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DEBATE - LIVE FEEDING YOUR SNAKE?
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- Опубліковано 24 чер 2019
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“Just because I love snakes does not mean I don’t love rats.” Thank. You! I have both guinea pigs and reptiles. You can respect feeders while also keeping the predator.
Spank Themonkey kill without understanding why because others did? Sounds about right for our day and age, why come to your own conclusions?
@@spankthemonkey3437 Well at least you're not racist, cuz that's their fucking reasoning pretty much.
@@spankthemonkey3437 what's next? kill all humans because of the evil only SOME of them do? Enlighten your mind please. Unless you only said that for trolling purposes, child.
Me Who oh shut up I just don't want my kids and dogs in the yard to get bitten you kids make me laugh you have no reasoning these days. When one of you pullup changing kids say something you jump on the wagon and back what the other says without looking for a reason why someone does or says something.
@@spankthemonkey3437 your litteral reason was because other cultuers said they are evil. So if anyone is jumping into the back of the wagon its your dumb ass
Hi everyone thank you very much for the WONDERFUL COMMENTS!!!! So many positive remarks that inspire me further. We all have snakes that may want and only eat live. I am not condemning this as we also deal with that but we also feed defrosted whenever possible! Some snakes are far easier to manage with live food I get it and it’s part of life. I think it is important to have respect for all of the animals involved and act in at the very least an empathetic fashion. I plan on another video discussing tricks to feeding snakes and such. It takes skill and patience to do it and a home hobby can be the perfect situation to have a quiet space where success at frozen can be achieved. I’ll discuss further but I want to thank you all and I feel that we are growing slowly but at the very least we make some videos that have content that gets people thinking and hopefully adds a bit of my perspective. I clearly am offering my views and opinions but I feel confident that many of my ideas are at the very least in the right direction. I feel the smarter we are the more responsible we can be. If I take all of my mistakes and learn from them I can tell you and perhaps you too can benefit from my learning without having to endure the struggles. If I did a bunch of fantastic things to get viewership at some point I may look back and feel a bit pathetic ....... I think I already do this enough in life. There are many great channels out there that have a fantastic fan base and I don’t want to copy them but would rather be original and just do what I do. Over time I hope to make a base of videos that covers many aspects of reptile keeping that offers people logical ideas that help them improve their keeping. At the very least there is SNARFLES and my stupid voices. I’m done with my blathering, thank you all! Kevin
Did u not listen they come FROZEN.
Eric Collum Some snakes won’t eat frozen mice and rats
I love reptiles what are u talking about ? I was replying to someone else. Ive been keeping snakes for years I am very aware that some snakes don't. I have a snake that eats live. I believe the comment I responded to was someone asking how do u freeze them. What the heck r u talking about. Did u read my comment to Kevin?????
@@elsreptilesandmore1686 oh wait maybe this is how I get to u. I was replying to someone saying how do u get them frozen. What the hell r u talking about. I have a snake that eats live ?? Im very aware of what snakes do. Go to my instagram
i disagree for venomous snakes it's a modified saliva and probably helps them digest their food especially in the more hemotoxic species where the venom really does begin the digestion instead of paralyzing the nervous system
“His parameters for what he considers food are very low.” Same, Snarfles. Same.
Lol bless 😂
I dedinitely prefer your style of vlog over the "reptile channel" type vlogs. I love the education and the beauty of these animals. I appreciate you and the other reptile vlogs that offer education over sensationalism.
Definitely one of the best UA-cam channels. Blown away by your knowledge and amazing animals 🙏
Lincoln Land Exotics totally agree
Could not agree more fam!
Respect. As someone who's kept both rats and snakes (at the same time) as pets, I couldn't agree more. The snake itself gains nothing from a live feed, all that happens is that the prey suffers needlessly and the snake is at risk of injury. The only animals gaining from live feeding are the sick humans who enjoy watching suffering.
couldn't agree more, I once sat trough a video of a dude dropping a live mouse into an aquarium with a snapping turtle, truly a gruesome sight to see and ppl in the comments were like; ''it's just nature dude'' what a silly way of reasoning, there's nothing more unnatural then that, these inbred psycho's probably watch the reptile channel too..
Damn fetishists ruin everything. 😂
Said it before, I’d drive up from nyc to hear Kevin talk about reptiles. Start a damn class man!
anthony YES!!
Drive up ?
@@truckerp7294 Give him a pass.
He said he was from NYC. Lol.
I'd fly all the way from Australia for the same thing :)
Michael Short I’m in Australia and I would be right there with you! 👍
Thank you for not sensationalizing live feeding. I live-fed for years keeping snakes when I was younger, but I also didn't realize you could even buy frozen feeders at the time. On top of not putting my snake in danger, switching to frozen has been much less hassle. Being able to keep pre-killed feeders in a freezer is less stressful than having to take care of them before or after feeding.
“Oh hey, I’m Kevin, and I’m making a video about feeding practices. Oh yeah, and by the way, here is my ridiculously awesome Boelen’s python, no big deal just bringing him out to talk about feeding , that’s all” lololol!!
Awesome video as always, man keep the content coming!
I usually avoid any videos that says "snake kills rabbit or snake eats live rat" I think it makes the hobby look bad and I don't take enjoyment from feeding rodents but I agree I do it because it's necessary for my snakes. I just want to learn more about keeping reptiles. I love and appreciate your content 🐍💖 thank you!
Haylie Hook
I wonder if he has any tips on helping transition from live to frozen. Also do you mind elaborating why it is necessary to feed your animals live?
Previously Known as Marina Yanchuk I know some snakes won’t take F/T. Thankfully mine do. Some breeders do breed their own rodents and find it to be less work involved too? I think?
Some snakes simply won't eat frozen thawed and in that case it is necessary to feed live, also some breeders who breed their own rats find it more convenient to feed live because it takes out the cost/work of euthanizing the rodents. I switched all my snakes from live to frozen simply by offering frozen. I did have to throw away alot of rodents when they didn't eat but Its much better noe that they are all eating frozen thawed vigorously. I offered frozen for 3 weeks and if they didn't take I'd feed them live on the 3rd week. Not trying to starve them. Most took frozen after a couple of weeks. Some were more stubborn but we got there eventually. It's more convenient for me to have a freezer full of rodents than going to buy 20 mice/rats every week lol
@@previously4821 Take a baggie with fresh prekilled and thrown in frozen thawed or scent prey item you are feeding with frozen thawed rodent for one.
@@previously4821 also pull tongue out a bit sometimes helps. And some do not like staring in rodents face.
Nobody
Like literally nobody
Snarfles in the backround while he’s talking about mice
➡️↘️↗️↙️↩️↪️🔁↖️⬆️⬇️⤵️↪️↩️↙️⬅️➡️
Snarfles doing his little dance in the background adds to the aesthetic lol
Out of all the reptile keepers on UA-cam or in the world you are by far the best in education. Every time I see something and question it I always come to your channel to find the real answer. You use the right terminology and present it in a way anyone could understand. I would be really interested in your secret channel and the content on there as well. Keep it up nerd
BUBBA Terry thank you !
I had a Corn Snake I raised for 23 years, and from when he was about 4 months old and until 4 months from his death last month, he ate live, I stopped live feeding and switched back to thawed when he became too sloppy on his lunges and wraps, which was both increasing the risk of injury to him and prolonging the suffering of the mice, of which neither I wanted. I never derived pleasure from the mouse kills, and always kept a watchful eye to make sure the feedings were as quick for the mouse as possible. Eventually he stopped reacting to thawed and live mice no matter how much I tried to tempt him, and sadly passed away. I cried for days, I'd raised him from a hatchling as the first pet that was all mine back when I was 10 years old, and throughout like 5 different residences.
Those snakes in the back are like, "Nice long speech, but can I have my rat? Dead or alive, doesn't matter, just hungry and you're teasing us." lol
I actually have a huge phobia of snakes, and stumbling on this channel has helped so much. I appreciate all of the education and the humanity involved with all of your animals, down to the feeders! It’s very traumatizing to watch prey animals be killed even though it’s a necessary part of the food chain, and that’s been a major factor in not being able to interact with or even watch snakes. Anyway, thank you for all of the info you present, and how you present it!
same
I had one then held a ball python now I have two🤦🏻♂️ I love them to pieces
As a snake keeper I actually hate love feeding to include videos of it. Frozen is far more convenient and overall better imho
This is the first time I’ve ever seen a snake not coil around food, even frozen fed. I think it really shows how well your snakes trust you. I like watching your channel because when talking about your animals, you are touching them and messing with them, they are calm and you can tell there is a mutual respect there. You are definitely unique and it shows. Thank you for being awesome and not only breeding reptiles but also caring about them and ensuring a good quality of life and a trusting relationship that you. I love animals and hope to own an animal sanctuary for all types of animals one day and learning so much about reptiles will definitely help. Also just knowing how to care for reptiles and knowing what kind of relationship I should expect if awesome.
Your a perfect example of a great reptile lover and i also think more education would be a great thing.
I used to feed live, but I definitely feel f/t is the way to go - my corn snake has never had live prey, and never will.
@alexroll 92 it's your snake, your decision, but what are you hoping to see? What benefit do you think will come of it?
My Corn snake has a kink so I don't really want her constricting anything. She only gets Frozen and she just takes it from my hand. She's a good girl. . .
My Ball python however, will refuse to eat sometimes. I just don't feed her that week and try again next feeding day. She has always taken it after having to wait an extra week though. I have to feed her with tongs because she always tries to kill the dead rat and isn't all that accurate with her bites. I learned that the hard way. . .
@alexroll 92 If you want to see a cornsnake eating live food search it on UA-cam you psychopath
@alexroll 92 I had a rat that beat the hell out of my neighbor's cat. Don't risk your snake. There's no good reason.
@@MegaAppleshit That is how you do it with ball pythons - if they don't eat a thawed, warmed rodent, try next week. That will not hurt them or starve them at all - their metabolisms are quite slow. Nice to read that someone has patience.
The main reason I like live feeding is that it interests me to see my snake hunt as if it were in the wild right in front of me. Some may say I’m crazy or inhumane for that but idk, it’s part of life and part of the food chain. The risks definitely outweigh the benefits of it though. Thanks for the good info! Definitely going to switch to frozen once my snake grows a couple weeks older.
I love how you guys stay true to the educational part of this, no clickbaits, no 5 minute videos. Just truly in depth guides of how you do things. Really appreciate this ;D
Thank you for making this video and being a great representative for the people within the reptile community. I love my snake, but I love my pet mouse too. It always breaks my heart when I see live feeding videos. I’m very grateful my girl takes frozen/thawed.
Snakes getting active in their trays due the scent of the rats lol great video Kevin
Lainey omg all of the wiggly noodles 😂
Never knew snakes were such interesting pet, and now you changed my perception about their feeding.
You guys get the reliable views from those of us with genuine curiosity and a will to learn!
Because of people like you, I successfully transitioned both my adult girls to F/T mice and rats 3 weeks ago. Your content is greatly appreciated! Keep it up NERD crew! ❤🐍🐍❤
Saying snake keepers enjoy killing rodents and feeding them off is like saying people who eat meat enjoy killing animals and get pleasure out of seeing their food being dispatched. Yah there's a few creeps who do but that's beyond disturbing to most of us, I had to do a pre kill mouse once to help get my ball back on food and dispatching it messed me up for days if not weeks, I did it because I had to I am 200% for frozen thawed and as long as they were dispatched humanly with gas they are treated better than most animals who are turned into dog food or people food and let's be real saying it's wrong to feed an animal who eats rodents a frozen thawed rodent or humanly prekiled rodent but it's totally fine to feed your dog a scoop of dog food or your cat cat food is in my opinion 100% hypocritical. Humans are so used to animal based foods being processed they freak out the moment an animal eats a whole prey food item, it's no different in fact it's better bc they eat the entire prey item they waste nothing if anything you gotta appreciate that. Thanks for all your content NERD I love watching your videos, still saving up for one of Kevins ball python genetic books!!
Doggy Mama agreed, it is rly hypocritical. just to add onto that (a bit off topic), commercially available cat and dog food is garbage 9/10 times. cats and dogs are very popular pets, and they are unfortunate in the sense that people will feed them trash their whole lives bc it is just so common to keep cats and dogs as cheap pets. they deserve proper food too (my dog is on a raw food diet bc it is natural and healthier - she is a thriving working dog).
Oh my gosh I was afraid you live fed at first! I was really unsure about this channel at first but after this video I believe I do support you guys. You practice what you preach, and you respectfully teach the public the same things I try to teach. Thank you for trying to make reptile keeping in a positive light!
From a grown man to another grown man I LOVE YOU
I love the fact the snakes are all in the windows like ..."feed me dad!"
I love how kind and compassionate Kevin is😁 and what a great way to deal with a difficult topic, you can really see the respect and care he gives to all creatures. Great job 👍 keep it up
You guys have awesome animals and are super educational. Best reptile youtube channel, hands down. Thanks for all that you do!
Kevin, is absolutely right! Anytime I have a problem, or need to learn something new regarding snake husbandry, his NERD channel is the first place I turn to. Their videos cover everything from simple shedding issues, to advanced digestive problems, and much more. These are experts with many decades of experience, who truly care about the well-being of their reptiles. I cannot stress enough how awesome it is to have found a channel willing to teach such advanced care topics.
I have a new found love for snakes, about 9 months. Ive done the live vs ft debate with myself. Im up to 40 some snakes now (including a baby BRB and young white lipped, in addition to all my balls). Live is definately more convient in a way as im starting my own rat breeding as well and alot of the snakes in my collection are young. In my opinion it's the absolute worst part of the hobby. In keeping and raising rats i have developed a new respect and appreciation for them as well. It's terribly difficult to feed off babies you have seen grown from pink little jellybeans, i hate it but my snakes must eat. I try to give my rats the best i can, no matter if they are destined for breeders or feeders. The food is what you put into it and it's the right thing to do. Besides, i dont like it but it irritates me that people judge me for feeding " that cute little rat baby to that evil snake" while they chow down on their chicken and hamburgers that were raised for the same purpose in more deplorable conditions!
😂 40 snakes in 9 months. Youre not messin around. Cant imagine what youre at years later
@@useyourdelusion6807 Hasnt gotten much better lol I dont have exact numbers as it constantly changes with babies and the fact that I keep being given others but *close* to 100 now
Snakes eating prey is a part of life! Yes it's interesting but it doesn't need to be used for Click Bait ! I love Snarfles cutest snake ever!!🐍😎🤘
Whenever I see snarffles he reminds of Falkor in the Neverending Story!.😁
Joseph Reid me too!! One of my favorite movies and animal as a kid! I love snarfles
I absolutely loved that movie as a kid!!! Falkor had such a friendly sweet face!!
It's a video about snakes and feeding!!!! Would you rather the thumbnail be a fucking dolphin in a rocking chair smoking a cigar?
...this is not click bait. Take your negativity and skedaddle
It wasn’t really Clickbait
Because of a mishap with the person who we normally got rats from for my daughter's snake we got live vs frozen . She had her first experience of live feeding... To be clear I had my pet snake In the 90s and it had not evolved to frozen feeding yet. So for me it wasn't new but I personally no longer feed live if I can help it. The rest of the order was put down as humanly as I could on short notice. I almost had pet rats again. It's by far the hardest thing to do. Again thank you for showing how tame snakes with excellent care can be.
I love how this channel is primarily education and how modest you are! You don't brag about yourself and show off the whole time: you genuinely want to teach people about what you love. That's more than enough for me. So fortunate to have happened to find this channel a little ways back. Keep up the good work, everyone!
I ran short on frozen rats last Friday so I stopped at petsmart and got a couple of boxes. While standing in line the guy behind me kept staring at the box of frozen rats. I finally just said out loud -these go straight into the crock- pot when I get home. I thought he was going to drop everything and run from the store! I get so tired of dealing with closed minded non- snake people. I love your channel Kevin because you’ve taken the time to educate yourself on the details which people overlook. Most of the nurses I work with couldn’t tell you the difference between gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Snarfles for president!
I love the message. I have kept mice, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and currently am keeping a rabbit as pets. I also have around 10 snakes. I love animals of all kinds. I prefer to feed frozen thawed because not only for health benefits to the snake but also the fact I don't want to become desensitized to feeding live. I have fed live in the past but it is a last resort but it broke my heart to do so. But it is the circle of life and I get it.
No one else sees all the snakes getting active because they can smell the live rats .
01GTB Daily they can also smell the dead ones
I love the videos you make because they ARE educational. I think it’s great that you always explain the “why” behind everything you say. I recently bought my first snake, a baby boa constrictor, and I have learned so much from your videos. It’s great that a channel like yours exists where novice reptile owners like myself can learn and find reassurance that I’m doing what’s best for my snake.
I adopted a ball python who was super afraid of rats because her previous owner fed her live and she got bit really badly on the snoot. Thankfully, the wound didn't get infected, but It took months to get her to eat frozen, she hated the smell that much.
Really appreciate someone like you being a roll model for the community and openly taking this stance. And publicly expressing it. Thank you!
I think most of my thoughts have been said below I would like to congratulate you all on the videos I find them totally informative compelling and watch each one in full thank you for educating me and the world that you don’t have to sensationalise the keeping of these amazing creatures !
I bought a year old Boa that was fed live by her original owner. I didn't have the heart to feed live, so I switched to frozen/thraw or prekilled. After a few feedings, I saw my snake's more zealous striking feeding mode go down to completely calmness. She is now 7 years old and has never bitten me or anyone else. She's very docile and I believe not feeding live had something to do with it.
When I was first learning about snakes, I came on UA-cam to watch educational videos and see people interact with their pet, instead I saw so many graphic live feeding videos. I saw reptile owners (mostly teenage boys) getting off on watching prey animals getting killed by reptiles. Titles like "watch rabbit get OWNED by snake!!! Watch monitor lizard eat a rat alive!!" I agree with you that it puts a bad impression on the reptile community and if people are entertained by watching animals get killed, they need a psychiatrist.
As someone that has always been terrified of snakes, I really enjoyed this video. You made so many excellent points, you have earned a subscriber!
by far the best and most educating channel on you tube!!! thank you Kevin for sharing your extensive wealth of knowledge!!! after watching this i agree frozen thawed is the best method and way forward helping to eradicate any animal suffering. nature doesn't have to be cruel!!!
I must say, I love this channel and you guys. The love you guys have for these animals is awesome, and people could learn a lot just by your compassion and empathy for these beautiful animals.
All the snakes window surfing like "dude, sort a brother out"
Holding the cute little ratties, and in the background your snakes are like "FOOD? I SMELL IT" LOL
Finally someone who actually posts EDUCATIONAL video’s! This video alone has some really great tips I can hopefully apply to my picky ballpython. And I can really see the love Kevin has for snakes as well as for rodents. Overall this is a great channel. Thank you guys!
Love what you do man and the best videos are the ones where your passion shines thru your words!We need a Kevin Mccurly podcast.You have alot of great content and people really need to hear it now more then ever! Keep up the great work
OMG the microwave thing cracked me up.... Kevin said NO never microwave your rat.... This was a great video and discussion about being a responsible and humane REPTILE keeper!! Most are but I far too often see so many who give the hobby a bad name and defend it by claiming it's just natural but I think Kevin really made it simple and perfect for most if not all to understand;!!!
Well done, as I expect from you now. For me one more important reason to feed frozen thawed is that I no longer have to breed and care for rodents. I found that I had to keep three rodent containers to avoid being overrun (to separate sexes before sexual maturity) as well as planning and managing in order to have appropriate sized options at the right times. This is further complicated because I don't always know when an animal is going to refuse food in advance. No one is going to read a long comment, so I just want to add it's also far more practical to feed frozen thawed versus live animals.
I totally feel frozen thawed is the best way when it comes to feeding snakes. Donny does some solid work in editing :). More Snarffle videos please!
I only do it because it's safe, if I could I'd feed my snake live but sadly rodents bite back :-/
@@springtrapnibba My ball python eats live rodents. No problems so far. You have to realize that snakes have been hunting live prey long before we even existed as a species. Unfortunately we tend to view our snakes, especially ball pythons, as helpless children who need us to feed them. They instinctively know when and where to strike prey and how to coil to keep itself safe when it strikes. While I don't enjoy watching my snake kill mice, seeing her do it really showed me that these animals truly are powerful, efficient, and very deadly hunters. Can a bad strike happen? Yes. Can rats fight back? Yes. However you most likely won't ever have an issue with live feeding as long as you follows a few safety protocols. The truth is, snakes know how to attack prey in a way that will keep them safe and mistakes are very rare. The strike and coil happens so fast the rat is overpowered before it can even react never mind effectively defend itself. I think the dangers of live feeding are blown out of proportion and the horror stories we all heard are just the same handful of stories told over and over again.
Don't leave a feeder in the enclosure too long. If your snake doesn't eat after an hour or so and you know that the snake has definitely seen the rat then get the rat out of there. In the wild a rat will avoid snakes at all costs and fight only when necessary. If a snake isn't hungry it won't bother the rat. There is no escape from the enclosure so it will fight. Keep the rat fed and watered and relatively comfortable until the next time you decide to put it in with the snake otherwise it will be hungry and very aggressive and more likely to attack the snake. Finally don't give it a rat that's too big for the snake to handle.
I feed mine live because she refused to eat frozen thawed after a couple feedings and was losing weight. Even the few times I got her to eat it was an ordeal that would take several tries and doing what I could to coax her in to eating. The first time I gave her a live mouse, she wasted no time hunting it down and eating it. I never seen that kind of behavior when feeding her frozen thawed and I knew in that moment I would have to keep giving her live feeders. I don't enjoy it and I wish she would eat frozen thawed but that's the way it is and she's not going to change to make me happy.
Sorry this was long but I think it's important for people to know the truth about live feeding and unfortunately most of the community has bought in to the myth that live feeding is super dangerous and your snake will be absolutely torn apart if it tries it. If you want to give your snake live feeders then go ahead and don't be afraid.
So I just wanted to say thank you for your positive representation of the herp world. I'm new to the keeping of reptiles and after watching Brian visit your facility I immediately followed tour channel. I like how in depth your explanations are and tey to absorb all of the knowledge you share to make my snakes the healthiest, happiest they possibly can be.
I think every reptile UA-camr has done the "live vs thawed" thing so I almost didn't watch this one. Glad I did. Even for an overdone topic like this, Kevin brings new insights. Good stuff.
To go on, I watch these (what my family calls "snake videos") because it's often the only place I can find people who are passionate about snakes. But you guys go further. You're passionate about all living creatures. It's inspiring.
Always a pleasure to watch your videos, in France we don't have many snake channels, so I searched for english/US ones. And you are one of the best without doubts. I had a couple ball pythons when I was younger, and now I realized we made many mistakes with them. If one day I can get a few snakes again, I will be able to take good care of them thanks to your tips and educationnal content. I still have to tell people that no, real snake lovers don't feed live kittens to their snakes... I try to educate people around me too, helping transmitting this knowledge. So many people are afraid of snakes, even harmless ones... Last month I came across a wild Zamenis longissimus, and picked it up gently (I obviously put it back where I found it a bit later), it bit me twice but relaxed very quickly and ended up very easy to handle. barely hissing if I was moving a bit too fast. It was a nice experience, as people passing by went to see the snake, sometimes touch it and even hold it (I knew the snake wasn't gonna react). I even tried to make the snake bite me to show what they shouldn't do, but this snake had no interrest in biting me at all. They were very surprised and happy to overcome their fear.
Kisses from France.
The fact that you wouldn't enjoy live feeding shows me you are fit to handle animals and respect them for what they are. Huge props to you mate!
I microwaved a pinky once. Thank goodness it was only a pinky too, that thing blew UP. My wife and I bought a new microwave shortly after.
Great video, as always! Because you said we should argue for live feeding, I‘m going to try my best:
I have a huge fascination for reptiles, snakes in particular. The way they look, behave but also the way they hunt. I get it if people can‘t watch that stuff, but I find jt hard to believe that fellow reptile enthusiasts won‘t understand the fascination in watching an animal hunt live prey at all.
Next would be, that I personally don‘t see a huge difference in having a rodent be killed to be frosted or to be quickly killed by a snake. So I don‘t really think there is more suffering in (responsible) live feeding. My last point would be, that I can 100% control what goes into my animals and how my feeders are treated. Same as Kevin I also have a huge love for rodents, so I don‘t just dismiss them as feeders and give them the best care I can.
All in all, I would never really argue over live feeding in general being better than feeding f/t, but I would say that you can definitly feed your animals primarely live food while still doing it in a responsible way. Responsible meaning, that you treat your feeders in a good way, give them good care, always supervise feedings and choose smaller prey so that the snake can kill it easier and thus quicker. If you do it that way, I see absolutely no wrong in doing so. Still I would never advertise it like some people do, because, just as you illustrated in this video, it can make the whole reptile community look bad.
Hi! I accidentally stumbled upon your channel whilst researching feeding pros and cons, live vs frozen.
Brand new reptile parent but have been breeding rats for 3+ years and feel as though the quality of my rats is equal to the quality you mentioned in your video.
I enjoyed your comment regarding a certain "type" of subscribers based on your content, and I couldn't agree more. Your entire channel has really made me understand and look at reptiles (snakes in particular) differently.
Thank you very much! We definitely feel more comfortable getting our first Nicaragua Boa (No Columbian!) Now
From the beginning I was hoping snarfles would get some screen time easily one of the highest quality UA-cam channels around
I appreciate the information and experience you offer; please keep doing what you're doing! This is the first time I've heard anything about how a F/T feeder could be easier to digest. Is meat that has been frozen easier for us to digest too? I have heard that live or fresh-killed prey is more nutritionally sound (though not by much). I've been keeping boas for over 10 years and I much prefer F/T, though I have offered live on occasion. Some of the snakes won't touch live at all. Then of course some baby snakes or picky eaters need live, at least for a while. Like you I love all animals and I have four pet rats right now (that will be making some snake food). I also raise, process, and eat rabbits. Butcher day isn't fun, and I'm never happy to see animals die, but I understand the food chain. Too many people are too far removed from it and that causes a lot of problems.
A lot of people getting triggered have never even gone fishing to prepare and eat the fish, also, many people have a disconnect between the meat they eat and the act of killing.
I think a frozen food item is quite adequate for our reptiles and not even something to worry about or consider.
@@AnonningAnon Feeding live while recording invites the lunatics from peta to throw a fit
I really like your entire attitude towards reptiles and education. As a reptile lover, I'd much rather watch these kinds of videos than live feeding or shock factor videos. Subscribed!
Just found your channel after watching your video with Clint. I saw a few videos on my feed but I'm selective on my reptile channels because I only like the educational channels not the drama channels. Currently on a binge of your channel cause it's so enjoyable.
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience, it is truly appreciated!! Pretty sure I could listen to Kevin talk about ANYTHING for hours and hours and NEVER get bored!! 😁
Your Boelen's python is beautiful is head almost looks velvet gorgeous just gorgeous!!😍😍
Not more gorgeous than you though 😍😘With all due respect you look Mean asf at the same time Lol 😂🤣😂
@@allgasnobrakes919 lol thanks 😊
@@Letty_critters420o65 id smash probably too
Love the video!! ❤️
I have a cornsnake of 13yo. When he was a baby I bought frozen food, but both me and the snake was unhappy with the food. I was told later in life that bad breeders house them so that the mice smell of amonia, and some snakes won't eat it if so.
I looove animals and had all kinds before getting a snake, so I decided to breed my own. Then I would know they would live in big cages/with deep substrate/all enrichment they need/best food on market/not overbreed.
He Loved it, I gave him live once or twice but I did not like it(I was told it was healthy for them to not loose the instinkt), so I have never again.
He has a strong feeding response but I have 2 different tools I show him when I interact, one is for food and one tells him it is not foodtime. I show it to him and he relaxes and can be picked up with no problem or do what I need in the cage.
I tried to buy food again but my snake stopped eating until I started breeding again. This time hamsters, why? Because I did not want to buy from the bad petshop lines and support them, I wanted healthy well breed animals.
And ofc I found very quick that no breeder would sell me any. And ofc I understand why ❤️
So I moved over to hamsters and my snake loooove hamster, but he got a little chubby XD
My cages now is updated to the best life I have found so far and they are 80x40x50cm (I am going bigger cuz I am not pleased yet...) per hamster/a pair.
I go after the recomended insted of the puny cages and care the law tells. Cuz if the animals thrive I feel amazing!
I think my point is: I love animals, and that means I need to know that all animals have had it good. So if I get an animal that eats an other, all needs to have the best life no matter if it will be food or not. Same goes for my feeder insects.
Sending love from Sweden ❤️❤️❤️
Just ran across this one....THANK YOU! I spend a lot of time discouraging live feeding unless it's an absolute necessity...that whole "It's natural" point is for when the animal is in it's natural environment, not in a cage...same reason we feed our dogs chicken chunk dog food and don't just toss em a live chicken to shred every day. Appreciate everything you do up there!
I'm with you, I try to feed FT wherever possible - I do have a couple that have refused to go that way, but we're getting closer and closer. Prekilled works sometimes, other times live is the only way they'll take. If I have to feed live, I don't move onto the next until that one is dispatched (I don't have a large collection so that's feasible for me) and if it's able to bite the snake when it's been caught - i jam the tip of my rubber-tipped hook in its mouth so it bites the hook and not the snake. At the end of the day, if my snakes eat i'm a happy camper.
Atomic Reptiles formerly Black Balled Reptiles if they dont take prekilled or thawed, it’s not hungry enough. Stop feeding live.
@@christofferengevik8 Thanks for the input, but that's absurd. "don't feed your snake until it will take PK or FT" - that's the worst advice to ever give someone - I'll feed live all day long if it means my animals are fed.
Listened to someone and tried converting my snake to ft via starvation I gave in 5 months later snake didnt not hungry enough is not the reason. Now I'm with you fed snake =me happy.
I looove all of the noodles in the background wriggling around 🥰
Much respect. Seriously. Much respect for you making this video and your views. I've had people insult me b/c I criticize live feedings, but I've never criticized the idea that an animal has to die so another lives. It's nature, and I eat animal products myself. What really disturbs me is the ones that take enjoyment from the kill. Laugh when things scream in pain. See the reptile as a weapon of sorts and the mammals as victims rather than food. If your snake refuses to eat frozen, that's one thing, but it's more humane (and here I'd argue against those that say that it's just like in the wild b/c it's not...in the wild the animal isn't dropped in an enclosed tank with zero chance of escape) and better for the snake itself to eat animals that have previously been dispatched.
As an animal rescuer, I appreciate you articulating excellent reasons for not feeding live. Filming a terrified animal being killed by another does nothing to further a young person with a soft heart wanting to become a herpetologist as an adult nor add to the enjoyment of the majority of audiences exposed to said video. Your video, while graphic in areas, was very sensitive to the subject. The dead rats were treated with dignity and that was greatly appreciated. I am both terrified and fascinated by snakes and you have piqued my interest to see and hear more of what you have to say. I am excited to subscribe!
Morelia boeleni is my all time favorite! Beautiful!
I love that species but they cost like 8k per snake 😔
I raised a snakeling and it grew to 9 feet in 5 years. They belong in the jungle. I loved mine so much. Coolest animal. Needs to be in nature out of the love and respect of the breed.
When I got my first snake the place I bought it from said it would only eat live...After a small while of feeding live I tried frozen thawed and it ate that just as well. Most definitely prefer frozen thawed. I'm just your average Joe with a single corn snake. I don't want to have live rodents around or go looking for one on feeding day. I didn't realize the freezing process was a advantage to digesting. Great video... oh I definitely don't know more than you all.
Wow that's insane corn snakes eat anything lol. I'm sorry you were given bad info. I even occasionally change it up and feed a chicken neck and what's in the pack of internal organs. I'm trying to find someone who I can get chucks from that don't make it because pretty sure my corn would live that too
Rats are by far the king of all rodents. Seeing those two rats brought back some of the best memories from so many years ago.
I have a fear of snakes and would never go near one but your videos help me understand these creatures more and the compassion you have for them is really inspiring
Snarfels is a really cool snake, he has such an interesting face. I've kept reptiles since March of this year. Compared to Kevin, I know nothing, but I can tell you that I never had a snake in the past because I didn't want to watch rats be killed. Also it is a lot easier for a person with 3 or 4 snakes to have a few bags of frozen rodents then it is to try and get live rats or mice every week. I agree with everything Kevin said about using frozen.
This is excellent. Thank you for pointing out that so many of us Reptile keepers love rodents too. I'm really starting to get into NERD's videos after seeing how much Kevin focuses on the animals' behavior rather than solely on morphs.
I've learned more from watching this channel then anyone can watching all the other reptile channels combined. I love the passion and commitment NERD has for raising and producing the best possible reptiles. 💪💪
I agree.. the only time I will feed live is out of absolute necessity.. but I don’t sensationalize or broadcast it... and it actually hurts a little inside when I need to do so, because I get attached to the cute little buggers quickly and easily..
I love watching your videos you tell it how it is you don't sugarcoat things. Keep up the great work!!
Hi Kevin I do not have any reptiles, but love how you educate the owners about feeding frozen/live, and try to give out so much helpful information. Have Snarfull
be on other videos.🐊🦎🐍🐢❤️ Cindy
I’m loving the curious snakes in the background taking a good look at what’s going on.
I had two large reticulated pythons that were so used to f/t rabbits that they would take them gently from me without constricting and just immediately start swallowing them. I have two false water cobras, but neither of them will except f/t mice, except rarely. 9 times out of 10, it gets wasted. I gave up trying.
UPDATE: They have been readily accepting f/t for quite a while since a few months I wrote that comment. What I think the problem was is my tap water that I used to thaw their food. Shortly after I bought a water dispenser with 5 gallon purified water bottles, they started right up. I don't even drink our tap water. I imagine the snakes didn't like the chemicals in it.
Have you tried prekilling, bleeding, scenting or braining? Or African soft furs?
@@feral_felidae472 everything except braining. I don't know what that is. Please explain.
@@69ElChistoso Braining is when you sorta make a puncture into the rodents head and kinda squeeze some of the brain scent out. I heard it's kind of a last resort but it definitely stimulates their senses
Just keep a boa,no food would ever be wasted,and it's a shame to waste a life
Absolutely love and appreciate you’re videos, I don’t have a huge collection by and means but I appreciate all the i formation you provide! Every video has been helpful and I’m actually going to start moving my 5/6ft boa constrictor to frozen because my wife really dislikes the live feeding. Doesn’t bother me, don’t really like to see the mouse killed but I understand it. So please keep up the great content!
Let me give you an outside perspective of someone who wants to learn about snakes and in the future may want to become a snake keeper. I would not look to a channel that feeds off "clickbait" for any real education. I appreciate your channel as I have learned so much from you already. Plus, I watch one other channel and I thoroughly enjoy them. The one thing I would mention is to stay positive and don't acknowledge what other people do or don't do. As someone who has been an active viewer or YT for years since 2011 or so, it's the genuine and authentic people who succeed. It may take longer but over time people catch on to who is in it for the noteriety and money and who is in it because they love what they do. So just hang in there but maybe discontinue the jabs at other people. It is kind of off-putting. Just some friendly advice from a subscriber. Also how is your blood python doing?
Have I mentioned how awesome you are, Kevin??? I really appreciate how you addressed the brutality vs "educational value" of watching these reptiles live feed.
Yes, it's natural in the wild. But we're not in the wild, and there's no need to put the prey animal through that terror, risk your own pet's well-being, and indulge what I can only believe is a sick amusement.
Kevin, you never cease to amaze me!
I love your emphasis on having a great relationship of trust with your reptiles. This is my goal for mine. I thankfully was able to switch both of my snakes to frozen. I had a hatchling that was so small that finding fuzzies her size was a little tough. I also had a harrowing moment when a mouse that was older then I first realized it was bit her. Not a deep bite, but just enough to scare me into quickly switching to frozen.
Great video. Agree with your view on the clickbait of vids. Its not nature because the animal cant escape the cage.. Never heard the rodent shaving thing but I have rubbed rats on rabbits to get the retics to switch. Works great. Thanks again!
I think your channel is fantastic just the way it is. It’s so important to educate people about snakes. Too many people think these animals are demons or plain awful creatures. Thank you and love from Toronto 🇨🇦
Even though this is all information I've heard a hundred times, I think you did an exceptional job conveying it all. The temperament aspect is a big part of it for me. I'll be raising Eastern Indigo snakes very soon and plan on live feeding specific offspring for the purpose of reintroduction, but the rest will be on frozen/thawed to maximize health and temperament.
Absolutely agree! I don't like seeing live feedings. I don't want to feed my animals live. Because I love ALL animals. Not just reptiles! I understand the circle of life. I don't need to see it for entertainment.
Love what you are doing. I'm here for the education! I'm new to snakes. And Really want to come see you and get hands on experience, before I get a snake of my own!
That python is gorgeous, plus your voice is so easy to listen to as it's soothing.
Yes my favorite guest star snarfles!💯
Joe Smith I am new to this channel, can you explain why snarfles looks so unique?
@@psefti same question here . is the thing with his mouth due to rubbing with the walls of the enclosure
I am very impressed with the care you give these animals, and how you are totally not interested in the violent aspect of having them.
I can say I watch those videos for one simple reason: Its very interesting seeing the feeding/kill response of snakes rather than the death of an animal. I absolutely adored watching my BP eat because it was so just fascinating to me at how DIFFERENTLY they eat compared to us
I noticed on your storefront a lot of snakes are still eating live, is it just that they are still transitioning to frozen thawed?
Educational videos are definitely what got me subbed, especially the animal psychology.
Jarrek Dyer I have many employees and can go on and on about why this and that. Defrosted rodents being fed to snakes with activity outside the cage of employees and customers can be very distracting for animals and they will often drop their rodents. It’s a liar of reasons why some get live while many get defrosted. Many young animals will only eat live as they try to figure things out. Lots of reasons for some live and some not.
Beautiful that Boeleni Python.
That first snake looks like it's made of velvet! The black on it looks almost luxurious.
I am doing all my research for my first BP and your videos have been so educational. This is one subject I wasn't sure on and I love how you teach. For a beginner your videos are a necessity.