Notes on Freezerburn

If your snake has stopped eating frozen thawed after being previously established on it, freezer burn may be the culprit. 

Lamprophid snakes tend to be a bit sensitive to freezer burnt prey. This is especially true for file snakes. I think this may be because they rely heavily on their sense of smell, and as prey oxidizes it changes in smell, texture, and even color. It may get to a point where the animal simply doesn't recognize it as food anymore. Anyone who's attempted to eat a freezer burnt steak can tell you the flavor is definitely affected as well. So it's not hard to understand why snakes may reject freezer burnt prey.

So here's what you need to know about freezer burn in regards to prey items. 

Prey will become freezer burnt within 6 months, from the first day it was froze, which is not likely going to be when you bought or received it. 

Unfortunately, yes some pet stores and even online prey retailers will sell you prey that is already freezer burnt. So the length of time you've had it may not be a factor at all in determining if the prey is freezer burnt :(

There are not always visible signs of freezer burn, but sometimes you can see spots develop as the prey oxidizes.

Progression of freezer burn left to right.

Notice how the pinky on the far right has many oxidation spots and a slight yellow tint. This is common in advanced freezerburn, and many snakes are not likely eat mice that look like this.

Its not always that obvious though. Especially if the animal already has fur.

Here's a way to check if your rejected prey may be freezer burnt without any visible oxidation spots.

First offer your snake a prekilled mouse, something freshly expired. If it eats that, then you know its not that it wants the movement of live prey.

Then try another prekilled mouse, but this time freeze it the night before, and prepare it the same way you prepared the rejected frozen from before. If it takes that, then the odds are very good that the rejected prey may be freezerburnt. If they don’t, then there is likely something in the preparation of the prey that they don’t like- it may be too cold or warm, or wet etc

Here's some tips on how to avoid freezer burnt prey:

Order your frozen thawed prey in quantities that would last 2 months at a time. This can reduce waste since you wont likely know how long they've already been frozen and stored for at the time that you purchase them.

Package the prey with as little air as possible. Less air = less oxygen to oxidize the meat = less freezer burn.

Set the freezer they're being stored at to 0 degrees. This is the optimal temperature for frozen meat, there is no need to go any colder, and doing so may even make the prey freezer burn faster.

Is freezer burnt prey safe for my snake to eat?
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Yes it is. freezer burnt prey that doesn't have any other signs of spoilage, is still safe for your snake to eat. It's just far more likely to be rejected than prey that is more fresh. If your snake has ate freezer burnt prey there isn't any reason for concern so long as they aren't showing any symptoms of illness.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.