Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Other animals

What can you feed a pet snake? It depends

PawTracks
By

If you’ve been wondering, “What do snakes eat?” look no further. One great way to give proper care for your pet snake is to make sure you feed them exclusive carnivore meat. But the type of meat and the frequency of feedings varies by species. You’ll want to be sure you’re feeding your snake the right things based on his individual needs.

Different types of snakes require specific types of meat, so you’ll want to be sure that your feeding your slithery guy accordingly. Keep reading to find out more about the topic of pet snake food.

Snake flicking its tongue
Byronsdad/Getty Images

What can you feed a pet snake?

Rodents are a popular option

While different snake species have different diets, typically, snakes in captivity are fed mice or rats. They may be live, freshly killed, or frozen. Rodents are a popular choice for snake food as they serve as a balanced, nutritionally complete meal. Many snake experts recommend that you feed snakes only dead rodents to prevent injury to handlers or the snake. Also, frozen rodents should be thawed prior to feeding.

Recommended Videos

There are other alternatives if your snake’s species aren’t rodent eaters

Some species of snakes do not eat rodents, however. They might eat any of the following:

  • Fish
  • Snails
  • Eggs
  • Insects
  • Commercially available snake food, shaped like a sausage, that is made of meat from more traditional farm animals

Before buying a snake, be sure you know its nutritional requirements and whether they eat live or frozen food, and if they eat rodents. Most foods are usually kept in the fridge to prevent spoiling, although frozen mice should stay frozen until right before consumption.

Related

Costs for snake food

The price of feeding a snake has a large range, with exact values depending on the type of snake you own. If your snake eats mice, they range in price from 20 cents to $2 each. Frozen mice can be bought in bulk to save some money. The larger the snake, the more their food will cost, since they have to consume larger rodents. Snakes that eat food other than rodents sometimes cost more to keep, since their food is not as widely available. Sausage-shaped snake food, which can only be fed to some snakes, costs about $1 each. Insects like crickets, which are usually given to snakes as treats, can be bought for pennies.

Feeding frequency

Again, the frequency of snake feedings is dependent on the species of snake you own, what its diet consists of, and other factors.

  • Age: Younger snakes eat more than adult snakes. If fed rodents, a young snake will eat about twice a week on average, while most adults eat once every other week.
  • Gender: Female snakes tend to eat more around breeding season.
  • Environmental changes: Changes in a snake’s hunger level occur in response to changes in their environment, such as temperature or humidity.

Any snake’s hunger level can be gauged by offering them food — if they eat it, they were hungry, and if not, they were not hungry. Be sure your pet snake is receiving the right amount of food at each serving. Smaller snakes, like corn snakes, do fine with baby mice, but a boa should be fed larger mice.

green snake on wooden element
Sebastian Herrmann/Unsplash

How to feed a snake

As nice as your snake’s habitat is, you probably don’t want to stick your hand into a hungry snake’s enclosure. Here are some do’s and don’ts when feeding your snake:

  • Drop or place the food in their cage with a pair of tongs.
  • If you have multiple snakes, they should be fed separately so that no fighting over food occurs.
  • After feeding, give your snake some time to digest their food before handling them.
  • You should remove any uneaten food in a snake’s enclosure after it has been there for four hours.
  • Besides food, snakes should always have access to a clean water dish, which should be changed at least daily. This water dish should be shallow and large enough for them to submerge themselves in.
  • If your snake defecates in its water bowl, change the water and thoroughly clean the water dish.

What not to feed snakes

Again, snakes should not receive live rodents as food. Live rodents can scratch or bite you or your snake, which can cause injury or even death to the snake. Do not feed eggs, fish, insects, or other foods to snakes that do not have those items in their diet in the wild. Also, be sure to stick to a feeding schedule so that your snake doesn’t overeat. Overeating can cause obesity, which is especially dangerous to snakes as it can lead to a number of serious health conditions.

Snakes are entertaining pets to have and sometimes hold. They range from docile and safe to aggressive and venomous, and they vary widely in length, but something most snakes have in common is that they eat rodents. A balanced diet is important for maintaining your snake’s health. Be sure to ask your veterinarian if you have further questions about what to feed your snake.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
PawTracks
PawTracks
Can you make a profit breeding your bearded dragon?
Does breeding your bearded dragon make you money? Read on to find out
Two bearded dragons sit on a rock

The first step in getting a new pet of any species is research. You want to make sure you're adopting or purchasing your pet from a reputable breeder who uses ethical sourcing techniques to acquire their animals. While veterinarians suggest that all pet parents spay and neuter their companions, some animals can be bred without causing distress to you or your pet.

One of the easiest pets to breed is the bearded dragon. With that being said, we recommend having experience under your belt before you embark on your journey as a breeder. Here's what you should know about breeding bearded dragons.
Is my beardie male or female?
When they're babies, it's really difficult to tell the sex of your lizard. Wait until he or she reaches maturity before making that determination, which is actually a good thing for breeding. You don't want to start your female reptile before 18 months for health reasons. In order to look at the little beast, you need to get comfortable enough to feel the underbelly, so give it a few days after bringing your beardie home.

Read more
Looking to add corydoras to your aquarium? Here’s what you need to know first
Read this before bringing home a cory catfish to add to your tank
Two cory catfish hang out on the bottom of the tank

One thing you might not know about aquariums until you get one: Every tank needs a janitor, which may wind up just being you. When you first dive into this hobby, it can take a while to realize how much maintenance is really involved — don't think that the filter will do all the work. But if you want a little a help in that department, you can add a catfish to the fray. If you don't have a ton of experience with these bottom feeders, we recommend one of the corydoras since they're generally best for beginners.

What are corydoras?
This is a type of catfish, but there are actually more than 170 species to choose from. These are a well-known group of swimmers who get their name from their barbels, which look a bit like whiskers. While you'll find dozens of options in the pet store, you will likely narrow it down quickly based on the size of your tank, temperature, habitat you've chosen, and the other fish that they'll live with eventually.
Are corydoras friendly?
Yes, corydoras are sweet and gentle fish. They particularly like spending time together, but get along with many others as well. In some cases, you should not buy just one as they'll get lonely. Instead grab a pair of the same type and watch them become best friends. You'll often see them as bottom feeders, well, at the base of the tank, but cory cats also come up to the surface for air or food from time to time.

Read more
Why do birds lose their feathers? Here’s when to worry
What you need to know about birds losing their feathers
Parakeet picks at their feathers

One day, your bird's beautiful plumage looks shiny and pristine, and the next day, their feathers are piling up at the bottom of the cage. It can be very alarming to see your pet suddenly losing their feathers. Don't panic, though. There are plenty of normal reasons this can occur and you should look into those first.

But dropping feathers can also indicate stress, disease, or other issues, so a call to the vet may become necessary. So why do birds lose their feathers? We'll use the process of elimination to determine the most likely cause.

Read more