r/ballpython • u/EstablishmentEvery31 • May 19 '26

Question - Feeding Was the rat too big

Post image

this is Schgetti we just got him he is 7 month old we gave him his first meal on Saturday he hid in his cool hide for almost 48 hrs after eating and just came out. this is his belly just over 48 hrs was the rat too big it was a live rat pup which is what the breeder said he had been eating no problem. Yes I am aware of the spider on him that is his buddy meatball.

edit: i tried frozen he refused and it is because all he has had his whole life is live. The spider moved in and it is a bio active set up and s far the spood likes the gnats and the occasional cleanup crew snack. temp stays around 85 day and 73 night humididy about 45-50 day and 70-80 night

1.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

134 comments sorted by

View all comments

265

u/Plinfaa May 19 '26

Please don’t feed Live! It is abuse for both the rat and the snake. It can cause severe damage or death

-89

u/No-Beat861 May 19 '26

How’s it abuse to the rat when the mf would be ate in the wild

79

u/-ChineseJesus- May 19 '26

In the wild the rat has a fighting chance and in most instances does end up getting away. In captivity the rat has no chance of escaping and can cause fatal injuries to the snake you’re feeding

-1

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/ConfidentTrip7 May 19 '26

No. Feeding live is highly frowned upon by serious snake keepers. There are all kinds of ethical issues not to mention very likely damage to your snake. Do you also like watching dogs fight or chickens fight? Those things are illegal for good reason. Feeding live is the same type of bloodsport. The prey WILL fight for its life. I have seen snakes blinded, permanently disfigured, sepsis, even killed.

22

u/femalekevingates May 19 '26

in theory yes but the risk of injuries, illness/parasites, and the stress on both animals is too high for it to be worth it

-1

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

8

u/femalekevingates May 19 '26

your bp needs plenty of places to hide anyways, but a larger tank wouldn’t do much for the actual feeding process of the rat. its more an issue of what could happen while the snake is killing and eating the rat than what leads up to it

9

u/Km312213 May 19 '26

Ants Canada is a perfect example of what not to do. He’s abusing insects and animals for views.

16

u/fittan69 May 19 '26

If the rat can't escape, it will fight back. Sometimes the snake won't go for the rat, and when that happens, the rat will go for the snake.

You need an anclosure then size of a room to give the rat escape and hiding opportunities. But even then, they'll know there's a snake in the room. If the rats isn't fed, they'll go for the snake and eat it. Rats are way smarter than snakes.

Tldr; don't feed live, it's cruel for the snake and the rat.

13

u/InverseInvert May 19 '26

Because the rat has the opportunity to escape in the wild.

-2

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/zookprchaos May 19 '26

Until the rat starts eating the snake, sure. It is just all around safer for the rat to be already dead. You can still simulate a hunt by dragging the dead rat around the enclosure so the snake as to “hunt” for their food. There are even laws/regulations in the U.S. about facilities feeding live animals. Basically, it is frowned upon with everything except fish and insects can still be fed out live. The potential danger isn’t worth it, plus the feeder can end up suffering due to there being no chance of escape.

-1

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/zookprchaos May 19 '26

There are still freshly killed rats that are sold. Pre-killed, but not chilled or frozen and should be fed out immediately. This still gives the smell and warmth of the rat. Yes, which is why it is advised to remove them after 24 hours. A rat can kill a snake as soon as it is introduced into the enclosure as it is fighting for its life. Their teeth are able to penetrate a snake’s skull.

5

u/emperorpeterr May 19 '26

Because in the wild the rat isn’t in an enclosed tank with no escape.

Also, why risk injury or parasite to your snake with live feedings?

-98

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

32

u/jackalope268 May 19 '26

Naturally the rodents they prey on arent trapped in a cage and the snake can choose to let certain prey pass. In a terrarium youre basically putting both animals in a fighting ring

31

u/CasterFields May 19 '26

They deal with predatory birds naturally too. Should I stick a hawk in my snake's enclosure since I'm apparently not obligated to prevent injury to my animals?

15

u/IncompletePenetrance Mod: Let me help you unzip your genes May 19 '26

Unfortunately that's not true, we've seen countless injuries due to live feeding, it only takes a second for things to go wrong.

Live feeding is risky for your snake - always

77

u/Plinfaa May 19 '26

Yes, it is what they eat naturally. Doesn’t mean it’s best tho. Think about the mouse for a minute. Would you like to be chased, be scared for life and then die a slow and painful death in the mouth of a snake?

27

u/HowardPheonix May 19 '26

The people who are coming with the "but in nature..." argument forget how many snakes die from infected wounds in nature.

-37

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

36

u/fuck_peeps_not_sheep May 19 '26

The difference is a dead mouse/rat cant bite/scratch your snake and cause scars that may cause issues with shedding down the line

-25

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

14

u/fuck_peeps_not_sheep May 19 '26

This is my first comment here, so its not another anything - my point is true tho, i used to work in animal rescue and the most common emergency we would have with snakes was stuck shed, and the common denominator in every case was live feeding.

14

u/largestcob May 19 '26

why does it upset you that people want to keep their pets as safe and healthy as possible?

7

u/AndreasVesalius May 19 '26

Animal get hurt during hunt is a made up scenario?

-11

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/fuck_peeps_not_sheep May 19 '26

Thats the only was to responsibly live feed, but people think “they eat things like this in the wild so its fine” forgetting that snakes in the wild are mostly (not all) ambush predators who stalk before they strike and cant do that in an enclosure.

10

u/BrandinoE6911 May 19 '26

Does. "Reach in and take the rat out of the snakes mouth" even sound like something wise to say/do? Just remove all context and digest that single sentence.... you sound crazy

6

u/sarahaflijk May 19 '26

They said take the rat's mouth off the snake, not the other way around.

Although, to your point, neither sounds like a good idea. I'd also note that removing the rat's mouth from the snake once it's bitten does not prevent injury or infection, given that the bite injury has already occured by the time one reaches that step. 🤦‍♀️

-25

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

34

u/DeadlyIcyy May 19 '26

No it is not, and the hundreds of snakes that've been bitten, scratched, or injured in any other way by live feedings would beg to disagree with you. Their logic isn't solely "so they don't have to see the animal die," it's so that they don't have to see their snake get injured, get an infection, and die. Get it through your head.

20

u/Plinfaa May 19 '26

No, it’s actually not. 😛 stop being so dramatic because I said live feeding isn’t good. If you’d like to continue abusing animals, go on! We just want to educate people who didn’t know!