# Snakes that don't have to eat rats/mice?



## Finnebon

I do think snakes are beautiful and sometimes adorable creatures, I almost got one when I was younger. But I adore rats unconditionally and can't see how people can feed them to other animals (yes I know about the food chain and I do know the snake needs to live too, I just can't personally understand it). When I see big snakes, I think they're impressive and pretty, but equally or more-so I think, "how many poor ratties or other animals does that snake need to eat at each feeding?".

Just out of curiosity, are there many pet quality snakes that can thrive off of fish or insects? I ADORE corn snakes and hognose snakes, but the thought of even feeding f/t rats/mice makes me a bit sad.


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## nanashi7

Could probably get a garter snake, but the reptile community is pretty harsh on those of us who don't want to feed even f/t "if you can't handle the natural eating process, don't get a snake" a lot of posts and people say. I even got that slack while looking for a lizard or something that didn't need bugs. 


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## Finnebon

I understand the implied responsibility to properly raise an animal and to meet it's needs, I just wish there were other ways, you know? xD I just think I would feel a little mortified heating up a dead ratty in the microwave and just.. seeing a dead rat. I dunno, maybe I'm too attached to rats, it's not possible for me to see them as anything other than little friends.

Though, if you're still looking for a lizard that doesn't need bugs, I discovered a while ago the Crested Gecko! They're SO CUTE. They look like little gargoyles, and they seem really easy to care for. They don't need humidity or heat lamps (unless you live in places with extreme weather) but just regular toom temp and humidity is completely fine for them. they seem to be pretty mellow and can learn to enjoy being held, and you can buy a special food that you mix with water into a mush and they can survive off of that. It probably wouldn't hurt to give them a mealworm or cricket occasionally, but the mush fits all their dietary needs. I'd love to get one in the future if possible.


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## JBird

No, there aren't really any snakes that can survive in captivity without mammals as their main diet. Many reptiles can, but not snakes. They don't really eat insects in the wild, just small game and birds and eggs. You could look into finding a snake that you could feed primarily eggs (not chicken. I am sure you shouldn't feed those to snakes.) But even still, I believe eggs are treated more as a supplement or treat than diet. 

Small snakes like corn snakes, rat snakes, and king snakes are all very easy to care for and do not ever need to eat rats. At their biggest, grown mice are a perfect size for them. Thankfully you don't need to microwave anything, just thaw in hot water. But if you can't feed whole prey, even f/t then snakes are just not the right pet for you. 

Its OK to not want to feed whole prey, its perfectly understandable. Its definitely not for everyone! Its fine to admire snakes from a distance or think they are beautiful without wanting to handle dead stuff. Other reptiles can be super fun to own and never need mammalian prey. Many easily adapt to a diet of dead or dried mealworms and crickets, and are so easy to feed. 

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## nanashi7

I never knew that about created geckos! I had found the Mali uromastyx (or some uromastyx...) but was unable to find them in any local stores. 
I have this thing about life for life in pets, and my boyfriend turned down him doing all feedings of mealworms or crickets. 


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## Phantom

My boyfriend has a corn snake. She does eat mice, but snakes usually don't get fed very often unless you are planning on power feeding them. His snake alternates between two small mice and one large mouse every two weeks. She lives in a 40 gallon tank. His corn snake is actually how we got in to owning mice and rats. 

Certain reptiles eat other things besides mice and rats. Leopard geckos and bearded dragons don't need mice or rats. Leopard geckos feed on a varied diet of crickets, mealworms, super worms, and silkworms. Bearded dragons have roughly the same diet only they eat fruits and veggies as well. African fat tailed geckos are another interesting reptile. They have the same diet as leopard geckos. Out of the three, from what I know, bearded dragons have the better personality.


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## anawelch

There are a few smaller snakes that eat only insects because their mouth is too small but they aren't really pet quality. Their not very popular as pets due to their skittish nature. Green snakes and ringneck snakes survive on insects but they are a look dont touch pet.


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## Daize

Finnebon said:


> I do think snakes are beautiful and sometimes adorable creatures, I almost got one when I was younger. But I adore rats unconditionally and can't see how people can feed them to other animals (yes I know about the food chain and I do know the snake needs to live too, I just can't personally understand it). When I see big snakes, I think they're impressive and pretty, but equally or more-so I think, "how many poor ratties or other animals does that snake need to eat at each feeding?".
> 
> Just out of curiosity, are there many pet quality snakes that can thrive off of fish or insects? I ADORE corn snakes and hognose snakes, but the thought of even feeding f/t rats/mice makes me a bit sad.


Egg eating snakes will eat only eggs. Eggs are still considered an animal protein, but "technically" a not a "animal" yet. I believe there's 5 species of egg eating snakes. 

There's snakes that survive on a fish/amphibians/insects. These are pretty much are the garter snake types. These generally require that you put a "live food item" in with your snake. Garter snakes will also take rodents if offered. People that keep garter snakes normally just have a dish of water and just add a few gold fish for the snake to eat. Garter snakes don't actually kill a fish. They swallow it "live". Most can adapt to taking a dead fish from a pair of tongs. 

Corn Snake breeders have, with finicky eater, offered small crickets. Just to get them started eating. Sometimes the faster movement of the cricket will entice them to eat. Still, once they get them eating. They need more than crickets to survive. 

Some people have offered raw chicken to their snakes. Surprisingly, many will actually eat it. Of course, they still need to offer the occasional rodent to add roughage to their diet. 

There are arboreal species that prefer to eat birds. They're generally fed chicks or small quail. Some of these arboreal snakes will refuse to feed on rodents and others don't care as long as it's food. 

I've heard there's a sausage looking food that's made just for snake/reptiles. They're linked to together if you want them to eat more than just one more easily. 

There was one guy, on the snake forums, that "claimed" he only fed his boa "road kill". Yep, he "claimed" he picked up road kill, fresh not totally smashed road kill. Then he'd freeze it for a few weeks. Then he'd thaw it out and offer offer it to his boa. He bragged about he never had to purchase food for his snake. He even claimed he "sewed them end to end" to force them to eat more than one food item at a time. I really hope what he "claimed" wasn't true. 

Then you have the "die hard I don't want to feed an animal to my snake" people. These ones actually purchase a "canned food" and tube feed it to their snakes. They simply filled enough 60cc syringes with their allotted food for the week. Then the lubricated and shoved a feeding tube down their throat. Then they just pumped the food in. Sort of a gross way to feed a snake. Science Diet used to make a reptile diet. Not sure if they still do, but they might.

The majority of people with reptiles simply offer frozen/thawed. There's some that insist on feeding live. Most reptile owners try to convert those that feed live to feeding frozen/thawed. It's very rare that a snake "needs live food". It's more the owner of the snake that makes that decision. 

I've had snakes before. It's a bit hard, even with frozen/thawed. The small rodents look more like they're sleeping, rather than being dead. Over time it became easier to feed my snake, but it always left me with a need to hug my furry rodent pets. 

Still, if you think about it. It's not different than humans eating animals. Sure they're skinned, gutted and chopped up, but they're still animals. 

I've also heard of people that have snakes, but can't stand to feed them. They generally end up getting rid of them or having another person come by to feed their pets. They only eat once every 1-2 weeks, so that's another option. 

I would never have a pet that I wasn't able to feed. If you want a pet snake, you'll have to decide is you're willing to do all that's required for the health and well being of a pet snake.


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## alexn

If you really want a snake, your best bet is probably a corn snake. As others have said, you go from maybe once a week to twice a month in terms of feeding, and you don't have to feed them rats. 

It's one of the reasons I'm getting one eventually - I'm fine with the idea of feeding rats, but I'd rather avoid if possible. 

Oh, and putting any frozen rodent in the microwave is a very stupid idea, especially if you're new to snakes. Just put them in a bowl of hot water, or between some kitchen towels for a few minutes/hours. 

As for other reptiles, Cresties are pretty easy, as others have pointed out - but I would disagree that they are quite as simple. Yes, they can live off fruit paste etc, but bugs are good every now and then to stimulate their hunting nature. Also, they need high humidity and a tall vivarium to really thrive. 

Bearded dragons are great, but being diurnal, you may not see them too often if you have school or work. Young ones will cost you a fortune in bugs, but the older ones slow down a bit, and have been known to become almost vegetarian when they start needing vitamins etc over protein for growth. Plus, they can smell.

Leopard geckos are cool if you're out and about during the day. You can manipulate their light (and thus their day cycle ) to fit you, but they usually come out about 6 or 7 in the evening. Watching a pair of them hunt crickets together is amazing, and they can get tame, but not as much as dragons.

One thing I will say, is that these reps have a far greater lifespan than rodents, and so be prepared for the long-term.

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## Voltage

When I was younger I loved snakes and had no problem with the idea of feeding thawed mice/rats to a snake. I had always wanted one. Now that I have rats I will NEVER get a snake. I just couldn't do it.
As much as I still fancy the idea of having such a beautiful creature I wouldn't be able to feed it the diet it needed. I also would be overcome with paranoia of having either rats or snake escape and whatnot

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## alexn

Yeah, the reason I don't have one now is because I just don't have the space to have the viv and rat cage far enough apart to not stress either.

The idea of a baby corn desperately clinging to Poppy's tail both terrifies and amuses me.

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## Xerneas

Most insect/fish/egg eating snakes are not really beginner material. Garters are usually wild caught and that is the last thing a beginner wants as they will be very feisty and skittish and musk often. The egg-eating snakes are also very very nervous and can be MEAN. Also...no goldfish for garter snakes. They have an enzyme called thiaminase that blocks the absorption of vitamin B1/thiamine and overtime this will kill your snake. 

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from looking for a snake that can eat alternatives BTW. It's just that a lot of them are primarily wild-caught and are often not really all that friendly. I _really_ disagree with all alternatives to feeding snakes that need meat gross processed stuff like those sausages. I don't want to enforce the eating habits people have onto snakes. Just my opinion.



nanashi7 said:


> "if you can't handle the natural eating process, don't get a snake" a lot of posts and people say. I even got that slack while looking for a lizard or something that didn't need bugs.


As a reptile/snake owner I can firmly say this is because a lot of us know that feeling of walking into a pet store and seeing a corn snake being starved to death with crickets nibbling on it. If you want something that can eat alternatives there are people who will help you out. You will have to dig deeper, but they are out there. There are people who are truly disrespectful to what the snake needs to eat and that is what at least I get reminded of. 

Even with crested geckos there are some that won't take the alternative. Google "my crested gecko won't eat CGD" and there are results. With all of these reptiles you need to be prepared for them to get a little picky and that's another reason why some people give up their snakes when they can't stand to feed it.


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## Finnebon

Wow thanks for all the input!

I don't know much about snakes so I wasn't sure if there were any REAL alternatives to feeding rats/mice. The sausage idea is slightly ok, but that forcefed tube feeding sounds traumatizing! Poor snakes! I think it's disgusting when people try to enforce their own beliefs on others that have no control in cases like this. I firmly believe that if you have a problem with or can't supply an animals necessary diet and living requirements, that you should never own that animal. I was only curious if there were alternatives that I didn't know about.

I think feeding f/t wouldn't be TOO bad. My friend has a fairly large ball python and she has to feed him live mice since he refuses to eat f/t. He will even sometimes refuse to eat the live ones so she will have to exchange it for different mice, picky snake. If I had a snake that refused to eat f/t I personally would not be able to care for it. But I would never get an animal if I couldn't give it everything it needs to thrive.


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## Daize

Finnebon said:


> Wow thanks for all the input!
> 
> I don't know much about snakes so I wasn't sure if there were any REAL alternatives to feeding rats/mice. The sausage idea is slightly ok, but that forcefed tube feeding sounds traumatizing! Poor snakes! I think it's disgusting when people try to enforce their own beliefs on others that have no control in cases like this. I firmly believe that if you have a problem with or can't supply an animals necessary diet and living requirements, that you should never own that animal. I was only curious if there were alternatives that I didn't know about.
> 
> I think feeding f/t wouldn't be TOO bad. My friend has a fairly large ball python and she has to feed him live mice since he refuses to eat f/t. He will even sometimes refuse to eat the live ones so she will have to exchange it for different mice, picky snake. If I had a snake that refused to eat f/t I personally would not be able to care for it. But I would never get an animal if I couldn't give it everything it needs to thrive.


I'm considering getting a pet snake again. Of course, it would be 5 or 6 years down the road. I'm partial to Kingsnakes. I love the variety of colors/patterns. I would wait until I no longer have "furry pets". 

It really is hard, even when feeding frozen/thawed, when you have a pet rat. It almost feels like your feeding off a distant relative of your pet. 

If you do choose to get a pet snake, start with a "captive bred" hatchling. Also make sure it's already eating frozen/thawed. Corn snakes can be purchased for a little as 15 dollars at a reptile show, for the more common colors. Kingsnakes run about 25 dollars. Both are good beginner snakes. Their temperament will be determined on how much you handle them. If you treat them like a fish in an aquarium, then they'll be skittish and/or aggressive. If you handle them regularly, they're quite tame and friendly. I've heard that Sand Boas and Rosy boas are good beginner snakes too, but I don't have any first hand experience with them. So, it's only hear say on those two. 

If you do choose to get a snake. Do research on the type you want and make sure you'll be able to give it what it needs. 

Snakes really can be good pets, regardless of what some people think. It's all a matter of perspective. I know there's people out there that think rats aren't good pets, but people on this forum know that's not true. It's really is just a matter of perspective.


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## Finnebon

I would have to wait years from now to get another pet too. The snake that I would have gotten when I was younger was from a great little local shop that took really good care of their animals who all had large enclosures and weren't overcrowded. I was going to get a little corn snake. They come in a lot of beautiful color mutations, but I think the standard color or Okeetee are the prettiest.  I also fell in love with a little hognose snake around the same time who curled up in my palm and let me pet him. Snakes are so cute! I just wish they didn't have to eat ratties and mice or I would probably have a few snakes! If I ever do get a snake, I will be sure that it takes f/t mice before I even think about adopting one.


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## Finnebon

After typing about the little hognose, I was inspired to look them up. Turns out that in the wild 50% of their diet is frogs/toads! Many baby hognose have to be tricked into starting to eat f/t rats/mice by scenting it with a dead toad first and then weaned onto normal f/t pinkies etc. Some shops will also carry f/t toads. Turns out there is an alternative to feeding rats/mice as a majority of its diet.


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## Phantom

Finnebon said:


> Wow thanks for all the input!
> 
> I don't know much about snakes so I wasn't sure if there were any REAL alternatives to feeding rats/mice. The sausage idea is slightly ok, but that forcefed tube feeding sounds traumatizing! Poor snakes! I think it's disgusting when people try to enforce their own beliefs on others that have no control in cases like this. I firmly believe that if you have a problem with or can't supply an animals necessary diet and living requirements, that you should never own that animal. I was only curious if there were alternatives that I didn't know about.
> 
> I think feeding f/t wouldn't be TOO bad. My friend has a fairly large ball python and she has to feed him live mice since he refuses to eat f/t. He will even sometimes refuse to eat the live ones so she will have to exchange it for different mice, picky snake. If I had a snake that refused to eat f/t I personally would not be able to care for it. But I would never get an animal if I couldn't give it everything it needs to thrive.


Some snakes are like that. My boyfriend's snake is, unfortunately like that as well. We've spent tons of money on her trying to get her to accept frozen, but it's never worked. We've also rescued a baby corn snake from our cats several times and tried feeding it frozen pinkies, it never worked either.


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## monster_paws

I used to want a snake when I was a kid too, but I think i'll be having ratties forever.


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## Eden10

If I have snakes again it will definitely be when I no longer have my ratties! I would probably go with a Burmese Python or Red tail Boa, one of the larger species. But of course thats IF I get back into snakes...I would also wait til my kiddos are much older, wouldn't trust having a large snake in the house with toddlers no matter how careful we are.


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## alexn

Eden10 said:


> If I have snakes again it will definitely be when I no longer have my ratties! I would probably go with a Burmese Python or Red tail Boa, one of the larger species. But of course thats IF I get back into snakes...I would also wait til my kiddos are much older, wouldn't trust having a large snake in the house with toddlers no matter how careful we are.


If they're in llocked vivs, it's just as safe (if not safer) than having rats  my friend currently has I think seven, including Burms, Boas, and royals, (plus boscs etc) and his toddler loves them. He's learning from a very early age how to care, respect, and handle them safeley.

The only things he's not allowed to hold are the tarantulas (for fear of hair sparaying) (which I totally understand, I hate them.)

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## Divit

Daize said:


> I'm considering getting a pet snake again. Of course, it would be 5 or 6 years down the road. I'm partial to Kingsnakes. I love the variety of colors/patterns. I would wait until I no longer have "furry pets".
> 
> It really is hard, even when feeding frozen/thawed, when you have a pet rat. It almost feels like your feeding off a distant relative of your pet.
> 
> If you do choose to get a pet snake, start with a "captive bred" hatchling. Also make sure it's already eating frozen/thawed. Corn snakes can be purchased for a little as 15 dollars at a reptile show, for the more common colors. Kingsnakes run about 25 dollars. Both are good beginner snakes. Their temperament will be determined on how much you handle them. If you treat them like a fish in an aquarium, then they'll be skittish and/or aggressive. If you handle them regularly, they're quite tame and friendly. I've heard that Sand Boas and Rosy boas are good beginner snakes too, but I don't have any first hand experience with them. So, it's only hear say on those two.
> 
> If you do choose to get a snake. Do research on the type you want and make sure you'll be able to give it what it needs.
> 
> Snakes really can be good pets, regardless of what some people think. It's all a matter of perspective. I know there's people out there that think rats aren't good pets, but people on this forum know that's not true. It's really is just a matter of perspective.


Quoted this because you spoke some of my same thoughts... getting a snake that is already used to frozen/thawed is definitely good advice. I also love cornsnakes because they don't get too big. They aren't going to threaten a toddler.

I got my corns from a reptile show. I had them before my son got rats. I don't know why, but I don't have any problem feeding my snakes mice or rats. (They were large enough for mice when I got them.) Somehow a frozen rodent does not make me think of my son's pet rats. 

My snake (now down to one) lives downstairs and has never escaped his locked enclosure, and the rats live upstairs. We have rabbits, guinea pigs, and now rats, but still have our cornsnake.

Here are my beauties:


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## Finnebon

Divit, your corn snake is beautiful!! That is one of the colors that are my absolute favorite (the one in the back specifically, but both are lovely), they're so pretty! What are their names, and how old? A corn snake is definitely my #1 choice if I were to get a snake in the future.


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## Divit

Thanks! The one in the back is the one I still have. That's Samoset. He was about 2 when I got him and I've had him about 5 years, so he's about 7 years old. (wow, that went fast)

The other one, Scarlet, is a female and is a year or two younger. My son's friend has had her now for the past couple years. 

The pic I posted, then is old. I've since switched Samoset's bedding to the darker color and think it shows his colors off much better. He's really cool and easy to handle. 







Hopefully you can get one too sometime!


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## Daniel

JBird said:


> No, there aren't really any snakes that can survive in captivity without mammals as their main diet.


No, there is an option. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opheodrys_aestivus
..
Rough Green Snakes have more in common with toads/frogs when it comes to feeding than other snakes. They have an all insect diet and do not constrict their prey. Their habitat is similar to a Green Tree Frog's.

The only problem is that you will probably have to have one sent to you by courier, as they aren't common at pet stores.


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## Urbanwolf

I used to have a ribbon snake, it mostly ate guppies and occasionally insects.


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## Awaiting_Abyss

I wanted to give my input on this thread.

There are plenty of snakes that do not eat mice and rats. Its just much easier and cheaper to feed mice and rats. Hognose snakes naturally eat lizards and frogs, but you can find some that have been switched to eating mice and rats (mine eats f/t mice). It is sometimes very difficult to find frog, lizard and toad feeders, especially during the winter months, so you may have to breed your own. I know there are other snakes as well, but I am unsure about which of these would make good pets. I know my western hognose is a very sweet and good natured snake. Southern and Eastern Hognose snakes are harder to get to take mice and rats as food, but I'm not sure if they are as friendly as Westerns or not. They are definitely not as pretty in my opinion. 

Garter snakes are sometimes referred to as the "trash" snake because they eat many food items; fish included. I'm not sure if its healthy or not to completely rule out mice and rats though. I haven't really studied up on garter snakes. 


Just know that, if you do get a snake, its unfair to neglect to give it the proper diet just because you love rats. 
I absolutely adore my mice. I mean.. I REALLY adore my mice. They are my ultimate favorite pet.. I'm not really sure if I love my mice more or my cats more.. but I am happy knowing that I gave them wonderful lives while they live with me... The few that become feeders for my snake and cats that is. I breed mice for several reasons: Improving health, improving body form, to get longer living mice, and to get males who enjoy the company of other males more easily... so I am NOT a feeder breeder and very few of my mice become feeders. 

Here is my Western Hognose:


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## alexn

I believe the you can get a snake (I forget which one) that eats primarily eggs, but the downside is that the eggs required are small, such as quail eggs - and this can get expensive/hard to maintain.

Oh, and I know some people do, but I'd always advise against feeding corn snakes on rats anyway. They just aren't a big enough snake to be able to metabolise the fat content of a rat as effectively as bigger snakes, and you run the risk of very painful (and expensive to remove) fatty deposits.


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## Charlottesmom

Finnebon said:


> I understand the implied responsibility to properly raise an animal and to meet it's needs, I just wish there were other ways, you know? xD I just think I would feel a little mortified heating up a dead ratty in the microwave and just.. seeing a dead rat. I dunno, maybe I'm too attached to rats, it's not possible for me to see them as anything other than little friends.Though, if you're still looking for a lizard that doesn't need bugs, I discovered a while ago the Crested Gecko! They're SO CUTE. They look like little gargoyles, and they seem really easy to care for. They don't need humidity or heat lamps (unless you live in places with extreme weather) but just regular toom temp and humidity is completely fine for them. they seem to be pretty mellow and can learn to enjoy being held, and you can buy a special food that you mix with water into a mush and they can survive off of that. It probably wouldn't hurt to give them a mealworm or cricket occasionally, but the mush fits all their dietary needs. I'd love to get one in the future if possible.


 Boy can I relate, I really like snakes and the first stop we make at the various pet stores my kids and I visit is to the reptile section, the baby corn snakes just tug at my heart! I watch all sorts of snake videos on youtube (not the feeding ones though...even the frozen rat feedings erp me out) I even subscribed to a channel that has a girl showing off all her pets and 80% of them are snakes of various types (she really knows her stuff too). I was into getting a bearded dragon for awhile till I read what they eat, I just don't do well with feeding anything live, from mealworms, to guppies (we have guppies as pets), to crickets (bought a box of them and kept them as pets for awhile then let them go in our yard in the spring). I wouldn't deny anyone their choice of pet as long as they could properly feed and care for it but with critters that need live food I'll pass. I have read that Garter snakes can live on worms and chopped up pinkies (ugh!) while they are babies, I imagine you would have to feed live or frozen mice to an adult espically if you have a female as they are much bigger than males. There are some VERY pretty Garter snake varieties out there.


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## Charlottesmom

Awaiting_Abyss said:


> I wanted to give my input on this thread.There are plenty of snakes that do not eat mice and rats. Its just much easier and cheaper to feed mice and rats. Hognose snakes naturally eat lizards and frogs, but you can find some that have been switched to eating mice and rats (mine eats f/t mice). It is sometimes very difficult to find frog, lizard and toad feeders, especially during the winter months, so you may have to breed your own. I know there are other snakes as well, but I am unsure about which of these would make good pets. I know my western hognose is a very sweet and good natured snake. Southern and Eastern Hognose snakes are harder to get to take mice and rats as food, but I'm not sure if they are as friendly as Westerns or not. They are definitely not as pretty in my opinion. Garter snakes are sometimes referred to as the "trash" snake because they eat many food items; fish included. I'm not sure if its healthy or not to completely rule out mice and rats though. I haven't really studied up on garter snakes. Just know that, if you do get a snake, its unfair to neglect to give it the proper diet just because you love rats. I absolutely adore my mice. I mean.. I REALLY adore my mice. They are my ultimate favorite pet.. I'm not really sure if I love my mice more or my cats more.. but I am happy knowing that I gave them wonderful lives while they live with me... The few that become feeders for my snake and cats that is. I breed mice for several reasons: Improving health, improving body form, to get longer living mice, and to get males who enjoy the company of other males more easily... so I am NOT a feeder breeder and very few of my mice become feeders. Here is my Western Hognose:


 Your hognose is so cute, hognoses have such sweet faces! I've seen a bunch of videos that say hognoses are very docile, they just bump into fingers if peeved and never bite.


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## Charlottesmom

alexn said:


> If they're in llocked vivs, it's just as safe (if not safer) than having rats  my friend currently has I think seven, including Burms, Boas, and royals, (plus boscs etc) and his toddler loves them. He's learning from a very early age how to care, respect, and handle them safeley.The only things he's not allowed to hold are the tarantulas (for fear of hair sparaying) (which I totally understand, I hate them.)Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I'm one of those rare females that LOVE spiders, I would get a tarantula any day of the week but my husband and 11 year old hate spiders. My 19 year old son likes them but still calls me to give them their freedom when he sees one (we are a no kill spider house), my 16 year old autistic son loves all things creepy crawly just like his mom! My favorite spiders are jumping spiders, I love seeing them every spring/summer.


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## Awaiting_Abyss

Charlottesmom said:


> Your hognose is so cute, hognoses have such sweet faces! I've seen a bunch of videos that say hognoses are very docile, they just bump into fingers if peeved and never bite.


They can bite, but yes, they are more of a bluffer. They'll strike but usually just bump their "snout" against you. The only time mine has ever even attempted to actually bite me (though he moved so slowly that I moved my hands first) was when I had the scent of a degu on my hands and I got my hands too close to him so that he could smell the "prey" scent. Even so, they are rear fanged so usually you don't get bitten with the fangs if they actually try to bite you.
I've really enjoyed this little guy since I got him.


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## alexn

Charlottesmom said:


> I'm one of those rare females that LOVE spiders, I would get a tarantula any day of the week but my husband and 11 year old hate spiders. My 19 year old son likes them but still calls me to give them their freedom when he sees one (we are a no kill spider house), my 16 year old autistic son loves all things creepy crawly just like his mom! My favorite spiders are jumping spiders, I love seeing them every spring/summer.


See, I think hate is a bit disingenuous - I'm fascinated by spiders, but it's a morbid fascination.. and I HATE their eyes.

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## Charlottesmom

alexn said:


> See, I think hate is a bit disingenuous - I'm fascinated by spiders, but it's a morbid fascination.. and I HATE their eyes.Sent from Petguide.com Free App


All the better to see you with my pretty! Bwahaha!!!! ;0


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## artgecko

I have a western hognose... Who is having feeding issues at present (even though he was eating f/t consistently since I got him)... That said, eastern hognose are supposed to prefer frogs, toads, lizards, etc. If you could get one that was used to eating f/t frogs and find a source, they could be a possibility.


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