Feeding Questions!

[AquaristGuy]

So I have heard you should move the snakes to a different cage while feeding. I can do that, but why are you supposed to?

[Skittles1101]

You aren't supposed to. It's a common misconception. Some people say it can cause "the snake to mistake you for food every time you reach in!" Oh the horror!

False.

They don't even use their eyes as the first form of vision from what I've gathered. I believe they use their heat pits first (if they have heat pits...ball pythons do but some species don't), then Jacobson's organ, then eyes. If you smell like a rat and you reach in, yes you could get bit...if you don't smell like a rat, unless your ball is having a pissy day then chances are you won't get bit.

They associate the smell of rat with feeding, not where they are located. I feed every single snake in their own enclosures, and I've never been mistaken for food

[AquaristGuy]

Ok thanks! I won't move them. We haven't been moving them and no ones been bit...

[Skittles1101]

Yeah, it's a common misconception. For some snakes, it's actually more stressful to move them when feeding. I have at least 3 that would boycott food indefinitely if I ever tried to move them to eat lol.