need to know

[Damen]

well damen ate for me again with no problem...thats twice since i have had him.. i have been taking everything out of his tank when i feed him is that ok ? And is it ok to let them eat from the but end first? damen didnt eat it but first but i would like to know...


thanks

[JLC]

I personally wouldn't remove anything from the tank to feed....that just adds to the potential stress of the snake. But if you feel like it's important for you to do so and your snake eats fine for you anyhow, then I don't see any harm in it. I just don't see why you would need to.


As for eating backwards, I think it would be more harmful to try and intervene than to just let them eat it. They can get 'em down backwards if they really want to, it just takes a little more effort on their part.

[rabernet]

Haven't had one eat a mouse back-wards yet, but like Judy said, I wouldn't intervene. I've had many start at the wrong end, and quickly figure it out and release and try again head first.

I don't remove any hides, but I do remove Kash's fake flowers (he's the only one in a glass viv and had extra decorations), I worry about him getting tangled up in them when constricting, but I leave hides and water bowl in place.

[Johar]

well, as for backward feeding Lahsa never had a backward feeding. but its fun to see her trying to figure out "where's the damn head!", once it spent more than 3 minutes just to find it

as for removing the hides, well, yeah, i remove them she doesn't seem to be stressed at all , once she's interested in the mouse, she stays still until the mouse gets close to her. if your snake is too shy maybe its a good idea to leave the hidings

[Damen]

thanks alot for the 411 on the whole backwards thing.... i think i will keep taking his hide out and his drift wood, but i do leave his water dish.... damen doesnt look like he gets stressed at all soon as he smells the mouse he forgets about all that and goes for the mouse...



thanks

[tigerlily]

I've had a couple eat their food backwards with no problems. I've also had one eat it head first and it got stuck. The best thing I can say is to be very vigilant.

The couple times I have fed live, I never disturbed the enclosure. I think it's better for the snakes to leave the enclosure intact. Plus, there's no way I messing with them more than I have to on feeding day. I can barely get the cages open before they are lunging out to get their food. Gotta love a strong feeding response.

[cassandra]

Haven't had one eat a mouse back-wards yet, but like Judy said, I wouldn't intervene. I've had many start at the wrong end, and quickly figure it out and release and try again head first.

Cleo's eaten a couple butt first (nothing like wrapping your lips about a damp mouse butt - YUM!) and last thing, she had tagged it from the back end, so we were afraid she was gonna go butt end again.

I reached in with my hemostats while she was repositioning herself in hopes of helping rearrange the mouse to get the nose end in front of her - but she struck at the hemostats..."*MY* mouse! Back off lady!"

Don't mess with a snakey while eating, hehe! She did take it nose end first. "See?! I know how to eat...now go get me another mouse, woman!"

[xdeus]

I have one snake that seem to eat them butt first more than half the time. She's my best eater, though, and will keep at it until she gets it down even if it takes her over an hour.

Sometimes one of my other ones will start taking it backwards, but if they don't get it down relatively quick they will just drop it and ignore it. If that happens, I'll remove it and heat up just the nose under a lamp. That seems to do the trick as far as pointing it in the right direction.

[tosha]

when i feed basill i take him out of his tank and put in a a big plastc box from walmart and then drop him in. when i'm getting him out i spray him with his vitamen stuff so that he knows that feed time is over and i 'm getting him out. then i very carefully put him into his tank and then i don't see him for awhile.

[xdeus]

Vitamin stuff?