How to Feed Frozen Rodents to a Snake

There are quite a few good reasons to feed your snake frozen rodents instead of live prey. Freezing kills any parasites that might be in the rodent and harm your snake. It is also safer to feed your snakes frozen reptiles because live ones can fatally injure your snake with a scratch or bite to the snake.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Frozen rodent
• Container
• Hot water
• Tongs

1. Run some hot tap water into a container large enough to fit the rodent or rodents that you will be feeding to your snake.

2. Place the frozen rodent into the container of hot water. Let the rodent set in the water until it is completely thawed out.

3. Grasp the thawed out rodent with a pair of tongs and lower it into the snake's cage. You can use your hands and lower it by the tail, but the tongs will keep the snake at bay so as not to risk it biting your hand.

4. Place the rodent close by the snakes head, wiggling the mouse with the tongs. The snake is more likely to eat a rodent that appears to be moving than one laying perfectly still.

5. Release the rodent as soon as the snake strikes at it.

Tips & Warnings

• If the snake happens to grab hold of the tongs when feeding, just leave them and retrieve the tongs after the snake has had its meal.
• If you are having trouble getting the snake to eat the rodent, try putting the rodent by the area where it sleeps or putting tuna juice on it and drying it with a hair dryer. That way it has extra odor and is warm like a living rodent.
• Never use boiling water from the stove or microwave to thaw out your rodent. This could cook it instead of thawing it out.