Wild food

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I use a large Bird cage with a small opening at ground level, lots of dog or cat food, not seed or bread or you'll attract our cool natives. Leave it for a few hours, sometimes you get a lot, sometimes none, but I find if I put the food in the backyard without a cage for a few days I catch more. That's as long as the dog doesn't get to the bait first!
 
Wild snakes can and do survive and often thrive on wild pray. That's the natural way. We don't know how long they live though.
Captive snake eating wild food is a different story. It's not the natural way. JMO
 
Thanks for sharing Mister_Snakes. And do you kill and freeze or offer fresh killed?
 
I freeze them Ewan, but you know, before I started doing this, I consulted as widely as could be done back then. I believe this was a yahoo message board back then! Freezing was the consensus from Vets and Zoo keepers I approached. It's not something I've constantly kept up to date with, so if people have discovered new reasons not to do this I would be all ears.
 
I believe freezing is still the recommended process. I consulted a local vet (not reptile specific) a few years ago who consulted his circle of vets. The consensus was once the animal is frozen all parasites are destroyed. Poisons however could be a different story.
 
I feed mine domestic rats and mice ( and don't have any barn pigeons) but It was something I was wondering about........I mean if the snake is wormed what can they get from a bird that will do them harm?

I know wild snakes may soak to get rid of external parrasites but what about the internal ones??.....I wonder if it does shorten their life...... I have seen some huge olives and carpets etc that must be many many years old.....and from word go they would have been eating geckos,frogs etc before moving to bandicoots,rats,bats,birds and small dogs etc....in theory they must be riddled with parasites.

I know up here some snake catchers can sell wild caught snakes for pets.....I am sure these get wormed and fit right in to captivity......I wonder if there is any difference in life span of a wild to captive snake when compared to a captive bred snake.

I just wonder if it makes a difference if your snake is wormed often and checked for external parasites.

If I had a big coastal and was in an area with a lot of wild rabbits I would consider using them for snake food.....i mean my brother in law almost exculsively feeds his dogs these rabits and they are as healthy as any town dog...I know a dog is very different to a snake but it is food for thought and an interesting topic....thanks for all your replys...
 
Guzzo in the wild there is a balance between parasites (internal/external) and their hosts. In captivity this balance can easily be upset to a point where parasite infestation could overcome a host. I am sure this occurs in the wild also however I do not know of any related field studies. I assume to find a reptile deceased of natural causes in the wild would be extremely rare and difficult to quantify.

Again I would weigh up the risks and your ability to manage them and choose an appropriate path. I think with captive raised feed readily available now you will find it hard to find anyone with any evidence on this topic.

In regards to worming reptiles I wouldn't do it unless you have evidence of a worm infestation. Periodically checking for parasites (internal/external) is fine as it is completely non invasive.
 
I don't know about for snakes, but we're told not to use pigeons specifically for feeding birds/carnivorous mammals because of certain diseases and parasites they can carry. I forget what they were, but I'll have a look and see if I can find it in my notes.
 
Hi there Guzzo sweetheart!

This subject is a contentious one and I believe it has been a very hot button topic on this forum.

When last this topic was discussed to any sort of degree it had been discussed that the freezing of wild prey items for a period of 6 weeks "may" kill internal parasites.
That was greeted with a negative as certain parasites are still viable and reanimate even after a prolonged period in a frozen state.
I believe this position was taken after a scientific, controlled study into just this subject...the viability of internal parasites within the body of a frozen host......or words to that effect.

I put forward that the body of the parasitic burden is carried in a hosts visera and that upon drawing of said visera that the wild caught food item be considered "safe" after the recommended freezing time (6 weeks).
This was also met with a negative as there are parasites that reside and are able to lay eggs in subcutaneous cysts that would also remain viable after prolonged freezing.
I did ask for links to definitive, peer reviewed studies on this phenomenon to back up said claims but was met with "they are there, just trust me!"
Dubious claims at best coming from a self professed scientist.

In short, at the end of all spirited discussion I really don't think that 3 monthly worming (as is standard husbandry practice with all other domesticated stock, be they pets or other wise ) was truly taken into consideration.
 
Hi there right back....The way I see it a main threat would be if the wild animal has come in contact with a pesticide or some chemical
 
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