Choosing the Type of Euthanasia

from what I understand, freezing is not the easy road for reptiles that many think it is. I would think that you need to gradually do it, in order for it to not be as painful. Cooling first then freezing, not just pop in freezer. I use co2 for the rodents and that seems to work well. I haven't had to put down a herp yet, but I have a gecko that doesn't seem to be doing well. I found that the place I have been getting my crickets from has been having problems and I think something has been wrong with them. If I do end up having to put him down, I will probably use a .22 or .410 and it should be quick and over at first shot. I hate to even say that, but after considering all the options, to me that seems the most efficient. I don't think I could snap an animals neck no matter what it was.

Wow, some of the attitudes here are frightening. Freezing? Shooting? Where is the poll option of 'take them to the vet, who is trained to deal with these situations and had the education to know what the least painful method is'?

It's proven that reptile brains can continue functioning and reacting to outside stimuli, even after the head is severed. What if you try to crush their brain but you miss? Reptile brains are small after If there's even the slightest risk of freezing causing them pain, why even risk it? (And while one vet may say 'freezing is fine' it's a very debated topic. So really, why risk it? Because it's cheap and easy? Yep, just chuck em in the freezer! Easy as pie and doesn't cost a cent.)

All this 'well I don't THINK it causes them pain'... You're just trying to make yourselves feel better because you were too cheap or lazy to take them to the vet.

If you can't afford, or refuse to pay a TRAINED VETERINARIAN to humanely put down one of your herps by sedating it and then giving it an injection like you would any other pet, you should probably shouldn't have it.

And I don't want to hear anything from the people who own a million snakes- if you can't afford to care for the animals in life, sickness, AND for their eventual death, you shouldn't have so many.

I've worked extensively with small animals, (rodents etc) and I think this depends entirely on the type of animals. In all cases you would be better letting a qualified vet use a painless injection. However, this is not always practical in remote locations or in cases of sudden injury.

I don't like the CO2 option as it is essentially suffocation, which is traumatic. Small mammals are most quickly killed by a swift blow to the skull followed by breaking the neck. However, you have to be skilled and confident. If you aren't, you are going to cause a lot of pain and distress (not least to yourself). Freezing a mammal to death should never be an option, as their metabolism is going to try and speed up to stop it happening, and the animal is going to suffer enormously.

Many reptiles are more difficult to kill manually due to body shape or handling issues, and therefore manual killing is less likely to be successful and humane. We all know that reptiles become torpid in cold, as their metabolism slows down instead of speeding up. I have no evidence that freezing a reptile is painless, but logic tells me that a slow chilling is probably less traumatic for them than our mammalian instincts lead us to think. I freeze-kill batches of feeder geckos, and when I open the tub they are in relaxed positions, not those of torment.