Feeding live prey to exotic pets – is it really OK?  

Natural Behaviour 

Why are we live feeding in the first place? Well, many exotic pets rely heavily on the movement of prey in order to trigger their hunting and feeding responses. Many reptiles and amphibians can simply refuse to eat if they’re not offered a cockroach or waxworm. I know all too well with my Pacman frog that a preserved cricket fresh from a can would simply not cut the mustard. In fact, it takes him at least 2 working days to take a live worm! 

It’s actually quite a complex topic to discuss the idea of live prey. After all, when caring for any pet, especially exotics, it’s important to mimic their natural environment as closely as possible. We do this through creating the perfect enclosure – setting the correct heating gradient, monitoring the humidity levels, offering them the best bedding and substrate, along with giving them plenty of mental stimulation with hiding and exploring opportunities. 

So, why is it that sometimes we draw the line at live feeding? If we choose to keep exotic pets that rely on live food, it can raise an interesting question around where personal ethics and practical husbandry collide. 

Common Live Feeding 

Okay, okay, let’s bring it back to the actual facts and take a look at common live feeding options for exotic pets.  

The most common live feeding options are insects. This can include: 

• Grasshoppers 
• Roaches 
• Fruit flies 
• Calciworms 
• Moths 
• Mealworms 
• Superworms 
• Crickets 

These are most commonly fed to amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and even small mammals. 

Live prey can also include aquatics. These could be offered to turtles, amphibians or even some types of aquatic snakes. This could include: 

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• Bloodworms 
• Snails 
• Mollies 
• Shrimp 

In much less common scenarios, keepers may opt to feed live terrestrial vertebrates. However, this is strongly discouraged due to ethical reasons which we can unpack in more detail. Prey items could include: 

• Pinky mice 
• Fuzzy mice 
• Adult mice 
• Rats 
• Chicks 

This is where it becomes a lot more controversial, particularly when compared with invertebrate feeding practices. 

Vertebrate Live Foods 

In the UK, it is not strictly illegal to offer vertebrates as a live food source to other animals, meaning that feeding mice, rats and chicks are not prohibited under law. 

However, if we take a look at other animal welfare legislation, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 places a duty of care on pet owners to ensure that animals are not subject to unnecessary suffering. So, whilst feeding live vertebrates is not specifically “illegal”, it is strongly discouraged within exotic pet husbandry – as you have a duty of care to the prey animals as well. 

Feeding live invertebrates such as insects is generally treated differently. Not only is this due to welfare considerations, but also because of the difference in biology between the two groups. 

Insects are commonly used as feeders due to: 

• Being a low injury risk to predators 
• Easy to breed in captivity 
• Not being covered under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 

This means that feeding insects as live prey is not regulated in the same way as vertebrates under the Animal Welfare Act, and why feeding insects is widely accepted in the exotic pet community. 

Even though insects are not covered within the same legalities, that does not mean that welfare does not exist or should not be followed. Insects should be offered housing, food and water to ensure that their basic needs are fulfilled. 

Risks Of Live Feeding 

There can be risks associated with live feeding, and not just with vertebrates, but with insects too. When feeding live prey, the risks should be carefully considered and the predator should be closely monitored throughout the feeding process. 

The most common concern with live feeding is the potential injury to the predator, particularly if vertebrates are offered, such as live rodents. Not only is there a risk of injury through scratches and bites, but there is also a risk of disease and parasite transmission. This is especially common if wild caught prey is used. 

This can also be a concern when feeding invertebrates as live prey too, as insects can still cause injury to predators, as well as passing on parasites. Many mass producers of live prey for exotic pet consumption will have strict guidelines in place in order to minimise potential infections, so wild caught insects should generally be avoided. 

Feeding live vertebrate prey can be unpredictable, with the actual death of the prey animal potentially being prolonged. This could cause unnecessary stress for both the predator and the prey, which would be illegal as well as with raising welfare concerns. 

For these reasons, live feeding could be labelled as a ‘high risk practice’ compared to live feeding alternatives.  

Alternatives To Live Feeding 

In many cases, live feeding of vertebrates can be avoided completely, resulting in safer and more controlled alternatives. One of the most common practices that we see for reptiles and amphibians that usually prey on species such as rats and mice is the use of pre-killed vertebrates that are frozen and then thawed. This is a common practice for exotic pet owners that keep snakes and lizards. 

By using this method, it could be said that the prey item does not sustain any prolonged suffering, but also does not cause a risk to the exotic pet by causing harm or injury during the feeding process.  

For exotic pets that are insectivores, there are a wide variety of pre-killed insects that can be used for feeding and many of these have been ‘gut loaded’ meaning that they have been fed foods and supplements to improve their nutritional value. 

Aquatics and amphibians can also benefit from live food alternatives by being offered pellets, frozen foods or prepared diets specialised for that particular species. 

As already covered, many exotic pets require movement in order for their hunting and eating instincts to be triggered. Therefore, when using prey that is not live, tong feeding may be required in order to tempt them to strike. Food items may also need to be warmed, especially for species that rely on heat recognition to hunt. 

Final Thoughts on Live Feeding 

Ultimately, live feeding is a complex and ethical dilemma in some cases. It all lies between supporting natural behaviours whilst remaining practical and considering the welfare of both the predator and the prey. 

It is widely accepted that many exotic species rely on movement in order to stimulate their feeding response, however, this does not mean that live prey, such as a mouse, is required when the pet is kept within captivity. A more safer and ethical option would be to offer frozen and then thawed prey. In terms of offering invertebrates, pre-killed and gut-loaded insects are also a valid option, allowing keepers to avoid unnecessary risk. 

For exotic pet owners, there should be a strong consideration for animal welfare across all aspects of husbandry. There is no simple “right” or “wrong” answer, however it is clear that welfare-led and practical approaches should be strongly considered and that pre-killed prey would ideally take precedence.