Snake Food
Help and advice on shopping for: Snake Food
What do pet snakes eat?
All snakes are carnivores, meaning they eat exclusively meat. In the wild, snakes eat a variety of animals, including birds, mammals, fish, insects, amphibians, and even other reptiles. That said, when they’re kept as pets it’s best to offer snakes frozen foods, such as mice, rats, chicks, quails, or rabbits. These frozen foods are better for them than live foods as they reduce the chance of injury.
As your pet snake grows, you should offer them different frozen foods. When they’re small, it’s recommended you feed them small frozen mice – also known as ‘pinkies’ and ‘fuzzies’. These make fantastic corn snake food. As they get larger, you should offer them larger frozen foods, such as adult mice, rats, and maybe even rabbits. It’s important that you only feed frozen snake food that is as wide as the widest part of your pet snake – if it’s too large then your snake will regurgitate it.
How do you prepare frozen snake food?
While pet snake food is sold frozen, it needs to be thoroughly thawed and warmed up before you offer it to your pet snake. The best way to do this is by leaving it out to defrost at room temperature, or by floating it in lukewarm water. You should avoid using a microwave or hair dryer when thawing frozen food as you may inadvertently cook parts of it and, in doing so, make it inedible for your pet snake.

After thawing your frozen snake food, warm it up slightly by placing it in some warm water - a snake's predatory response is often triggered by the ‘body heat’ given off by its prey. Then, use feeding tongs to present the food to your snake. This keeps your hands safe and ensures that your pet snake doesn’t associate them with food. If your snake doesn’t immediately take the food, give it a little wiggle to further trigger their predatory response.
How often do pet snakes eat?
There are no hard and fast rules about how often you should feed your pet snake; depending on their species, size, and age, they may eat more or less often than others. That said, an adult snake will typically eat once every 10 to 14 days. A juvenile snake, on the other hand, needs to eat more often and should be offered small frozen foods at least once a week while they’re still growing.
Why is my pet snake not eating?
Aside from being ill, there are several different reasons why your pet snake may refuse to eat. The first and most common reason is being too cold. As cold-blooded reptiles, snakes need a reliable source of heat to power their bodies and, in turn, process their food. Another common reason is that they may still be full from their previous meal. If your snake doesn’t want to eat every 10 to 14 days, it’s okay to wait longer and perhaps feed once every three weeks.