my friend fed his male 7 year old red tail boa a rat that got loose in the school science department. The teachers did not tell him that the loose rat ate part of a preserved liver. So the male red tail ate the rat with a preservative called frameldahyde or something. Will he die?
Formaldehyde? It's not good but, it depends on how much he ate. If the rat only comsumed part of a liver (hoping this means a very tiny piece) then i wouldn't worry. What worries me more is that they are feeding preserved livers to rats! Formaldehyde is a preservative that is known to cause cancer in large doses or in repeated exposures. Assuming the rat didn't eat a lot, and wasn't noticably sick at the time of it's death, then there's probably nothing to worry about. But here's a good rule of thumb for your friend: Never feed off any prey that has touched the floor...ever. Especially a rat that's been loose and is in a science classroom. So no I don't think the snake will die, but have him keep a close eye on it. If it regurges or gets lethargic, take him to a vet asap!
