4 inch) with blunt ends.

Why You Don’t Want Rodents:

Rodents are commensal animals. This means that they rely, at least in part, on humans as a source of food.

Because of this, they often live near homes in both urban and rural areas.

When the weather gets cooler, they look for a shelter to overwinter. As a homeowner, you should prevent this at all costs because of the dangers they can bring into your home.

Both rats and mice can damage your home’s structure by chewing through wires, pipes, insulation, and drywall.

They can also damage personal items such as furniture, clothing, carpets, and storage boxes. They can contaminate your food and food preparation areas and introduce diseases such as salmonellosis, hantavirus, leptospirosis and lymphocytic disease.

You can also create nest sites behind walls, in your attic, in the basement, and even behind equipment.

Rodents reproduce very quickly; Two rodents can quickly become 20 or more in a very short time.

Female mice have a 21-day gestation and litters averaging six pups, and it only takes about 6 weeks for these pups to reach breeding age. And each female can have up to 8 litters a year, so as you can see, if a small rodent problem isn’t quickly contained, you’re about to have a very large rodent problem ahead of you.

Rats have similar reproductive rates, but they have large litters and a slightly longer gestation period.

Still not sure if you have mice or rats?

No matter what type of rodent infestation you have in your home, one thing is for sure, you should get help from a rodent pest control expert right away.

Professionals will be able to correctly identify the species that are in your home and take the appropriate steps to safely and humanely remove them from your home.

Check out our rodent control options to learn more about getting rid of rats and mice.

Professionals can also determine what is causing your rodent problem and take steps to help you resolve these issues.

Having a rodent control service in place will ensure your current problem is taken care of and those future problems don’t unexpectedly arise, and ensure your home stays year-round free of unwanted guests, at least the furry rodent kind!

Click here to view a mouse versus rat infographic to further help you identify between the two invasive rodents.

Like other snakes, the commonly kept corn snake is carnivorous. And in their natural habitat in the southern and central United States, they would readily consume a variety of prey items. From native mice and other rodents to amphibians, birds and even bird eggs.

corn snake food

I feed my corn snakes and other snakes: rats, mice, chicks, hamsters, gerbils, quail, multimammalian mice and guinea pigs.

I buy all of the above frozen. Northampton Reptile Center delivering to your door.

So as you can see, there’s no real excuse for not having variety, even with a snake.

Corn snakes like to eat rats

Jump to content:

Can corn snakes eat roaches, vegetables, eggs, fish, beef or pork?

Fish: I know pet owners who fed their grains fish and they took it. But for me it’s not part of their natural diet anyway. So I’m not going to start feeding them now.

Eggs: I have fed quail eggs to many rat snake species over the years, including corns. But it’s been a long time since I’ve personally fed any.

Cockroaches: (crickets, grasshopper, etc.). These cannot be fed.

Veg: These cannot be fed.

Beef: This cannot be fed.

Pork: That also cannot be fed.

Not only are these foods nutritionally poor, but the snake is unlikely to get a feeding reaction anyway.

Feeding frequency depends on the age and size of your snake

How Often Should You Feed a Corn Snake?

To me, this depends very much on the snake’s age and size, as well as the food/prey size.

Hatchlings: For a good six or seven months I fed my hatchlings a little mouse every five days. Some say that you should feed the hatchlings two or three times a week, but I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

Hatchlings: Feed once every seven to ten days for snakes over six or seven months old. Do this for a few years and as the snake grows, also increase in prey size.

Adults: For adult snakes (two years and older) I wait a little longer before feeding every 14 to 21 days. This is obviously based on the booty feed size I’m giving.

For the first few months, the corn may only have small fingers. Even rat pups will be too big for the first few months.

After this time you can rotate the feeders well. Rats and mice should be offered, in fact rats are better nutritionally as they have more muscle and less fat.

But variety is of course also great and my preferred variant.

You might like: Corn Snake setup costs

When to feed pinkies and fuzzies to corn snakes

Snakes of the same age have different weights depending on the diet you received where you bought your snake.

When I have a young or newly hatched corn, I feed pinkies until the corn weight is around 25-30g.

I then go up a feeder size to fuzzy.

Overall though. When deciding what size mice or rats to feed your corn, a good rule of thumb is to use a feeding bowl that is roughly the width of the snake’s mid-body.

Slightly bigger isn’t a problem, but too big and it can lead to issues like burping and stress. Either way it’s not good.

And you have to remember that if you choose to feed larger, you increase the time between feedings.

It is certainly not uncommon for a corn snake that has been fed a piglet rat to go unfed for 10 to 14 days, sometimes longer. And there will be absolutely no problems.

Corn snakes would probably eat every day if you gave them the food. They have a fairly fast metabolism, but from a health perspective, it would only lead to obesity and major weight problems, and possibly premature death.

You can often tell when your corn is foraging for food as it will be actively “hunting”, pacing and fully exploring the facility in search of food.

Of course, allowing them to do this for a few days is no problem, and certainly no reason to give up and feed when a feeding isn’t due. In fact, the “hunting” behavior can be considered a good form of exercise.

Finally, when purchasing your corn snake, always ask about their feeding regime. They can give you a full breakdown without any problems.

The time of day for feeding is irrelevant as long as you have a good feeding schedule

What is the best time to feed a corn snake?

This can depend entirely on your own schedule in terms of what time of day you choose to feed.

As long as you have a good feeding regime when it comes to how often you feed. the time of day doesn’t really matter.

I know keepers who have had a corn that would not feed when its lights (UVB) were on and only when it was dark. But that’s not common.

What treats do you give a corn snake?

There are few treats you can give your corn snake.

Many consider “chicks” a treat. But nutritionally they are not too dissimilar to their usual food, apart from being a bit more fatty.

The only common side effect is the fact that feeding a chick often results in more loose feces from your snake.

This, in turn, causes them to be grouped under the “tidbit” bracket. And I would follow that too.

When stored properly, your snake food will stay fresh for six to nine months

How long can you keep frozen mice in the freezer?

A good guideline is up to six months for hairless and/or furless prey. And six to nine months for those with hair, fur, or feathers.

They can probably last a little longer if the packaging is unopened.

You should always use a proper freezer, not just the quick-freeze compartment at the top of your fridge.

The packaging also plays an important role here, preferably as little air as possible. And a good thick freezer bag should be used if they are not already individually wrapped and sealed.

Anything exposed to the freezer via a torn bag or unpackaged will get freezer burn. These tend to all look crystallized and almost gray in color.

The snake would probably still eat them once they’re thawed and they’re unlikely to get sick, but feeding them to your snake is still not a pretty thought.

If the flavor and texture aren’t very good and you wouldn’t eat it – why add your corn 🙂

Overweight Corn Snakes

Defining an ideal weight is difficult due to the variety of morphs available, which can affect natural conformation as well as breeding genetics.

I would recommend keeping a personal record of your snake’s weight. Weighing every month is a good idea. This will help you understand fluctuations and what is “normal” for your snake.

What to look for is probably easiest to orientate yourself by the snake’s shape around the perimeter.

A healthy weight snake has a flat underside and an almost semi-circular body.

The idea is for the snake to have as much surface area for traction on its belly as possible. An overweight snake is much rounder, so the sides of the abdomen don’t touch the ground when it moves.

An underweight snake looks almost triangular with the sides leading fairly straight to the spine.

If you have a snake that is either underweight or overweight. It is best to consult your exotics veterinarian and discuss an appropriate feeding regime.

Unless it’s a medical issue like parasites, both can be cured by following a strict diet plan.

Make sure your corn’s feed is completely thawed before feeding it

How to thaw frozen mice for snakes

What I do is take out a frozen mouse/rat/chick and if it’s in its individual wrapper I leave it in.

I thaw it overnight in the fridge for the next day or on its side at room temperature in a pan for about two to five hours. My favorite method is the fridge.

Everything from pinkies to funnels will thaw in two or three hours. I would say dropped and greater three to five hours.

You can thaw in cold water and it’ll be quicker, probably in half the time.

Do not thaw in warm or hot water. Bacteria associated with disease and rot can multiply in these humid conditions over a period of a few hours. That’s a lot of dangerous bacteria feeding your corn snake.

How to feed snakes

Once you’ve properly thawed this prey, you’ll need to warm it up before feeding it to your corn snake.

Some place the prey in hot water (not boiling) and let it sit for five minutes, then offer it to the snake.

Personally, I’m a Dunker. I dip the top half of the prey in very hot water (again, not boiling water) for about 30 seconds, then offer it to the snake via large metal tongs (tweezers). This method has served me very well over the years.

I’ve had a few snakes that wouldn’t take wet prey, so I’d resort to heating the head with a hair dryer for about five minutes. It was a total pain in the butt but gotta as they say.

I know some who also use a microwave. I’ve never done anything like this and wouldn’t recommend it.

There are disaster stories of exploding mice and rats and I don’t want to clean that up.

As long as the method you choose allows the prey to be fully thawed, there will be no problems.

Why is my corn snake so aggressive after feeding?

That’s something that annoys me. I see it in my Snake group on Facebook (Snake Network) as well as other groups. People who take their snake out of their facility and feed it in a tub/other tank.

People seem to have this notion that if you feed the snake in its build, it will become build/cage aggressive. no

Setup is snake territory. Why would you remove the snake from its established territory, a place where it feels safe, confident, and stress-free in a tub without those things?

And then move the snake back into its arrangement. Again a big stress warning, with a simultaneous risk of belching.

If the snake is aggressive in and around its build, it’s just a snake. Feeding outside of this will not change this situation.

If anything, it will only cause stress, which in turn can cause illness in your snake.

Therefore, please feed your snake in its own order.

How long does it take for a corn snake to digest food?

Provided you have the correct temperature within the setup (see my corn snake care guide here on ExoticDirect) the 48 hour “rule” is a great guideline.

Can you handle a snake after it has eaten?

You should not touch your corn (or any snake) for 48 hours after a feeding to allow the snake to fully digest its meal.

Burping the corn snake

If you touch your snake after it has just been eaten, you risk stressing your snake and causing it to throw up its meal. The belching itself is a tremendous stressor for your snake and could lead to possible illnesses.

Belching can also occur when your snake is fed something too large to digest. In this case, try not to panic. Wait a few more days and feed something much smaller.

If your corn falls off, it may stop eating

Why isn’t my corn snake eating?

The main problems would be:

Pending Shed

winter months

Incorrect setting temperature

Not hungry

Food not warmed up

Picky

dehydration

Disease (mites, mouth rot, etc.)

Winter months: Reptiles are very sensitive to changes in air pressure, and some behave differently even during a storm.

Regardless of your setup, the changing weather can affect your reptiles’ appetites. Brumation associated with seasonal changes can also occur, and this can result in decreased appetite.

Picky Eaters: Often a change of prey will break a stubborn corn snake’s feeding streak. From mice to rats or vice versa.

It’s a good idea to rotate the food anyway, as you’re less likely to have a picky eater on your hands then.

If your corn hasn’t ingested the food, you can leave it in the facility for another two or three hours, as some won’t ingest food once you’re in their territory. If not taken after this period, you must discard it.

Dehydration: It’s important to make water available to your snake – dehydration can lead to poor health and a loss of appetite. Snakes drink from their mouths.

I provide a large bowl deep enough for the snake to drink from, soak in, aid in shedding, or cool off.

Growing: It’s also not uncommon for a corn snake to miss a scheduled feeding or two while it’s growing. If this is the case you will of course be upset that you wasted a feeder, just try again in five to seven days and keep an eye on the snake’s weight. And make sure the snake has adequate fluids.

Wrong Temperature: One of the most common problems I see is wrong temperature. This will discourage a snake from feeding, regardless of species.

With a digestion time of 24 to 48 hours under the right conditions, any lower temperature means that food takes longer to be digested. This in turn can cause digestive problems and the snake will not want to eat.

So it’s important that you have a good heat gradient in this setup with a sun zone around 30°C. Anything higher or lower isn’t much of a problem, provided there’s adequate coverage and self-adjustment options.

Check out my article written for ExoticDirect on the right corn snatter setup.

Any significant weight loss or going without food for an extended period of time please consult your exotics vet as there may be some underlying issues.

Feeding corn snakes while molting

Pending dandruff is also another popular reason for food strikes.

A snake often hides during this period, which can last a couple of weeks. And it’s certainly not uncommon for a corn snake to refuse food.

Many don’t care if they’re about to lose their hair or not, and they eat anyway.

For me when they are due to dandruff. I will wait for the process to complete.

This is because if they shed while digesting a meal, it can lead to areas of stuck scales. This is because the stretched skin is trying to compensate for the nutritional slug in the digestive system.

I personally prefer a nice, uncomplicated barn.

And finally, just in case you’re not sure – here’s a summary of the terminology for the different food types….

What is a pinky, fuzzy, fuzz and hopper?

Pinky: A pinky is a newborn mouse. From one to three grams in weight depending on where you buy them.

They have no fur and are high in protein with a fairly low fat content. Some consider them to be quite greasy, but that’s wrong.

They often have the advantage of having their tummy full of breast milk, making them a bundle of calcium (often visible as a white patch through the small skin around the abdomen).

The equivalent rat would be a rat pup. These are slightly larger, around 5g.

Fuzzy: A fuzzy is a baby mouse that has fur. However, not much of it. They are slightly larger and weigh about 3-5 g.

The rat equivalent is called fluff. And around 10-25g in weight, so quite a significant difference.

Hopper: You then have the next level, Hopper. These weigh about 5-9 g and are fully formed but not yet fully grown.

The rat equivalent would be the weaned rat at around 25-50g.

Adult Mice and Rats: Then it’s on to mature mice and rats. The only difference would be smaller and larger sizes.

Mice On Ice Feeding live prey to pet snakes is both difficult and dangerous – for both the owner and the snake! Live rodents can actually cause serious injury—sometimes fatality—to the reptiles they feed to. For example, when a snake coils around a mouse incorrectly, the mouse uses its teeth and feet to cut and bite into the snake’s eyes and mouth. These injuries can cause “mouth rot” which can lead to infection and even death. This is why experts recommend using frozen mice for snakes, as it eliminates this risk of injury and means less stress for you, the owner, from not having to watch a live animal suffer. loader/ Freezing will also kill any parasites present in live animals that could harm your reptile.

Quantity should be greater than 0. Bulk Packs DAY-OLD PINKY 1# PACK 50 Weight 1-2g Quantity $0.40

REGULAR PINKY 1# PACK 50 Weight 2-3g Quantity $0.40

PEACH FUZZY 1# PACK OF 50 Weight 3-5g Quantity $0.50

NORMAL FUZZY 1# PACK OF 50 Weight 5-7g Quantity $0.50

FUNNEL 1# PACK OF 50 Weight 7-12g Quantity $0.69

SMALL/WEANS 1# PACK OF 25 Weight 12-18g Quantity $0.89

ADULT 1# PACK 25 Weight 18-30g Quantity $1.09

EX-BREEDER 1# PACK 25 Weight 30-50g Quantity $1.39 Check All Add To Cart ITEM NAME SHOW PICTURE # / PACK WEIGHT PRICE QUANTITY ADD TO CART DAY-OLD PINKY 50 1-2g $0.40 REGULAR PINKY 50 2-3g $0.40 PEACH Fuzzy 50 3-5g $0.50 NORMAL Fuzzy 50 5-7g $0.50 Funnel 50 7-12g $0.69 SMALL/WEANS 25 12-18 g $0.89 ADULT 25 18-30 g $1.09 EX-BREEDER 25 30-50 g $1.39 Check all

Lesser Quantity Packages DAY-OLD PINKY 1# PACK 25 Weight 1-2g Quantity $0.50

PINKY 1# PACK 25 Weight 2-3g Quantity $0.50

PEACH FUZZY 1# PACK OF 25 Weight 3-5g Quantity $0.60

NORMAL FUZZY 1# PACK OF 25 Weight 5-7g Quantity $0.60

FUNNEL 1# PACK OF 25 Weight 7-12g Quantity $0.79

SMALL/WEANS 1# PACK OF 10 Weight 12-18g Quantity $1.49

ADULT 1# PACK OF 10 Weight 18-30g Quantity $1.69

EX-BREEDER 1# PACK 10 Weight 30-50g Quantity $2.09 Check All Add All To Cart ITEM NAME SHOW IMAGE # / PACK WEIGHT PRICE QUANTITY ADD TO CART 3-5g $0.60 NORMAL Fuzzy 25 5– 7g $0.60 Funnel 25 7-12g $0.79 SMALL/WEANS 10 12-18g $1.49 ADULT 10 18-30g $1.69 EX-BREED 10 30-50g $2.09 Select all

Frozen mice for sale

Perfect Prey is a leading provider of the highest quality frozen feeder mice that ship to pet owners across the country. We freeze all our fuzzy and pinky mice at lightning speed to ensure they’re easy to separate when you want to thaw them. They’re also vacuum packed to stay fresh and prevent freezer burn. This process also extends freezer life and ensures they pack flat for easy storage.

All of our mice are born and raised locally, so we know they were raised in a healthy environment and euthanized humanely. We only use gaseous carbon dioxide, which is quick and painless for the animals.

Frozen mice are the easy and convenient way to feed your reptile. Simply thaw them at room temperature overnight, then warm them up in warm water or under a heat lamp just before feeding.

Mice, once considered just a pest, have made a huge comeback in popularity. With their diminutive size and cute personality, pet mice (sometimes called “fancy mice”) can make the perfect family pet. But once you’ve decided on a pet mouse, figuring out where to buy the best mouse can be harder. Pet mice can be purchased at many pet stores in the US or through online retailers. Both options have pros and cons, so it’s important to weigh up what’s most important when buying a pet mouse.

Buying a pet mouse at a pet store

One of the easiest places to look for a pet mouse is at your local pet store. Buying a mouse in the store has many advantages. If you buy a mouse in the store, you can meet it before committing. You also have the opportunity to see what the living environment of your mouse was like before you buy it. The biggest downside to buying a mouse from the pet store is availability. If you don’t have a local pet store or your store doesn’t carry mice, online sources may be your only option. In addition, most stores do not stock many types and breeds of mice.

What shops carry pet mice?

You can purchase a mouse from a large chain store or small local store. Petco and PetSmart both stock pet mice regularly. If you have another chain or independent store in your area, you can call and ask if they also carry pet mice. Another option is to look for rescue mice that are available for adoption in your area.

Buy a pet mouse online

If you can’t buy a mouse at a pet store, you can also order mice online. Online shopping has the advantage of greater variety. Buying a mouse online can also be helpful for those in rural areas that don’t have a nearby pet store. However, there are some ethical issues to consider when buying live animals online. Unlike pet stores, you may not have the opportunity to inspect your mouse prior to purchase. Online shopping can also make it easy for growers to hide bad conditions. Be especially wary of prices that look too good to be true – this often means the mouse is not being properly cared for.

Where can you buy a pet mouse online?

There are many places where you can buy pet mice online. Savvy Pets offers fancy mice that will be shipped to you. The Fancy Mouse Breeders’ Association contains a directory of mouse breeders in the United States. Visit a breeder’s site to find out their shipping radius. With Pet Finder you can search for animals that are available in your area, including mice. If you’d rather find a rescue mouse, Adopt a Pet can help you find animal shelters near you. Each of these sites is a great resource if you are shopping for a fancy pet mouse.

Can you keep a feeder mouse as a pet?

Feeder mice are bred to feed snakes and other carnivorous reptiles. They can often be found at pet stores for as little as a few dollars. That price can be tempting, but feeder mice probably don’t make good pets. In contrast to “imagination mice”, feed mice are usually weaned at a younger age and kept in larger colonies. This makes them more susceptible to diseases and more aggressive. While it’s not impossible to tame a feeder mouse, a mouse bred to be a good pet is a much safer bet.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to buying pet mice, there are so many options! Whether you’re buying from a pet store or looking for a mouse online, finding a pet mouse doesn’t have to be a problem. Pet mice are now available at most pet stores that sell small animals. There are many websites that can be used to find mice for sale in your area or in the United States.

Featured image source: auenleben, Pixabay

Frozen rodents are now widely available in the pet trade and, when used correctly, represent a safe food source that can save time, space and money. As opinions vary as to the correct thawing methods, I thought it might be useful to outline the procedures followed in large zoological parks. Based on the human nutrition guidelines established by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture, they have served me well throughout my career as a zookeeper and herpetologist.

general considerations

There are two safe methods for thawing rodents intended for reptile food – refrigeration and cold water. Defrosting in the microwave has certain disadvantages and should be avoided (see below).

Frozen rodents purchased from a store or breeder should be packaged in clean zip-loc bags before placing them in your fridge, freezer, or sink. Dishes into which these pouches are placed (to be warmed or thawed in cold water, see below) should be reserved for this purpose. Don’t use bowls that also contain your own food, even if the rodents are in clean bags. My apologies if this seems obvious, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people put their health at risk while trying to take care of their pets!

Defrosting mice and rats in the refrigerator

Refrigerated thawing is the method of choice in professional collections. It requires a bit of forethought but is very safe and requires no effort on our part (other than getting the food from the freezer to the fridge!).

Defrost time will vary based on refrigeration temperature (typically 35-40 F). The USDA uses 8-10 hours per 1 pound of meat as a general guideline; a mouse can be expected to thaw in 2 hours and a rat in 4-5 hours.

Fail-safe rule: Place frozen rodents in a refrigerator to thaw overnight and use the next day.

Defrost in cold water

This method is faster than cooling, but requires regular water changes and leaves more room for error. Frozen rodents in ziplock bags are placed in a bucket of cold water for 30 minutes, after which the water is drained and replaced. An adult rat can be thawed in as little as 1 hour.

The bags used should be leak-proof so that no harmful bacteria colonize the food.

Warming and use of thawed rodents

Once thawed, rodents need some warming up before feeding them to pet reptiles. This is best done by placing the bagged, thawed rodent in a bucket or other container of warm water. Timing will vary, but allow 10-20 minutes for one mouse in warm, but not too hot, water.

Use rodents shortly after thawing and warming. Whole animals contain internal organs, previously eaten food, and unprocessed waste, and rapidly decompose.

Common mistakes

Do not thaw rodents at room temperature or in hot water (including our own food). Bacteria associated with disease and putrefaction, which can be assumed to be present in all rodents, begin to multiply at 40 F. Such bacteria can attach themselves to the thawed outer surfaces of a foodstuff, even though its center is frozen.

Rodents should never be thawed in microwave ovens used for your own food. Defrosting in a microwave oven designed specifically for pet food is possible provided one can ensure the food is fully thawed but not partially cooked.

Rodents thawed under refrigeration can be refrozen (if left refrigerated). Rodents thawed in cold water should not be refrozen.