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Many snake handlers offer their pets frozen rodents for safety, convenience, and ethical reasons. Others argue that live prey provides more nutrients and encourages natural behaviors.
So, which is the better choice?
This brief post outlines several key considerations, including health factors, stimulation, convenience, and costs.
Which is the Healthier Snake Food?
The most important consideration for live vs frozen-thawed rodents is the implication on your snake’s health.
Here are three factors to think about:
- Nutritional Value
- Risk of disease
- Risk of injury
Nutritional Value
Whether euthanized or alive, rats and mice provide snakes with essential proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Frozen rodents lose some nutrients when stored over time, but it’s a minimal loss. Even after a couple of months in the freezer, the nutritional value of frozen-thawed prey is very comparable to live ones.
Risk of Disease
Living rodents have a much higher chance of carrying parasites that can sicken your snake. According to the Centers for Disease Control, they may also carry several zoonotic diseases that affect humans, like hantavirus, salmonella, monkeypox, rat-bite fever, and more.
Many snake handlers prefer frozen prey because this process kills off and prevents the growth of some bacteria.
Still, whether frozen or live, always practice proper hygiene when handling them. Wear gloves, keep your hands away from your mouth/face, and thoroughly wash your hands before and after handling.
Risk of Injury
When you offer your snake living prey, there is always a chance of injury. Rodents of any size will bite, scratch, and claw, which can seriously hurt your pet.
The argument here is that hunting is a natural behavior and a stimulating activity for snakes, and some believe that this warrants the use of live prey.
However, regarding overall safety, most handlers believe that the pros of pre-killed prey outweigh the cons of live prey.
Try other forms of entertainment, such as toys and decor, to encourage natural behaviors and exercise without compromising safety.
Convenience of Frozen-Thawed vs Living Rodents
Feeding with frozen-thawed rodents is considerably more convenient than live prey.
Frozen prey are:
- Easy to buy in bulk, store, and handle
- A consistent and readily available food source
- Not required to have special housing or care
- An almost effortless feeding process (depending on how you interact with your snake)
Meanwhile, live rodents will require:
- Finding reputable breeders
- Maintaining a consistent source of healthy, live prey
- Additional housing, feeding, and watering responsibilities
- A more stressful snake-feeding process
Which is More Cost-effective?
Frozen-thawed rodents are often less expensive than acquiring live ones. You can find bulk packages online or at pet stores to decrease your price per rodent.
You can acquire live rodents from certain breeders, but you might pay a premium because of supply, storing, and shipping obstacles.
What If I Breed My Own Rodents?
Several start-up costs are associated with breeding, including food, a rodent rack, a watering system, and other equipment.
However, once you’ve made your initial investment and everything is up and running, many breeders find lower long-term costs, a steady supply of snake food, and assurance that their rodents are well-kept.
Interested in breeding rodents or expanding your current setup? Check out our new Vision Ultra Rodent Rack!
Which Gives My Snake More Stimulation?
A live rodent will make your snake work for its meal, triggering their hunting instincts, promoting exercise, and engaging their cognitive abilities.
Pre-killed prey doesn’t offer the same effect, and some snakes refuse pre-killed food altogether.
But you can imitate a live rodent. Dangle the prey with forceps and move it around the enclosure to encourage your snake to strike.
You can also rub the food on different items around the enclosure to make a trail for your snake to follow, and it should trigger the stimulation your snake are looking for.
If these methods are unsuccessful, try other feeding approaches, like adjusting the feeding time and the size or appearance of the prey.
Conclusion
Most handlers (ourselves included) believe that captive snakes should be trained to eat pre-euthanized rodents since it’s more humane for the prey and overall safer for the snake.
Others believe that fresh prey and the stimulation of the hunt are essential for their snake’s mental and physical health.
Ultimately, the decision to feed frozen-thawed or live rodents depends on the individual snake, the owner’s preferences, and the specific circumstances of the reptile’s environment.