Vivarium Animals feeding guide

LIVE FOODS :

Live food mean the fresh insects , worms , larvas , mouses and rodemts and other animals which give a live to the vivarium's animals as prey ..

a long list of vivarium animals only accept live foods and not dried , dart frogs and snakes , pythons as an example ..

Generally speaking there is two types of live food :

1- Fresh Live food .

2- Frozen Live food .

Live food is living food for carnivorous or omnivorous animals kept incaptivity;

courtesy to : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_food

Variety of live food :

Live foods commonly available are crickets (both Gryllus bimaculatusand Acheta domesticus commonly), waxworms (Galleria mellonella),mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), Superworms (Zophobas morio) andlocusts (a number of species are seen commonly). There are however many more species used such as butter worms, phoenix worms, a variety of cockroach species, silkworms and more. Insect species are most commonly used to feed small reptiles and amphibians.

Another common form of live food, most commonly used to feed snakes, is small rodents. The most commonly known small rodent used for live food is likely the mouse; many pet stores which carry snakes or cater to snake owners also carry "feeder mice" for this reason (see Fancy mouse).

Creatures that are the most common choices for live foods, ranging from feeder mice to crickets and mealworms, generally are bred and raised in captivity themselves, and can often be found both through local pet stores and fromwholesalers or "farms" that breed them specifically for live food sales.

"Pinkie" mice for sale as live food forreptiles

Animals commonly fed live food :

Animals that are commonly fed live food include bearded dragons and other lizards, various types of snake, turtles, and carnivorous fish, though other animals, such as skunks (which are sometimes kept as pets), being omnivorous, can also eat some live food, though it is unknown how common this is in practice.

Types of Live food :

1- Frozen Live Food :

Feeding your Reptiles Frozen Food :

courtesy to : https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com

If you have a reptile that needs to be fed on Frozen food like mice, rats, guinea pigs or quail, then getting things right is important for the health and well being of your reptile, ensuring they are getting the right diet for the species, age and size.

Its also great fun and very rewarding! Feeding your snake or lizard their natural prey allows you a front row seat as they display their natural hunting instincts, from aggressive striking, to constricting and eventual slow, methodical feeding. It’s a wonder to behold, but getting them the right food first is the most important thing.

You Reptile’s Frozen Diet

Your reptile’s diet is going to be based on their species, their natural prey and their age and size. While a reticulated python will be one day big enough to eat whole adult rabbits, they start off life much smaller than even a rat, and will have to wait a while until they can take on the big stuff.

Research is key to good reptile diet at this point – take a look online at good reptile care sheets or consider buying a care guide book to keep handy, researching their diet carefully so you can cater for their needs at every stage of their life. You may find that some reptiles don’t require large frozen foods at all, and can be fed on livefood like insects.

Don’t forget to check the frequency at which you should feed your reptile, as this will be age and species dependent too.

In the UK, Frozen Reptile Food is quite widely available, with mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits being among the favourites, and it is likely that your carnivorous reptile will be fed on one or more of these foods.

Getting hold of Reptile Frozen Food :

Once you have established the type of frozen rodent or mammal your reptile is best fed, you need to find yourself a reliable source of this food. These range from local shops to online retailers, and the trick is always to choose places that state hygienic breeding, good ethics and high quality – after all, you are what you eat, and that goes for reptiles too – You don’t want to be feeding them frozen food that has had a bad life, as this is more likely to contain parasites, bacteria and may not be as nutritious as it looks.

Some of the best deals to be found are online, where bulk purchases can be made (providing you have enough room in your freezer to keep them) getting you a better price per animal, just make sure their delivery time suits you. For instance: ordering from Swell before 3pm, Monday to Thursday means they dispatch the food the same day, so you will want to have somebody home to accept it or else it might start to defrost, despite the refrigerated vans and specialised packaging to try and prevent this. It is riskier to order from online retailers who might dispatch foods on a Friday afternoon, as it is unlikely to survive until the Monday delivery date in a still frozen state.

Getting frozen food that is delivered quickly and that is still frozen when it arrives is important. If you don’t really want to be feeding your reptile food that has defrosted several times, as it is more likely to have rotted and gone bad, developing bacterial cultures that could cause potential harm if ingested, not to mention a bad smell!

Feeding your reptile their frozen food :

Now comes the fun part! First, you need to defrost the food. There are many ways to do this, but arguably the best way is to allow the food to defrost slowly in a sealed container, left in the fridge or at least away from direct sunlight or sources of heat. This prevents it from cooking and from developing bacterial cultures. A large rat kept in the fridge will defrost in about 12 hours.

PLEASE, don’t use a microwave to defrost the livefood in a hurry, as microwaves cook in a fashion that warms up some areas more than others, and any ‘hotspots’ on the food may burn your reptile internally! Nasty stuff!

Once defrosted, its feeding time! If this is the first time you have fed your snake or lizard, it could be you are in for a shop as it may have an aggressive feeding response. Don’t worry, to combat this, ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly, and you can wear protective gloves and use a set of forceps or tweezers to handle the food, putting a safe distance between your reptile’s intended target and your hand!

Using the forceps, you can wiggle the food around a bit if you need to, imitating lively prey, making it more likely to trigger your reptile’s hunting instincts for a successful feed.

Frozen Food Terminology :

This can sometimes be a little confusing at the beginning, so use this handy guide to figure things out:

-Mice Pinkies: About 1 to 5 day old mice, quite hairless, only weigh around 1-3g

-Mice Fuzzies: Mice around 6-13 days old, a little more fuzzy hair and around 3-6g

-Mice Hoppers: About 2-3 weeks, and 7-12 grams in weight

-Mice, small, Medium, Large, Extra Large: These guys look like adult mice, and their weights vary.

-Rat Pinkies: 1-6 days old, bigger than their mouse counterparts, about 3-8g

-Rat Pups: 2-3 weeks old, a little more hair, around 21-30 grams, equivalent to adult mice!

-Weaner Rats: 3-4 weeks old, 31-45 grams, no longer fed on milk

-Rats, small, medium large: Juvenile to adult rats of different sizes and weights up to about 350g.

Terminology about rabbits, guinea pigs and chicks are more straight forward, just remember not to give your reptile more than they can handle, as if they swallow something too big, they may regurgitate – unpleasant for all concerned!

Products review for frozen foods :

- www.livefoods.com.au :

1- Frozen Crickets :

courtesy to : www.livefoods.com.au

Frozen crickets ideal supplement food for some reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, great for chickens and other poultry. Each bag contains 2000 large crickets (700 gm).

2- Frozen Rodents:

Quality, healthy frozen mice all raised on certified organic diets and euthansed humanely according to the Animal Protection Act guidelines. Available in a wide range of sizes and pack quantities.

Frozen Mice - Pinky

- www.onlinereptileshop.co.uk :

Courtesy to : www.onlinereptileshop.co.uk/

Most reptiles will only eat whole foods such as mice, rats and chicks so size is important.

Both mice and rats, for instance, are sold in a variety of sizes, from pinkies through to adult, to suit the animal concerned.

For example, pinkies are mice of a few days old, and ideal for many hatchling snakes.

We carry a large range of frozen food, all of which are bred commercially at approved facilities for reptile food.

All rodents are also graded into specific sizes so as to suit different sized mouths.

1- Frozen Mice :

- Frozen Mice Small Barcode 10-pack

Average Weight 11-15g

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.

Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.

All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

- Frozen Mice Pinkies Barcode 10-pack :

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.

Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.

-Frozen Mice Pinkies Barcode 25-pack :

Average Weight 1-2g All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

- Frozen Mice X-Large (100) :

Average Weight 30g plus
All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

Frozen Rats:

- Frozen Rat Pups 10 pack

Average Weight 4-10g

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.

Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.

- Frozen Rat Extra Large 2 pack :

Average Weight 351-450g All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

Frozen Chicks

- Frozen Chicks Barcode 10-pack :

Average Weight 35-45g
All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

- Frozen Chicks 2 Kg (Approx. 50) :

Average Weight 35-45g
All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

- Frozen Rabbit Large :

Average Weight 2-3Kg

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

Other Frozen Foods :

- Frozen Rabbit Small , big :

Average Weight 251-950g All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

- Frozen Hamster :

Average Weight 10-30g All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.
Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.
All Frozen food items are packed with DRY ICE to ensure the items stay frozen for as long as possible
We Advise all orders that contain frozen foods to be delivered using our Express Shipping Option.
Orders purchased without Express Shipping may not arrive still frozen.

- Frozen Gerbil Med/Large :

Average Weight >26g

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.

Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.

- Frozen Guinea Pig Med/Large :

Average Weight 151-800g

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.

Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.

- Frozen Quail Large :

Average Weight >100g

All our frozen foods are supplied by different suppliers to ensure we have a year round supply of all your reptiles favorite foods.

Weighs on occasion can vary, as can stock levels on some of the more hard to get frozen items.

how to feed frozen food to your animals :

How to Feed a Snake Frozen Food

courtesy to : www.wikihow.com

Feeding captive snakes live prey is difficult and hazardous, both for the owner and snake. Feeding frozen rodents reduces the risk of harm to the snake, reduces stress for both owner and reptile, and prevents you from having to watch a cute little mouse suffer. They are often cheaper too!

2- Take the mouse out of the bowl when the timer goes off. Prepare feeding tongs if you have them to pick up the mouse and keep your hand a safe distance from your snake's hungry mouth.

1- Thaw the rodent in a bowl of warm water. Do NOT thaw it in the microwave! As tempting as that may seem, it will cook the meat and make your snake ill. Take a frozen rodent from the freezer, and place into a separate plastic bag. Place the bag in a bowl filled 3/4 of the way full with warm water. Put a cup or mug on top of the bag to keep the rodent completely submerged. Leave the mouse there for two hours, and don't forget to set a timer to remind yourself!

3- Put the snake in its feeding area. It is highly recommended that you do not feed a snake in its enclosure, as this causes to the snake to associate anything coming into the cage as food (your hand, perhaps, could be mistaken). You can use a bin with high sides, another tank, or a bathtub even. Just make sure to close the drain!

Remember some snakes don't like being handled before or after feeding. In this case, you can feed your snake in it's tank as long as you use feeding tongs or place the mouse on a rock or branch within the cage. This will reduce the risk of you being bitten.

4- Place the rodent in the area with the snake. Some snakes have no trouble eating a thawed rodent, and will begin eating in around 15 minutes or so. If so, you are done and you can return the snake to its usual enclosure.

5- If your snake is a picky eater, or has not eaten dead food before, you may have to work a little harder at it at first. You can try wiggling the rodent by the tail in front of the snake. Use a pair tongs if you do, to prevent an accidental bite. If the snake seems afraid of the rodent, wiggle only a little and further away. If the snake is in strike pose but not attacking, try bopping the snake gently on the nose. However, don't do this if your snake is a Ball Python, as this may actually frighten the snake and have the opposite effect than you intended! With patience, you should find that the snake will strike and strangle the already dead rodent, and eat as normal. You may have to let the snake "kill" the dead rodent more than once the first few times. Don't be discouraged! Pre-killed food is a much safer and more humane way to feed your snake.

6- Put the snake back in its enclosure and let it digest its meal in a warm dark area. Use caution when removing the snake, as it may still be in eating mode. Letting the snake crawl out of the bin and then picking it up usually fixes this.

Feeding Your Reptile Frozen Mice - Frequently asked questions :

courtesy to : Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

Many carnivorous herps require pre-killed, frozen mice as a part of a complete diet. If you're a first time reptile owner, knowing how to get your herp to eat them or which mice to choose can be somewhat confusing. The following information will help answer some questions you may have about frozen mice.

Which herps eat mice?
What are the benefits of feeding mice to my herp?
Should I feed live or pre-killed mice to my herp?
How do I feed a pre-killed frozen mouse to my herp?
What do I do if my herp refuses the pre-killed mouse?
How often should I feed my herp?
How do I know if my herp is hungry because I'm not feeding him enough?
What size mouse should I feed my herp?
What is the difference between the different kinds of pre-killed, frozen mice?
What are the nutritional values of each kind of mouse?

- Which herps eat mice?

Carnivorous herps will need a diet that includes mice. This includes almost all snakes, carnivorous lizards such as tegus and monitors, and some amphibians and aquatic or semi-aquatic turtles. You will need to research your herp's dietary needs to determine whether or not he will also need to be fed mice.

- What are the benefits of feeding mice to my herp?

For carnivorous herps, a diet consisting partially or completely of mice is going to be the most natural diet that is closest to what they would eat in the wild. Commercial reptile foods are not always balanced and nutritionally complete, and there have been no long-term trials to verify that they can maintain our herps as well as mice and other prey animals can. Additionally, some commercial diets may cause certain herps to grow too quickly or too slowly and can lead to nutritional deficiencies. A true carnivorous diet is the healthiest option.

- Should I feed live or pre-killed mice to my herp?

We highly recommend that you only feed pre-killed mice to your herp. Live mice can fight back while being eaten, gnaw on your snake if left in the cage with them, or be too hard for some younger herps to catch. Attacks by live prey can disfigure herps, and they have been known to scare a herp off of his natural diet of prey animals. If the mouse fights back while your herp is eating it, it can bite through the herp's mouth area, puncture his eyes, and cut through his tongue. Feeding pre-killed mice can alleviate all of these concerns.

- How do I feed a pre-killed frozen mouse to my herp?

The first thing you need to do is defrost it. You can do this by leaving it out on the counter until it is completely defrosted or putting in a sealed plastic bag and placing the plastic bag in warm water. You should never defrost a frozen mouse in the microwave. Doing this can make the mouse so hot as to burn your reptile internally when he consumes the prey. However, it is important to make sure that the mouse is completely defrosted, as consuming a partially frozen mouse will lower your herp's body temperature.

After it is thawed, you will probably want to heat it to just slightly above room temperature. You can do this by putting it under a warming lamp or leaving it in the warm water for longer than it takes to defrost it. Having it warmer than room temperature will make it more palatable to your reptile.

Once the mouse is ready to be eaten, you can put it in a feeding dish and place the dish in the enclosure. If your reptile needs his prey to be in motion, use tongs or hemostats to dangle the prey in front of your herp.

Herps will have certain periods where they are receptive to food, so, for the best response, be sure to feed your reptile at the right time of day or night. Nocturnal reptiles will need to be fed at night, diurnal reptiles during the day, and crepuscular ones at dusk.

- What do I do if my herp refuses the pre-killed mouse?

If your herp is used to eating live prey or he just isn't sure what to do with a pre-killed mouse, there are several things you can try to encourage him to eat:

Scent the mouse with the smell of your herp's preferred prey by rubbing a live or defrosted one on the mouse just before feeding it to your herp.
Dangle or move the mouse around the enclosure with tongs or hemostats to trigger a feeding strike.
Make sure that the prey you are feeding is the proper size.
Pierce the braincase of the mouse with a pin or nail to increase its scent; this is known as "pithing."
Dip the mouse in warm chicken broth before feeding it to your herp.
Always wash your hands thoroughly before feeding your herp to avoid getting any other prey animal smells on the mouse.
Try differently colored mice (brown, white, parti-colored) to determine which color your herp is most receptive to.
Make sure that you are feeding your herp during his active period.

Additionally, the most important thing you can do that results in a healthy appetite is set up and maintain your herp's habitat properly. Failing to do so is one of the most common reasons that herps don't eat as they should. Temperature gradients, humidity, size, layout, accessories, and lighting can all negatively affect your herp if they are incorrect, reducing his appetite or causing him to refuse food completely. Always review your habitat setup if your herp refuses to eat.

- How often should I feed my herp?
This depends on a number of factors, including:

Species
Age
What you're feeding
Natural feeding patterns
Time of year
Health

In most cases, smaller herps will need to eat more often than larger ones, and younger, juvenile herps eat more frequently than older ones. Research your specific herp's needs and discuss a proper feeding schedule with your veterinarian.

- How do I know if my herp is hungry because I'm not feeding him enough?

If it seems like your herp is hungry, he probably is. Signs of hunger can include:

Immediately becoming alert when you come near his enclosure
Flicking his tongue when you approach (snakes and some lizards)
Biting or striking at you when you put your hands in the enclosure if he is usually tame and calm
Immediately devouring food

It is fairly difficult to overfeed most herps. If they are not hungry, they aren't going to eat. If it seems like your herp is always hungry, try increasing the feeding frequency or switching to a larger mouse.

- What size mouse should I feed my herp?

The size of the mouse you feed will depend on the size of your herp. Smaller herps will need smaller mice, such as pinkie mice. Larger herps can eat an adult mouse with no problem. The general rule of thumb for prey size is:

Snakes: The prey should be no wider at its widest point than the widest part of your snake's body.
Lizards:The prey should be no larger than 2/3 the length of the lizard's head.
Turtles:The prey should be no larger than the turtle's head.
Amphibians:The prey should be no larger than the amphibian's head.

- What is the difference between the different kinds of pre-killed, frozen mice?

There are four main kinds of frozen mice: pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers, and adults. The difference is as follows:

Pinky:Young, newborn mouse with no hair and pink skin; approximately 1 to 5 days old.
Fuzzy:Young, starting to grow hair; approximately 6 to 13 days old.
Hopper:Juvenile, beginning to "hop" around; approximately 14 to 20 days old.
Adult:Fully developed, possibly having reached sexual maturity, largest size; 21 days or older.

Which kind of mouse you feed your herp will depend on his size and nutritional needs. Smaller herps such as turtles and amphibians generally only eat pinky mice. Larger herps such as full-grown snakes may need adults to maintain them properly, while juvenile snakes will need smaller mice. Research your individual herp's needs at each stage of his development to determine which mouse is the best kind to feed.

- What are the nutritional values of each kind of mouse?

The following nutritional values are for San Francisco Bay Natural Frozen Mice.

Pinky:12% crude protein, 4.72% crude fat, 0.2% crude fiber, 80% moisture
Fuzzy:14% crude protein, 14% crude fat, 0.2% crude fiber, 69% moisture
Hopper:17% crude protein, 8% crude fat, 0.4% crude fiber, 71% moisture
Adult:17% crude protein, 7% crude fat, 0.3% crude fiber, 70% moisture

How to Feed a Snake Frozen Food | Pet Snakes

Reptile Food and Nutrition - PetSmart

Thawing Frozen Mice and Rats for Snakes and Other Reptiles

courtesy to : blogs.thatpetplace.com

Frozen rodents are now widely available in the pet trade and, when used properly, are a safe food source that can save time, space and money. As opinions vary concerning proper thawing methods, I thought it might be useful to outline the procedures that are followed in major zoological parks. Based on the human food guidelines set down by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture, they have served me well throughout my career as a zookeeper and herpetologist.

General Considerations :

There are two safe methods that can be used to defrost rodents intended as reptile food – refrigeration and cold water. Microwave defrosting has certain drawbacks and should be avoided (please see below).

Frozen rodents purchased from a store or breeder should be re-packaged in clean zip-loc bags before being placed into your refrigerator, freezer or sink. Bowls into which these bags are placed (for warming or cold-water thawing, see below) should be reserved for that purpose…do not use bowls that will also hold your own food, even if the rodents are in clean bags. My apologies if this seems obvious, but I am continually amazed at how many people place their health in jeopardy while attempting to care for their pets!

- Thawing Mice and Rats in a Refrigerator:

Thawing under refrigeration is the method of choice in professional collections. It requires a bit of forethought, but is very safe and requires no effort on our part (other than moving the food item from freezer to refrigerator!).

Thawing time will vary in accordance with refrigeration temperature (usually 35-40 F). The USDA uses 8-10 hours per 1 pound of meat as a general guideline; a mouse can be expected to thaw in 2 hours, a rat in 4-5 hours.

Fail safe rule: place frozen rodents in a refrigerator for overnight thawing and use them the following day.

Thawing in Cold Water:

This method is faster than via refrigeration, but requires periodic water changes, and leaves more room for error. Frozen rodents in zip-lock bags are placed in a bucket of cold water for 30 minutes, after which time the water is dumped and replaced. An adult rat can be thawed in as little as 1 hour.

The bags used should be leak-proof, lest harmful bacteria begin to colonize the food item.

Warming and Using Thawed Rodents

After thawing, rodents must be warmed somewhat before being fed to pet reptiles. This is best done by placing the bagged, thawed rodent in a bucket or other container of warm water. Timing varies, but plan on 10-20 minutes for a mouse in warm but not hot-to-the-touch water.

Use rodents shortly after thawing and warming. Whole animals contain internal organs, previously-consumed food, and unpassed wastes, and they decay rapidly.

Common Mistakes:

Do not thaw rodents at room temperature or in hot water (this applies to our own food as well). Bacteria associated with disease and decay, which can be assumed present in all rodents, begin to reproduce at 40 F. Such bacteria can take hold on the thawed, outer surfaces of a food item despite the fact that its center is frozen.

Rodents should never be thawed in microwaves used for your own food. Thawing in a microwave reserved specifically for pet food is possible, assuming one can ascertain that the food item is completely thawed yet not partially cooked.

Rodents thawed under refrigeration can be re-frozen (if they have remained refrigerated). Rodents thawed in cold water should not be re-frozen.

LIVE FOODS 1 > 2 .. ..