I just got a ball python. Its roughly 18-20 inches in lentgh. Ate its first live fuzzy today, is dead better?

Question

P.S. The snake is so mellow it's AWSOME!!!

Answer 1

Dead is definitely better, live is causing pain to the mouse, and it can be extremely dangerous for your snake. A scared mouse can do a lot of damage, please switch to dead :)

hope i helped

x

Answer 2

Personally I prefer feeding mine live, its more natural, but its really up to you, what is convenient for you, and what your snake does, he might not eat a dead on if he is used to live ones. Enjoy your new snake

Answer 3

no it might smell rotten in the python better alive so if something happens and you have to let it go then it goes to eat whats movin

Answer 4

Dead is more humane for the mouse and safer for the snake (if the mouse fights back and bites it, the wound could get infected.) But sometimes the snakes will only prefer it live.  Mine did that but for some reason refused to eat one mouse in particular.  Ignored it completely while it cowered in the corner.  Finally I took it out and ended up having to set it up in it's own little place.  The snake went on to eat other mice just fine but never touched that one,  To this day I have no idea why but I ended up with a cute little white furry friend hat I hadn't expected.

Try a frozen (but thawed) fuzzy next time, if it gets used to them early it will make it easier later.  

Answer 5

well both is good. i was planing on switching my first snake to frozen but it grossed me out. it smelled horrible too. plus the way they kill live mice to "freeze" them is so nasty.

the only way a mouse/rat can harm your snake is if your stupid enough to leave them unattended. and you shouldnt feed them in their tank. i feed all mine in the bath tub. i never take my eyes off them either. one of my rescues has scars all over his body because a druggie left a rat in with him for a week!

its all your choice though. both have their ups and downs.

good luck!

Answer 6

both are good..the frozen you just got to thaw it out and the live gives it more of n experience like he/she would have in the wild but i feel bad feeding them live  

Answer 7

i prefer frozen because if the snake decides the it does not want to eat you can just throw it away with the live you have a live mouse you have to take care of now

goood luck!

Answer 8

Honestly, it is all in opinion. I prefer to give my babies live when possible. It gives them the natural feeling to attacking prey in the wild. However, I have a baby ball who is very tiny and I kill his for him because he hasn't built up the strength to be able to kill them by constriction. However, I do hold the dead mouse above his head (dangling) by a pair of feeder tongs so he still sees the movement as though the mouse were alive. In all honesty, dead mice can still injure snakes. I suggest live mainly because thats the way they eat in the wild. Wouldn't you want to eat the same way your insticts told you to?

Answer 9

There really isn't a right or wrong to this question.  As long as you take the proper steps either way is fine.

If you feed live make sure you watch your BP and never leave him/her alone with the prey.

If you feed frozen/thawed make sure you are thawing the mouse in such a way that it is thoroughly frozen, or the BP will have trouble digesting.  You can do this by leaving the mouse out or putting it (in a plastic bag) in a bowl of warm water - not too warm though, you don't want to cook the mouse.  On the plus side frozen is cheaper and more convenient.

As long as you are doing it right though, it is really just more of a preference and what works for your snake.