# Biosecurity and uneaten meals



## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Occasionally one of my snakes does not take or finish its meal.

What do you do with thawed food if the animal doesn’t take it?

On two occasions including today, I offered it to my centipede


















Although an insectivorous diet is unquestionably healthier, I am sure they can take down small vertebrates in the wild, on occasion.


----------



## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice pede!
I had to sell off my entire invert collection before my operation, simply because none of my family were happy to care for them while o was on bed rest, which is fair enough. Of them all, it's the giant pedes I miss the most.
They will happily take vertebrate prey, and there is footage of giants hanging down from cave roofs catching bats mid-flight.
When I had my snakes, I usually thawed out less than I actually needed per feed, especially if I had awkward feeders. I would always try to feed those first, and if they refused the prey items would just be used for other snakes. If the awkward feeders actually ate, I just thawed out more for the rest. That way no waste!


----------



## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

ian14 said:


> Nice pede!
> I had to sell off my entire invert collection before my operation, simply because none of my family were happy to care for them while o was on bed rest, which is fair enough. Of them all, it's the giant pedes I miss the most.
> They will happily take vertebrate prey, and there is footage of giants hanging down from cave roofs catching bats mid-flight.
> When I had my snakes, I usually thawed out less than I actually needed per feed, especially if I had awkward feeders. I would always try to feed those first, and if they refused the prey items would just be used for other snakes. If the awkward feeders actually ate, I just thawed out more for the rest. That way no waste!


Ian that was a tough call. Guessing you were out of action for 6 - 8 weeks or more?

The one pictured is an Asian pede, I bought from Porton Aquatics. 

Back in the 90s I had a couple of Peruvian’s which grew enormous.
Alas, I also parted with them as my plan to take all my animals to my Uni house fell through (the landlord’s wife said no), and I didn’t know anyone who would take on the challenge. My Dad helped with snakes and spiders.


----------



## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

In terms of biosecurity, the concern is whether there is any pathogen that the snake could pass to the pede through the food item that would either harm the pede or make the pede a carrier of the pathogen that could be passed to some third animal. 

I really doubt that is a risk, and I'm a high biosecurity person when it comes to captive herps. I absolutely don't do any musical food between any herps -- symptomatic pathogen prevalence in collections is way too high for that, and interspecific transfer of pathogen strains is becoming known as a big issue, for example with snake viruses. But the pede seems a "dead end" for any pathogens, unless you intend to expose it to some herp in the future, and so isn't a risk.


----------



## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

> Ian that was a tough call. Guessing you were out of action for 6 - 8 weeks or more?


Almost 12 weeks now and still not fully recovered. Its likely to be upto a year for full recovery.


----------



## Pirate7 (Apr 7, 2008)

If it's small enough then I throw it into my centepede enclosure too.

If it's anything bigger, and the food hasn't been eaten I just throw it away. If I get overzellious and defrost to much I will leave the food out for the owls as I live in buttfek nowhere and I have torny owls living in the tree behind the house.


----------



## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

If I get anything uneaten - usually from my adult Royal, I throw it into the hedge row of the field over the road as it'll get eaten by something - crows, other rats, foxes etc.


----------

