How to Kill Mice to Feed Pet Snakes
Though snakes in the wild have no trouble catching live mice, snakes in captivity should only be fed dead mice. Placing a live mouse in an enclosed space with a snake could cause the mouse to flail and scratch, possibly harming your pet snake. There is some debate about which method of killing feeder mice causes the least suffering, but the "carbon dioxide method" or "CO2 method" is reasonably humane.
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Things You'll Need
- Container with secure lid
- Paper towel
- Drill
- 2 12-inch lengths of aquarium tubing
- Sealant
- CO2 tank
- CO2 release valve with tube attachment
- Cup of water
Instructions
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1
Purchase a container that you can clearly see into, and line it with a paper towel.
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2
Drill two holes in the container (one near the top and one near the bottom), ensuring that the holes will allow the aquarium tubing to fit snugly.
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3
Place the end of one piece of tubing in each hole. Seal (hot glue or caulk work best) around each, making the area around the tubing as airtight as possible.
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4
Acquire a CO2 tank and release valve with a tube attachment that will fit your aquarium tubing. These can be purchased at many paintball or welding-supply stores. You can assemble these yourself, or have them assembled at the time of purchase.
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Connect the bottom tube to the CO2 tank and release valve. The end of the top tube should be submerged in a container full of water to prevent oxygen from seeping back into the container.
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Place the mouse in the container and close the lid tightly. Try not to stress the mouse in the process.
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Open the CO2 valve slowly, allowing a small amount of CO2 in at first. When the mouse appears to fall asleep, increase the amount of CO2 that you allow in, effectively "flooding" the container.
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Leave the mouse in the container for an additional five minutes after the flow of CO2 has stopped to make sure it is dead. At this point you can immediately feed the mouse to your snake, or freeze it for later use.
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Tips & Warnings
The other humane way of killing mice is known as "cervical dislocation." In this method the mouse is stretched on a flat surface. The tail of the mouse is held firmly and jerked rapidly while a pencil is pushed into the base of the skull, dislocating the spine. This method is not foolproof, and may cause the mouse to suffer if not done correctly.
Always perform this method of euthanasia in a well-ventilated area.
Only use the CO2 method to kill adult mice.
Never poison a mouse before feeding it to a snake, as this could potentially poison your snake as well.
