Exploding Rodents!?!?!

I just got onto a new batch of small weaner rats to feed the juves, used my normal method of defrosting on top of my BP room oil heater, I usually leave this size for 2 hours which thaws them out perfectly and gets them to about 36 Celsius through out. Walked in and 3 of the 5 had exploded! Guts up the wall and on the floor.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Bizarre, I am baffled.

No one used an oil heater to cook their rodents from what I have heard, so no. :joy: It likely has been getting too hot and cooking them this whole time, but you just got lucky and didn’t have them pop before this (the same thing happens when a microwave is used). I recommend using the baggy in warm water method, never cooks them and no explosions will occur.

Yea this can happen and just from using too hot of water and it’s especially more likely to happen with pinks and fuzzies with real thin skin

Or “wiener rats”

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But I’ve had this happen not as extreme but maybe just as gross because I got mine too hot in water but they didn’t explode except the one I tried to feed and as soon as the snake bit it it exploded so at least none of your snakes had to go through that

This is why I said warm water, nothing above 110°F. Never in all of my years of using frozen thawed (nearly 10 years of using small rodents, and a few using pinkies) have I had bursting or cooking of them.

lol I put my rodents in a hot water cup for 2 mins and thats it

Yea and I only had it once a few years back with a rat pinky maybe Your heater is running a little hotter if u usually do it the same way with no problem just put them near the heater for a second right before you feed if you want the rodents to be real warm to get the snakes attention

Usually it is something you see when

The feeder has been thawed and put back in the freezer and thawed again.

When the feeder is thawed too fast.

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I’ve had it happen when I’ve left them in hot water for too long, it’s horrifying

Personally I’ve had a small rat tear in half after letting it sit in lukewarm water for just over an hour. By Split in half I mean like split just like a little bit not like completely in half. And it tore when Kai struck and coil it not when it was coming out of the water.

I’ve had it happen once.

I had everything going, rats were thawing out as planned like they always have done.
I walked away for about 5mins, came back and offered a small rat to my Pied Pistolero. Right when he struck and coiled the rat, it literally exploded from both ends. He was covered in organs and blood everywhere, just the worst experience ever! The hard part was trying to get him to give me the exploded rat, that he apparently really seemed to enjoy :joy:.
Now I don’t leave the room while I thaw rats out anymore, definitely learned my lesson.

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Ha ha me too :slight_smile:

Excellent… I’m not alone then. Thanks guys

They were just overheated, that’s all.