how long after feeding can I feed Live?

[Snowshoes]

My baby just shed for me the first time! I'm so excited. She had it all come off in one piece, eye caps and all! She hasn't eaten for me in 10 days, I have a little mousey and I was wondering how long before I can feed her. It is a live mouse.

Thanks in advance, you guys are so helpful!

[Starbuck]

Im not sure what kind of snake you have (havnt been on reliably lately), but if is truly a hatchling, i would offer right away. for most hatchling snakes you want an interval of 5-7 days, increasing the length as they get bigger. my sub adult colubrids get fed every 7-10 days.

since it is a live mouse, be sure you do NOT leave the mouse unattended in the snake cage, even if its 'just a pinkie'; offer in a dimmed room and watch quietly for about 30 minutes (or until it gets eaten). if the snake shows no interest, remove the mouse and try again later.
My snakes will eat in shed, fresh out of shed, one would eat every single day if she could. You wont know until you try!

[Snowshoes]

Thank you. She's a ball python. She is not exactly a hatching, I just meant she is just my baby. I wasn't terribly detailed because I was so excited that she finally shed so she would eat for me again. Thanks again.

[SSSSnakes]

You can feed right after the shed. I would feed every week if she will eat it. Being it's live never leave it with the snake without you watching. I have noticed that if they don't show any interest in the mouse within the first minute, they normally don't want it. You should then take it out so the mouse does not attack or stress out the snake.

[Snowshoes]

thanks. Went a head and feed her. I had been feeding her every 6 days or so, I just obviously couldn't get to eat before her shed. I had read that a newly shed snake's skin is sensitive, and was curious if I should wait to feed her. I never leave her with a live prey item. I wouldn't dream of it. but i worry too much lol

[ErikBush97]

are you feeding live until you can get frozen, or do you plan on feeding it live throughout it's life?

[ErikBush97]

I never leave her with a live prey item. I wouldn't dream of it. but i worry too much lol

Might as well. Let's say she starts eating, it gets down her throat, and it's still alive and rips her insides up. What is being there going to change? Sorry if that sounded rude. Just saying that it's not like when a dog starts choking and you can do doggy Heimlich. Not a lot you can do to help.

[iowasnakes]

I don't think that will happen, there is lots of snake that don't kill there prey and eat them alive for example the garter snake don't kill its prey and swallows it alive.

[Starbuck]

snakes eat live mice (and rabbits and rats and other snakes etc) all around the world, every day; and don't get their insides ripped up. It is not very accurate to list that at as a reason to switch to F/T.
YES live mice can bite or scratch your snake, but most snakes will have incapacitated their prey before they start swallowing it; and the very tight esophagus leave they prey item ( even if it is still alive) very littel room to move around; their front limbs are often pinned back to their side as the snake swallows head first, similar to a straight jacket.

I feed F/T because it is easier for me. I can keep 100 mice in my freezer, buy in bulk which is cheaper, and dont have to go to the store every week and then worry about keeping a mouse alive if my snakes refuse.
live is not a wrong way to feed, as long as you are responsible about it (OP seems good).

[ErikBush97]

snakes eat live mice (and rabbits and rats and other snakes etc) all around the world, every day; and don't get their insides ripped up. It is not very accurate to list that at as a reason to switch to F/T.
YES live mice can bite or scratch your snake, but most snakes will have incapacitated their prey before they start swallowing it; and the very tight esophagus leave they prey item ( even if it is still alive) very littel room to move around; their front limbs are often pinned back to their side as the snake swallows head first, similar to a straight jacket.

I feed F/T because it is easier for me. I can keep 100 mice in my freezer, buy in bulk which is cheaper, and dont have to go to the store every week and then worry about keeping a mouse alive if my snakes refuse.
live is not a wrong way to feed, as long as you are responsible about it (OP seems good).

My Ball Python had to eat live Hoppers when the pet store ran out of Frozen. I could see them move around inside of him, and freaked out. Luckily they didn't cause damage but it could happen. Feeding live or F/T has no right or wrong, but I think there are advantages to feeding F/T. Also: Millions of snakes DO eat lives every day, all over the world. What are the chances that none of them got injured by their prey? Call me paranoid but I will never feed another live meal. Tons eat live in the wild, BUT... I'm sure snakes being seriously injured by prey is nowhere close to unheard of. Just think that it's an unnecessary risk. To each their own.

[Mikoh4792]

Don't most constrictor species eat their prey only once it's been killed? Correct me if I'm wrong but they don't stop constricting until the prey item is fully dead. Thats the whole point of constricting.


Edit: I take that back. I just saw a video of something similar Erik described. It was a ball python eating a hopper while still alive. Although, could it be that the snake will eat something once it feels the prey item is not a threat? I can't imagine a ball python eating a full frown mouse alive since it would be much more capable of defending itself and fighting back while alive.

[Starbuck]

animals aren't robots, every one is different, and every incidence of feeding is different.

Colubrids kill prey by 'constriction'; but my large milk snake ate a live chick without constricting at all; i think because it wasn't struggling. I think they respond to the struggling of their prey by squeezing harder eventually killing the animal. Larger boas etc very likely do always kill their prey, but they are typically dealing with much larger, more dangerous prey than your average colubrid.
as a sidenote; killing by constriction does not mean strangulation; they litterally are squeezing the thorax to such a degree that the heart muscles cannot pump; the lungs cannot inflate, and the body very quickly shuts down; so they can kill a reasonably sized prey animal very quickly if theyve wrapped correctly.

[MDT]

I could see them move around inside of him, and freaked out. Luckily they didn't cause damage but it could happen.

Erik...dude...you sure about this? As a rule, a constrictor would not typically cease the constriction process until the prey animal is dead. Are you CERTAIN that you weren't just witnessing the peristalsis of the the prey through the intestinal tract? A (comparatively) large constrictor (your ball python) constricting a hopper (very soft mushy prey item)...????

[Mikoh4792]

Erik...dude...you sure about this? As a rule, a constrictor would not typically cease the constriction process until the prey animal is dead. Are you CERTAIN that you weren't just witnessing the peristalsis of the the prey through the intestinal tract? A (comparatively) large constrictor (your ball python) constricting a hopper (very soft mushy prey item)...????

GPl0L1eF8zY

I agree with Starbucks point. If the prey is not a threat while still alive why waste the energy to complete the kill.

[MDT]

Weird...I've kept snakes a long time and have never witnessed this in any of my constrictors.

Point conceded.

[Mikoh4792]

Weird...I've kept snakes a long time and have never witnessed this in any of my constrictors.

Point conceded.

Me neither. But maybe that's because I never feed live lol.

[SSSSnakes]

Many snakes eat there prey while they are alive and they die inside the snake. Rear fang snakes (Mangrove, False Water Cobras, etc) start to eat the prey while it is alive and as it moves into the throat the rear fangs inject the venom into the prey to kill it. Garter snakes that eat pinkies, eat then alive. I'm sure there may be a case or two were the snake is hurt eating prey while it is alive, but in general they have survived for a long time eating this way and I see no problem feeding live. Also many Ball Python will only eat live. I myself feed F/T for price and bulk storage and I hate the way the mice smell.

[ErikBush97]

Erik...dude...you sure about this? As a rule, a constrictor would not typically cease the constriction process until the prey animal is dead. Are you CERTAIN that you weren't just witnessing the peristalsis of the the prey through the intestinal tract? A (comparatively) large constrictor (your ball python) constricting a hopper (very soft mushy prey item)...????

Absolutely 100% sure... Have it on video.

[DeadlyDesires]

maybe its because the mice are so small? a snake of that size should be on larger prey items.

[Snowshoes]

From what I've personally observed, my snake eats the mouse long after it stops moving. I breed my own prey so it's not an issue keeping it if she refuses. I really don't want this to turn into a Live versus F/T. I feed her live because I breed my own. I would NEVER leave my snake alone with a live prey item. I just wanted to make sure it was okay to feed her live right after a shed because I had heard they had sensitive skin and a mouse kicks while she kills it. She did eat for us, finally. Thanks again for the information on whether or not it was okay. I just had a typo/brain-fart when I typed the thread title.

[exwizard]

From what I've personally observed, my snake eats the mouse long after it stops moving. I breed my own prey so it's not an issue keeping it if she refuses. I really don't want this to turn into a Live versus F/T. I feed her live because I breed my own. I would NEVER leave my snake alone with a live prey item. I just wanted to make sure it was okay to feed her live right after a shed because I had heard they had sensitive skin and a mouse kicks while she kills it. She did eat for us, finally. Thanks again for the information on whether or not it was okay. I just had a typo/brain-fart when I typed the thread title.

I'm with you on this on every count. I would also like to say that fresh off a shed, that snake will be very hungry and I would go ahead and feed her.