If snakes feed on rodents, are they carriers of rabies or do they become rabid when exposed?

Snakes do not carry rabies. Although it is possible for rodents to get the disease, mice, rats and squirrels almost never carry rabies.


http://www.alamance-nc.com/healthed/rabies.htm

Thanks for the link. Snakes do not carry or get rabies, interesting. Does it have to do with their immune system or the circulatory system?

Unlike mammals which are warm blooded and maintain a constant body temperature fish, snakes, and amphibians are cold blooded and do not have constant body temperatures, thus making them unsuitable as hosts. Birds also fall under this category and are unlikely to host the virus.

here's more info on the rabies virus.

Rabies virus is in the Rhabdoviridae family. It enters the body through a wound and multiplies in muscle tissue. At this point it goes undetected for several days or even months. It works its way to the nerves near the site of the wound and spreads to the spinal cord and brain (central nervous system). It can take anywhere from one week to six months to spread through the peripheral nerves to the central nervous system. From here on, the virus spreads to the saliva, tears, breast milk, and urine. The animal usually dies within 4 or 5 days. The virus cannot live outside its host’s body for more than a couple of seconds, but live virus has been found in animals that have been dead as long as 48 hours.