Curious what to feed your snake other than rats and mice? That’s a great question, as there are plenty more options of prey a snake would try out in the wild. Some snakes prefer a mix of rodents, rabbits, and birds, while some snakes gladly eat insects, frogs, toads, eggs, fish, earthworms, slugs, or even other reptiles.
You’ll be happy to know many different prey types are available to you to feed a snake, and you do not have to rely on a homogenous diet of mice or rats. Studies show, with certainty, that the wild diets of snakes are more varied than eating only a singular type of prey. Offering your snake different options, regularly, is the best way to diversify their diet.
Here are some terrific alternatives to try if you can source them frozen (live prey is not recommended) for your snake:
- African soft furs
- Gerbils
- Hamsters
- Quails, quail chicks, quail eggs
- Day old chicks
- Chickens
- Rabbits
- Guinea Pigs
- Reptile eggs
- Frozen lizards or snakes (ask a reptile seller if they’ve had stock die)
- Frog legs
- Various fish species
- And of course, mice or rats.
Bean Farm stocks feeders and whole-prey reptile food called Reptilinks, developed specifically for snakes (as well as for lizards and amphibians). For example, the frog leg mini and micro links are popular for juvenile hognose snakes. Reptilinks are easy to feed, too: Simply thaw a link to be eaten whole or squeeze out the needed amount for feeding and refreeze the rest.
It’s never too late to begin offering a new range of prey items to your snake. Give it a try!
Please note: Feeders and Reptilinks are available for local store pickup and not yet available for shipping.