How to Feed a Mouse to a Corn Snake

A corn snake typically makes a good pet snake because they rarely bite and are generally passive. It is a constrictor snake, which means it wraps its body around its prey to suffocate it before eating. In the wild, you can find them in corn fields where they prey on rodents. The following will show you how to feed your corn snake the mice they love.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Purchase an adult feeder mouse at a pet store.

2. Pick up the feeder mouse by the tail and lower it into the corn snake's cage. Make sure you are far enough away from the snake as you do this to prevent the snake from striking out at you as you put the mouse inside.

3. Close the door of the cage as the snake preys on the mouse.

4. Watch as the snake grabs the mouse and wraps its body around it to constrict it. It will wait for the breathing to stop and the heart to stop beating, and will then put the head of the mouse into its mouth and swallow it whole.

5. Feed your corn snake 1 to 2 mice at a time every 10 days or so.

Tips & Warnings

• It is better to feed your corn snake 2 small mice rather than a single large one. If you feed the snake too large a meal at once or you feed it too many mice at once, it will regurgitate the food.
• Some people do not like giving a live mouse to their snakes because if the snake is bitten by the mouse, it could kill the snake. You can instead feed them frozen mice, which are safer for the snake and provides the same nutrition.
• Do not feed your snake more often than every 10 days. If you feed the snake a mouse when it is not hungry, the mouse could bite the snake and injure or kill it.
• Do not place your hands or any part of your body into the snake's cage while it is feeding on the mice. The snake could get upset and stop feeding. Once this happens, the snake may not go back to the food. It could also strike out at you if it feels threatened during a feeding.