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Uneaten, Unfrozen mice

C

cavu

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OK people, what do you do with a thawed mouse that the snake has not eaten?  I thaw out about 18 mice at a time and usually two or three snakes won't be hungry.  I have been putting them back in the fridg for a couple of days ubntil the snakes get hungry.  Is this OK (can't figure out why it would not be, but lets see what you all say.  Also, how long thawed out at room temp before you should not use the mouse?

Let me know.  Thanks Mike
 
When I feed my snakes I thaw 20 - 30 mice of varying size, If any are not eaten I throw them away. For the cost of a feeder mouse it is not worth the risk to my snakes health to save such a small amount on the cost of that feeder mouse.

I look at it this way,
I would not eat a steak if it were handled the same way.
Say I cooked it  but then wasn't hungry left it out at room temp for a while and then in the fridge then out and reheat it.
And this is a cooked item not like a thawed raw mouse!
You would be amazed if you knew how fast bacteria can take over a dead feeder.

The choice is yours though. Myself, I could not do that.

Scott Cook
 
Currently I keep all but my youngest snakes on a "natural" substrate (aspen, in most cases) so feeding time is somewhat labor intensive for me. The "benefit" is that I only thaw or euthenize about 2/3rds as many rodents as I think I'll need, and most snakes only get 30-45 minutes to eat because I need their eating tub for someone else. By the time I'm in my second rotation I can get a much better idea of what more I need to have ready so I can usually hit it on the head by feeding the one or two "leftovers" to whomever was aggresively hungery that week.
 
two suggestions

1.  like herputopia said give the leftovers to one of the other snakes, they may appreciate the desert.

2. Buy a snapping turtle.  No more problems with leftovers, just a royal pain to clean the filters.

Steve Schindler
 
I've got two suggestions.

1. Bullsnakes

2. Snapping Turtles.

I thaw out over a 100 rodents at a time, for everything from adult boas to hatchling corn snakes.  Between the Bullsnakes and the snapping turtles that I have, I haven't thrown out any uneaten rodents in a couple of years now.   <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>
 
I have a Brazillian shorttailed possum who takes care of leftovers. Sugar gliders will do the same thing.

Erin B.
 
I don't know how big a Brazillian shorttailed possum is but a full grown mouse is almost as big as a sugar glider, I would think that it would get rather smelly and unsanitary before he could finish it all.

Steve Schindler
 
Well my suggestion is a monitor lizard. He eats everything left over as well as acts like a guard dog when ever anyone enters the room that he doesn't know. We have a nile who roosts the snake room. Even the dogs respect him.


Alison crews
 
Ill tell you WHAT I DONT do with it!

If I offered the mouse to snake "A" and it refused it, i wouldnt offer it to snake"B".  And if it was a mouse that was live that i killed , and the snake refused to eat it, then it goes in the trash. And it is a waste of money. And it pisses me off, and if the snake does that enough , he leaves my house.

                                Fred Albury
                (Aztec Reptiles)
 
Fred,

What is the harm in offering snake B a mouse that snake A won't eat?

I can see if you left it in there overnight or something, but for an hour or so I don't see a problem.

I wouldn't do this with new snakes in a collection but between specimens of a breeding group, or other animals that have been in my care for an extended period of time I don't se a problem.

please explain.

Steve Schindler
 
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