My biggest problem with that is that a determined rodent, fighting for its life, can and will do serious damage to a snake. I’ve heard of snakes losing eyes and being bitten all the way through the palate and skull. I’ve, personally, held open a mouse’s jaws which where latched in my oldest cornsnake’s throat while she was still eating live food shortly after she came to me. She had constricted it, but the head was free and the mouse bit whatever it could reach–can you blame it? And as they get older, they get slower and less agile, and their food is more likely to do them serious harm.
Also, it can’t be a pleasant way to die for the mouse or rat. I’m not squeamish about killing them myself, but a quick thwap has to be more humane than being hunted and hugged to death.
Also it’s terribly convenient to keep a freezer full of mouse or rat-cicles and not have to go pick up live food or raise them myself.
Rats are not all that docile when they think that they are about to become dinner. Generally they would rather flee than take their chance in a fight, but if they find themselves cornered, they will fight back. Snake scales, unlike dragon scales, are actually rather delicate and a rat claw wound or bite can get infected. A lot of snake handlers feed only previously killed rats or mice, (generally frozen and thawed).
Ours eat live, but not by our choice. Our older Ball Python was used to thawed critters, then Deb brought home a rescue snake who refused to eat dead mice. Suddenly, the older snake decided that pre-killed food was beneath him, as well. (We did not house them together; I am not sure how the younger one let the older one know what he was missing.) Shortly after that, we got a Dumeril Boa who also decided that only live food was acceptable, but I would have preferred to stayed with frozen meals.
Well, I learned something today. For some reason, I pictured store-bought “feeder” rats as being sort of weak and helpless creatures that would be consumed with little fuss, much like “feeder” goldfish. Silly of me, I know.
Heartlessly, I wasn’t much concerned about the rat’s trauma-- circle of life, and all that jazz. But I guess it would be a pretty bad way to go, the more I think of it.
Thanks for all of the great information.
None of my snakes has ever eaten live prey. I’d be scared to try to start them now, with no experience. I have one that constricts her already dead food, so while I am sure the other have the instincts, they have never had the need. Theerfore, I won’t be changing them as long as the frozen/thawed rodent-sicles are consumed.
And I forgot to answer one of your questions. They don’t care about me at all until feeding day. It’s ok, the German Shepherds make up for it.
I’ll take mislabeled products for $100 Alex.
From the images I saw on that website and from you guys’ descriptions, the snakes sound a lot more fragile than I imagined.
What’s the lifespan of a wild snake as compared to a captive snake? Is it frequent for snakes in the wild to be killed by their prey?
Lissa
I can second the info you got above. I’m not really squeamish about the rats/mice. As you say, “Circle of life, and all that jazz.” I had an ansolutely fascinating hog-nose once. The thing could hiss like a tea kettle and thought it was a cobra. The hog-nose eats only toads. Anyway, I agreed to keep a friend’s mouse-ranch while he was away. I went on a business trip and my ex-wife dropped two mice into his aquarium as a treat. She woke up the next morning to find one dead sake and two mangled mice. 
Testy