Let's Talk! How feed your new snake food? Do's and Don't's

 

As always the information I provide comes from my own experience and research I have done into the topic, I always encourage you do to independent research to double check any source. With that being said lets get into all the nitty gritty details on how we feed our slithery friends.

First lets talk where we are feeding our snakes and what we are feeding them!

- Do feed in the snakes enclosure, whether that's using tongs or placing prey on a substrate free surface.

- Do use tongs! More distance between you, the prey item, and the snake is a good thing. (I recommend rubber or silicone coated in case you snake has bad aim and strikes the tongs.)

- Do feed appropriate sized prey on a appropriate feeding schedule for your snake's size! If you are not sure what size prey or frequency to feed your snake you can either reference this chart or simply go to google and look at the many charts provided.

- Do monitor you snake during feeding especially if feeding live! (I prefer to do frozen thawed prey items for the snake's safety but there are some snakes who never transfer to feeding frozen/thawed so be prepared to observe them when eating.)

- Do let you snake digest for 24-48 hours before handling them after feeding.

- When heating prey that has been thawed DO let it thaw in the refrigerator before using warm-hot water to heat to a correct temperature.

- Do feed during your snakes typical hunting period, a.k.a. after the sun goes down. For picky snakes this can make it easier to get them to take the prey.

Now lets focus on what not to do

- Do not hand feed your snake, they are not know for their stellar vision or aim and at some point will miss and get your hand.

- Do not feed your snake prey items to large for them, this can cause issues with digestion, regurgitation, and in extreme cases your snake may die.

- Do not feed prey caught from the wild, they likely have parasites and diseases that could potentially be harmful to your snake.

- Do not handle your snake immediately before, during, or after feeding them as it can stress them out and either they wont eat or they may regurgitate.

- When preparing a frozen prey item I DO NOT MICROWAVE! It will be very messy, gross, and disappointing to clean exploded animal out of your microwave.

- Do not leave dead prey items in your snakes enclosure for a extended period of time, they will decompose and attract pests and while snakes have very strong digestive systems you do not want to provide them with a decaying prey item.

This list of Do's and Don'ts hopefully will help you feel more prepared to feed your snake for the first time and remember sometimes snakes will go on hunger strikes, it is normal and not cause for concern unless they have missed multiple feedings in a row. 

As always please contact us through our assistance form Ask A Goofball if you have any more questions or concerns! Stay goofy!