Why NOT to feed a snake live food. (New foster, graphic pics)

[cassiesmom]

Snakemama or anyone, can you say a little more about a snake's eating and drinking habits for me? How often does a snake eat, and what is a typical diet (other than mice-- eek!)? How often do they drink water, do you keep fresh water always available for them? I am glad he is doing better!

[snakemama]

Snakemama or anyone, can you say a little more about a snake's eating and drinking habits for me? How often does a snake eat, and what is a typical diet (other than mice-- eek!)? How often do they drink water, do you keep fresh water always available for them? I am glad he is doing better!

All of my snakes always have fresh water available, even though I only occasionally see any of them drink.

Most snakes when they're growing are offered food every 5-7 days. Most of my adults eat more like every 10 - 14 days. One appropriately-sized prey item is offered per feeding (appropriate size is about 1.5x the width of the snake at its widest point). My snakes eat only frozen/thawed prey, never live. Live prey can bite your snake or transmit bacteria from its gut into the snake's. There is a lot of debate as to whether snakes benefit from a varied diet or not. Certainly thousands of pet snakes grow to a ripe old age eating nothing but mice. I offer mice, quail, eggs, fish, and whatever else I can get my hands on. It's fun to me to offer tham a variety of options, though I always regret feeding them fish a few days later. STINKY!

There is, of course, a lot of variation across species lines...my indigo snake can't stretch his jaws like other species and he has a MUCH higher metabulism...so he eats 8-12 smaller prey items a week.

[snakemama]

Lesson learned: don't startle a blind snake! He left these in my sister's hand when he snapped at her the other day. Luckily, both snake and person are fine!

[Karen]

Thank goodness everyone is okay! Do snakes regrow teeth? Just curious!

[snakemama]

Thank goodness everyone is okay! Do snakes regrow teeth? Just curious!

Yep, they'll grow back in.