How to Feed a Snake Frozen Food

Feeding frozen food to a pet snake is better for both the food and the snake. Most snake owners feed rodents to their pet. Unfortunately, rodents can inflict injuries with their teeth and claws. To prevent any problems with live food, follow these steps to feed your pet snake frozen food.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Frozen mice
• Tongs
• Chicken broth or other scent to add to the food

1. Purchase frozen snake food, such as mice, at a pet store or online. Keep the prey frozen for at least one month before you feed it to the snake. This will eliminate risk of disease to your snake.

2. Thaw the animal out. A day or two before feeding time take the prey out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to give it enough time to thaw.

3. Warm the animal by either leaving it on the counter or putting it in warm water. It needs to be a degree or two above room temperature.

4. Dry off the food. With the tongs, put the rodent in with the snake. Using tongs will reduce the risk of the snake biting you. Wait a few minutes to see if it is interested. If not, move it around a little bit with the tongs to make it appear alive. If the snake still won't eat the food, continue to Step 5.

5. Rub the prey on a live animal to get some of the scent. This will make it enticing for your snake if it is uninterested. Alternatively, you can put a little chicken broth on it or look for a product designed for this purpose at your pet store.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't thaw or warm up the food in the microwave or the oven. This will cook the food. Even a small amount of partially cooked food will make a snake sick.