Guest Author - Meg Grooms

When it comes to feeding your snake you have two options, live (fresh or freshly killed) or frozen. Which is right for your animal? It's important to remember that your pet snake is captive, snakes in captivity do not have the same need and desire to hunt as wild snakes do. For pet snakes vets usually recommend feeding frozen food because of the convenience and safety factor.

When you feed your snake fresh food you must visit the pet store to buy the prey animal or you must raise your own prey animals. Buying frozen prey allows you the opportunity to stock up, running to the store last minute isn't a problem.

Buying fresh food limits you to the stock on hand. The store stock may not include the animal you wish to feed your snake. If your snake's desired prey isn't available you will have to buy a substitute, such as a more expensive hamster instead of a rat, or a grown mouse instead of a pinky. Buying frozen allows you to get the desired food in quantity. When buying frozen you usually have the choice between rats, mice, pinky mice, small rabbit and large rabbit. Stores that sell a lot of exotics may also stock frozen hamster, guinea pig and cornish hen. Breeders of the more exotic breeds will be able to tell you where to find frozen lizards and frogs to feed the very rare snake.

If your snake isn't ready to eat when the live prey is introduced you run the risk of your snake being injured by the prey. A small scratch from a mouse can become infected very quickly. Snakes fed live rats can be seriously harmed and exposed to disease when bitten. There have been reports from vetrinarians of severe tongue injury in reptiles caused by live prey.

Some family members may object to the squeals of a dying animal when it is time for your snake to feed. If you are a "whacker" (you kill the fresh prey before giving it to your snake) you may also face the objections of your family. Learn how to humanely kill prey to avoid injury instead of death.

Previously frozen food is often safer as most potential parasites and diseases in the prey will be killed in the freezing process. This is especailly true when feeding poultry items to your snake, which many vets advise owners to stay away from. Food should be frozen for a full month to ensure no disease is present. Once you buy your prey it can be kept in a standard refrigerator-top or upright freezer for up to 6 months, 12 months in a chest freezer and 3 months in an inset or portable freezer.

The benefit of live food is that snakes rarely refuse it if they are ready to eat. It can be tough to get a snake, especially an older snake, used to eating pre-killed food.

If your snake is used to eating live prey you will have to acclimate him to dead prey. Begin by offering the snake freshly killed prey, dangled in front of him with grilling thongs, or by serving an animal that is alive but not by very much (always humanely kill your prey animals!) When your snake readily accepts this food move to the next step, freshly killed prey simply placed in his habitat.

The next step is to introduce the frozen food. Assuring the food has been properly thawed, warm it up a bit in your hands or in warm water and dangle the food in front of the snake. Thaw the frozen food much as you would meat you would eat for dinner, in the fridge over night or in a bowl of warm water if you need it quickly. Always ensure the food is slightly above room temperature when serving, you do not want to feed your snake cold food.

If your snake is still skeptical about the prekilled food you can dip it in a bit of broth or introduce it at the same time as you introduce live prey. Some owners of reluctant snakes have had success opening the prey's skull before serving. Once your snake is readily eating the thawed prey you can begin to back off a bit and try offering an intact animal.

Feeding previously frozen prey to your snake is convenient, easier on your wallet and safer for your animal.