Thinking about feeding LIVE? Welcome to the Live Pile - Page 18

morti · #**341** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 07:46 PM

I have to ask what is motivating you.

You see this thread and think to yourself "Here is a whole forum full of people who seem to be highly opposed to feeding live at all under any circumstances. I know! I will tell them that they are wrong!"

That sounds like the very definition of an internet troll to me.

Let the fun ensue.

morti · #**342** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 07:52 PM

Oh I see!

I read your thread and discovered that you have 2 snakes ever. That makes you an expert! How could we all have been so wrong all these years!

The sad thing is, you probably won't ever have a problem with feeding live to your ball python, so you will continue to think that you are right, but I will not allow you to recruit to this way of thinking here.

BTW... I am still wondering what you actually do with a pencil and I am waiting patiently for you to tell me.

Edbean · #**343** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morti

I have to ask what is motivating you.

You see this thread and think to yourself "Here is a whole forum full of people who seem to be highly opposed to feeding live at all under any circumstances. I know! I will tell them that they are wrong!"

That sounds like the very definition of an internet troll to me.

Let the fun ensue.

No mort, not a troll. I joined this site for good info for my new baby and it seems like a good community.

I was, however, voicing my opinion and only said that it seems like you guys are saying that live feeding WILL 110% result in your snake being mortally wounded to the degree of the pics you're posting. Show pics of one small bite or something that can hapen frequently and talk about how its stupid, don't show me a picture of a snake that was left with a rat for 2 days and cut with a chainsaw and thrown out a window and then associate people like me with people like that.

Like I said, I wasn't criticizing anyone or your opinions... Just saying it seems like the opinions you are sharing are the complete opposite of someone who cares and watches there animal and those who blatently don't give a crap.

I'm done with this thread as it appears I'm not being clear or you're not following what I'm saying.

bye

ReptileMan27 · #**344** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 08:02 PM

Well this is one of those debates that will never end really because in the end people are gonna do what they want.

I will post my opinion on feeding live though. I personally feel its not worth the risk to the animals health. I use to feed live years back when I had a couple of BPs that was told would only eat live. I fed them live for awhile intill one made a bad strike and grabbed the rodent in the back. I was right there watching but in a splt second that rodent turned around and latched onto the snakes neck. I got it off quickly but in that few seconds it ripped into the snakes neck good. If I had not of been there it would of been worse. After that I decided there has to be better/safer way and looked into pre-killed and got them taking that. I eventually got them over to F/T.. Thats just my experieces with feeding live and why I do not feed live anymore or reccomend it. I still see the debate a lot today. The biggest arguments by people that do feed live is that its "Natural" and more "Healthy" for the snake. Well sadly both those are kind of played out and not really all that true. Natural?, whats natural?, putting snakes in cages?,bring there food to them?.etc... Of course not. If this where "Natural" then guess we need to throw some natural predators in with are snakes lol. Then there is the whole live is better for the snake then F/T rodents because much of the nutrients are lost in the freezing process. While that is true that there are nutrients lost in the freezing process. It has been shown many times that what it lost is nothing that gonna effect overall health of your snake.

Sakara · #**345** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edbean

No... But sweet job taking what I said out of context. I have a bp I feed large mice. Never had a problem. Obviously if you're talking about feeding huge animals like large rats then yes. But these are wild animals that have been doing this for millions of years.
And ya I've been bit so thanks for the suggestion.
/rant

Do you have wild caught snakes? If not then, no... These are NOT wild animals...

Why feed live though? honestly? what's the point? to see it kill something? I can tell you that every single one of my 21 snakes will eat frozen thawed ferociously... they grab, coil, "re-kill", and eat... So there is truly no "oh it makes them lose their 'wildness'" excuse at all...

ccvfd106 · #**346** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 09:38 PM

The very first post in this thread shows what can happen from just one bite from a prey item. It is not worth the risk of feeding live.

Rachel SS · #**347** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 09:49 PM

snakes in the wild aren't always going to have an active food source to hunt. They DO eat dead things too...

_Venom_ · #**348** (**permalink**) 02-11-2010, 11:58 PM

Yeah so?
Most of the time they eat live food and do get bitten once in a while.
Very rarely do they get those overexaggerated wounds shown in the first pics for shock.

Rachel SS · #**349** (**permalink**) 02-12-2010, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Venom_

Yeah so?
Most of the time they eat live food and do get bitten once in a while.
Very rarely do they get those overexaggerated wounds shown in the first pics for shock.

Then why the heck do you have snakes? You know that rat bites leave scars.

Isn't the whole point of having a snake to admire how beautiful they are and seek enjoyment from that?

I'm sorry, but looking at a scar, or multiple scars on a snake, or ANY animal, is not attractive. Especially in a hobby that sells BASED on how a snake looks, if you aren't going to do it for safety reasons, and aesthetically you just don't care, I suggest getting into another hobby.

Rachel SS · #**350** (**permalink**) 02-12-2010, 12:33 AM

and I'd like you to prove that "most of the time" snakes eat live food. I'd like to know your experience spent in sub saharan africa, monitoring ball python feeding patterns. I'm quite intrigued.

Byron · #**351** (**permalink**) 02-12-2010, 12:55 AM

instead of cluttering up a thread on the dangers of feeding live, why not start another one defending it? This thread wasn't started as a debate on live vs. f/t....its to show the dangers.

If it was a thread about the dangers of drinking and driving, I highly doubt there would be discussions from the idiots that do it and survived bragging about it. (nevermind, there probably would)

Katie M · #**352** (**permalink**) 02-13-2010, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Venom_

Yeah so?
Most of the time they eat live food and do get bitten once in a while.
Very rarely do they get those overexaggerated wounds shown in the first pics for shock.

wow... not just exaggerated, but OVERexaggerated?? I don't understand why you and EdBean keep acting like these pictures are "dramatized" and "overexaggerated" - do you think the people posting the pictures "made it worse" for shock factor???? these were ACTUAL wounds... no photoshopping, no enhancements made... how can it be an exaggeration, much less and OVERexaggeration if they are the ACTUAL photos...

Rachel SS · #**353** (**permalink**) 02-13-2010, 05:38 PM

I can't believe people are downplaying the severity of that snakes condition. Snakes aren't built like humans. You can't pump them full of morphine and stitch them up and they'll be okay.

They feel that pain. Their brain registers it. There is no relief from the pain for them. Whether it's one bite or multiple bites, it doesn't feel good.

John · #**354** (**permalink**) 02-13-2010, 10:58 PM

To those who defend feeding your pets live prey without seeking to convert to f/t:

I think it's important to understand something here. It is true that snakes in the wild have been feeding on live prey items for a long time. However, nature is full of risk, danger and death. Just because snakes feed on live prey in the wild does not mean that they don't get bitten and are seriously injured or killed as a result.

Many carnivores are continually at risk of being fatally injured by their prey. That is the risk they must take to eat. Danger is a way of life for them in the wild.

Our goal as pet owners is not to entirely recreate nature's conditions. It is to provide a safe environment for them. Our responsibility is to care for them and seek to ensure their safety. Knowingly subjecting them to the same dangers that they would face in the wild is contrary to this.

I also want to say that I am impressed with the amazing recovery of that ball python. It looks so much better.

_Venom_ · #**355** (**permalink**) 02-14-2010, 01:02 AM

I never said I fed live.

Just that the chances of somethng like that happening are very slim.

It gets annoying when people don't even let new people breathe if they don't feed F/T.

They don't get bitten every single time.

It's not set in stone how you should feed your snakes.

I've had snakes strike the glass and get injured when feeding F/T...

Should I stop feeding them F/T?

Rachel SS · #**356** (**permalink**) 02-14-2010, 04:01 AM

no, you should stop keeping them in glass enclosures.

_Venom_ · #**357** (**permalink**) 02-14-2010, 04:14 AM

Funny.

John · #**358** (**permalink**) 02-14-2010, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Venom_

I never said I fed live.
Just that the chances of somethng like that happening are very slim.

Very slim chance? I just did a quick google search of snakes injured by rats or mice and came up with several accounts of pet snakes injured by their intended prey. The chances are more than slim. I even found this sad article:
Mouse bites snake to death - Telegraph

Like Rachel pointed out, it wasn't a dead rodent that injured the snake's mouth, it was the misdirected strike.

When I had my first snake, I fed it live rats. One day, a live rat bit my snake while it was coiled up and about to die. Again, the chances are not slim.

Edbean · #**359** (**permalink**) 02-14-2010, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faroutinmt

Very slim chance? I just did a quick google search of snakes injured by rats or mice and came up with several accounts of pet snakes injured by their intended prey. The chances are more than slim.

yeah out of the 400000000000000000 snake owners who feed live, you found SEVERAL accounts on google search.

Edbean · #**360** (**permalink**) 02-14-2010, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie M

wow... not just exaggerated, but OVERexaggerated?? I don't understand why you and EdBean keep acting like these pictures are "dramatized" and "overexaggerated" - do you think the people posting the pictures "made it worse" for shock factor???? these were ACTUAL wounds... no photoshopping, no enhancements made... how can it be an exaggeration, much less and OVERexaggeration if they are the ACTUAL photos...

Yes... actual photos of an OVERexaggerated snake injury. None of the pictures you have shown have been a bite from a live feeding of a properly sized animal that was watched while it was being food. I could take an actual picture of a dog that was in a dog fight and say that dog owners who keep their dogs with other dogs are bad owners too. Like I said, im done with this thread so stop bringing up my name.

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