my snake's peculiar eating habit.

[BryanB]

I kinda use a backwards method i tap my snake with my 2 foot plastic tongs then bring in the rat using the tongs. when it is holding time i go in with my hands let them get a good smell "always washing hands first" and pick them up. other than my CRB who refuses to comply because he is still really defensive and still hides almost all the time it works well.

[KORBIN5895]

I use a completely different method myself. I just reach in and grab my snakes. Then when its feeding time I just open the door and toss them in. The only snake that bites me as a feeding response is my female woma (bites and won't let go) and my dh snow just bites me because he is bipolar (strikes then acts like he didn't).

[desipooh.12]

Originally Posted by Snakesitter

I see we have a lot of reptile romantics on here. ;-)

Joking aside, I agree with feeding animals in their regular viv (except for, as one person noted, breeding pairs). It saves time and reduces risk. I used to move my first snake long ago -- because I was "told" it was best -- but there is no good reason to do so.

why is it not good?
With my brb I put her in a separate tub & she feeds fine..
Ive heard of swallowing substrate when there taking the mouse down & causing problems while feeding in there own enclosure..
Would it be the best thing since they're young &
Obviously when there to big you can't put them in a feeding tank/tub..
then you'd be able to feed inside enclosure..
Makes more sense to me.. or am I missing something?
Enlighten me

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by desipooh.12

why is it not good?
With my brb I put her in a separate tub & she feeds fine..
Ive heard of swallowing substrate when there taking the mouse down & causing problems while feeding in there own enclosure..
Would it be the best thing since they're young &
Obviously when there to big you can't put them in a feeding tank/tub..
then you'd be able to feed inside enclosure..
Makes more sense to me.. or am I missing something?
Enlighten me

Handling a snake is stressful. Stress before a feeding can cause it to refuse. Stress after a feeding can cause it to puke.

Feeding it outside an enclosure can condition it to think picked up equals food. This can get you bit. Accidentally handling prey then removing the snake from the cage can get you bit. Putting a snake away that is in feeding mode can get you bit.

Swallowing substrate would only be a problem if your husbandry is crappy.

Snakes can get into a routine and what happens when your snake is grown but won't eat unless it is in a separate enclosure?

What part of a separate feeding tub makes sense?

[desipooh.12]

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

Handling a snake is stressful. Stress before a feeding can cause it to refuse. Stress after a feeding can cause it to puke.

Feeding it outside an enclosure can condition it to think picked up equals food. This can get you bit. Accidentally handling prey then removing the snake from the cage can get you bit. Putting a snake away that is in feeding mode can get you bit.

Swallowing substrate would only be a problem if your husbandry is crappy.

Snakes can get into a routine and what happens when your snake is grown but won't eat unless it is in a separate enclosure?

What part of a separate feeding tub makes sense?

well it hasn't happened to me at all..
everything that your saying has not happened..
it might or might NOT..
and its called washing your hands continuously, which I don't mind because I do it everyday all day especially at work..
cypress mulch looks like shredded wood chips,
and the coconut shavings looks worse,
so I don't think crappy substrate would be it..
now if you use paper towels then sure feed em in its enclosure..
but the same goes for feeding them Inside their enclosure, if you constantly feed them in it everytime you open their enclosure they're going to think it meal time & either strike depending what you feed em.. Because of "conditioning"..
so either or it ALL has its PROS & CONS

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by desipooh.12

cypress mulch looks like shredded wood chips,
and the coconut shavings looks worse,
so I don't think crappy substrate would be it..

He never said crappy substrate. he said crappy husbandry.


If the conditions of the cage are right ( clean, correct thermal gradient and humidity) the snake should be able to pass it. After all how do you think snakes digest bones and fur/feather?

[Terranaut]

Well when your snakes are big and react to scent alone things can happen. I hope it never does and arguing this point in the end is a stalemate anyway. Substrate swallowing happens all the time in the wild with twigs leaves and dirt. They can digest bone so I doubt a little aspen will be a big deal. I have seen my snakes eat aspen, cocco husk, cypress and eco earth. Big snakes ....little snakes...all are healthy and well and pass substrate without issues. I would never trade ny safety based on a few freak instances.

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by desipooh.12

well it hasn't happened to me at all..
everything that your saying has not happened..
it might or might NOT..
and its called washing your hands continuously, which I don't mind because I do it everyday all day especially at work..
cypress mulch looks like shredded wood chips,
and the coconut shavings looks worse,
so I don't think crappy substrate would be it..
now if you use paper towels then sure feed em in its enclosure..
but the same goes for feeding them Inside their enclosure, if you constantly feed them in it everytime you open their enclosure they're going to think it meal time & either strike depending what you feed em.. Because of "conditioning"..
so either or it ALL has its PROS & CONS

Well thank you so much for your words of wisdom and experience! How long have you kept snakes again? 6 months? 1 year?

I am really not sure what your option of substrate aesthetics has to do with impaction but I'm am sure that in your vast knowledge and experience you some how find relevance between the two.

I do not constantly feed my snakes every time I open the cage. I have never been bit when food was present. Do you know why? Because my hands are never near them. I have been bit twice while reaching into the cage. The male that bit me is fed in a separate enclosure because he is in with a female.

[MH4C]

I know that here in the Netherlands the swallowing substrate = death thing was universally accepted when I started keeping snakes about 7 years ago. Whenever a feeding picture was posted on a Dutch forum and some substrate was on the mouse/rat, people would freak out and comments would go as far as 'you just killed your snake'.
Of course over time keepers experienced that swallowing substrate doesn't kill your snake unless it has been kept way too dry or is sick in some way (gastrointestinal obstruction, substrate isn't digested properly and adds to obstruction). So indeed nowadays only people that 'have done it this way since forever', or new keepers that follow advice from peers with only old knowledge still feed in feeding tubs.

In my opinion there are no reasons to feed in feeding tubs. Sick snakes should be kept on newspaper/paper towels, and if you house snakes together you should always watch watched during and for some time after feeding, negating the need for a feeding tub.

Regarding the eating habits of your BRB I can only affirm the statements previously made, they are secretive snakes, so getting handled right before feeding is probably very counterproductive to their feeding responses.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by desipooh.12

well it hasn't happened to me at all..
everything that your saying has not happened..
it might or might NOT..
and its called washing your hands continuously, which I don't mind because I do it everyday all day especially at work..
cypress mulch looks like shredded wood chips,
and the coconut shavings looks worse,
so I don't think crappy substrate would be it..
now if you use paper towels then sure feed em in its enclosure..
but the same goes for feeding them Inside their enclosure, if you constantly feed them in it everytime you open their enclosure they're going to think it meal time & either strike depending what you feed em.. Because of "conditioning"..
so either or it ALL has its PROS & CONS

No pros and cons. You're just wrong.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

No pros and cons. You're just wrong.

lol!


The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

[KORBIN5895]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

No pros and cons. You're just wrong.

No,no,no Aaron. Let him wow us with all of his years of experience and his accumulated wisdom.

[Mr Lynch]

I think as a general rule, people tend to agree after a snake eats, to not mess with him for a few days while it begins the digestion process whether its for what I just mentioned, or because of the chance of it spitting its food item back up. I would find it hard to believe if feeding in a separate enclosure, that putting it back in its main enclosure after it ate "handeling it in any way", would be seen as following this rule of thumb, not to mention, it may still have a feeding response going on as mentioned above.

[BryanB]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

No pros and cons. You're just wrong.

just so you know i just love to read most of your responses to just about anything

[Mark Taylor]

I feed all my snakes in there own enclosure.

Before feeding I don't touch the snake, I dangle the rat and the snake smells it then strikes and coils then I shut the viv door. Simples

When I want to handle (Rare occasions) I open the viv door and pick it up, I don't wait for the snake to smell me and decide whether I am food (Never been bit using this method). There is no good valid reason to feed in separate tubs unless your breading.