Many pet stores sell frozen rodents, or you can purchase them online. Don’t feed your snake frozen prey that’s more than 6 months old.
It’s actually best to place the mice in bags before you stick them in your freezer, but if you didn’t do that, just place it in a clean bag now. [2] X Research source
Keep the bowl separate from your food bowls. You don’t want to use a bowl for eating that you’ve thawed a rodent in. [3] X Research source
If it smells really bad when thawed, the rodent is likely not good to give to your snake. Don’t offer feeders that have been in the freezer for more than 6 months to your snake. Just toss them. Rodents have to be thawed, warmed, and then fed to the snake to allow the snake to digest the prey properly and avoid an overgrowth of bad bacteria.
Pour the water off when you’re done. Don’t thaw the rodent in the microwave or in hot water, because this can make it spoil. [6] X Research source
You may want to use a temperature gun to check if the inside is warm. Once you’ve thawed and warmed the rodent, feed it the snake as soon as you can because it will quickly start to decay.
For instance, a baby corn snake eats newborn mice, while an adult corn snake would eat jumbo mice. Rodents are typically categorized by size when you buy them. [10] X Research source Making small cuts in the rodent’s skin may help a corn snake digest it. [11] X Research source
Some snakes are nocturnal and won’t be comfortable eating during the day.
Always use tongs, as snakes use heat and smell to guide them. They may strike at your hand if you don’t! You can also feed your snake in a separate feeding enclosure, so that the snake doesn’t associate you putting your hand in their cage with eating.
Once your snake gets used to the bait, you may be able just to place the rodent in the cage for the snake to take.
Look for changes in behavior, which can indicate your snake is sick. Lethargy, skin changes, mouth discharge, diarrhea, vomit, swelling, and weight loss can all indicate sickness. [16] X Research source If you aren’t providing the right temperature gradients for your snake, it won’t want to eat.
Placing the snake and rodent in an empty container removes other distractions and helps the snake focus on the rodent. Some snakes don’t like being handled before being fed, so it’s really just trial and error to see if that helps.
Make sure to feed the frozen rodents in the same way you did the live ones.
Braining can be a bit gross, so only do this if you’re not squeamish.
You can scent frozen prey with bedding that smells like other animals. For example, gerbil bedding can be a good choice to scent prey for stubborn ball pythons. Don’t rub animal droppings onto the prey because this can transfer bacteria. Present the scented prey to the snake the same way you normally would.
