How do you handle insane feeding responses?

Since starting to pair, my adult snakes are eating with INSANE feeding responses. They used to just poke their head out of their hide and wait for me to lower the rat. I'm not really scared of getting bit, but when I slide their tubs they come zipping right out. If I have the rat inches from the lip of the tub when I slide it out they usually hit it and coil around the edge of the tub (outside the tub) and then I have to lift them back into the tub while they're coiled. The other day my bee kept throwing coils and pulled himself out of the tub. I caught him as he was about to fall, but that resulted in him using the back half of his body to hold on to me very, very tightly. If I don't have the rat at the edge when I open the tub they come straight out of the tub and kind of pose there waiting to eat me or the arm that I used to slide the tub out. In that scenario I still end up offering it to them with them hanging out of the tub and am very worried they will fall out. They've been hitting so hard that the tail or foot usually rips off the F/T, so I can't use the hemostats to guide them back into the tub before releasing the rat. Last night I tried my best to get the rats in the tub before they struck, but this resulted in my snakes smashing their faces into the edge of the tub/rack as they struck.

What is your process?! I'm especially interested to hear from people with snakes that have even stronger responses than this or that have longer reach when they shoot out of the tub. Also, how the hell do you feed snakes with this kind of response LIVE prey?

I actually love it when they hang out of their tub waiting for food, it's much faster than dancing a rat around for a minute or two. I trust them not to fall and just guide them back into the tub. With live prey, I drop them into the other end of the tub really quickly :D

I open my tubs wearing motorbike gauntlets and still have to jump back/ duck on occasion and then offer the food from 2 ft hemostats.

People tend to laugh until they see the feeding response. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by dr del

I open my tubs wearing motorbike gauntlets and still have to jump back/ duck on occasion and then offer the food from 2 ft hemostats.

People tend to laugh until they see the feeding response. :rofl:

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I am very seriously considering wearing gloves. If for no reason other than to block the heat from my hand from being seen. I think my hemostats are 18 inches or so, but sometimes if I offer leftovers from the little ones to the big snakes, they look past the 25 gram weaners and target my warm fist... like "you want to give me that puny little rat? I'll show you how I feel about that!"

I use a snake hook to open the tub, because I usually get bit while opening the tub. If the snake dives out (which is quite often this time of year), I gently move them back into the tub with the hook, then drop the rat in at the same time and close the tub. I have a rat in one hand and the hook in the other when feeding. I've always looked at this type of feeding response as a good thing! Love it when I have to duck and weave to feed the snakes. It means they are ready!

I just keep my hand and arm low when opening the tub. Basically I use the tub as a shield. I offer with 16 inch hemostats, and if they hit outside the tub (as mine usually do) once they have a good wrap I just untangle them and push them back in. Once instinct of constrict has kicked in they seem obvious to everything else.

My snakes are still little (hatched August and September of this year and just under 200g empty), but it looks like I'm going to end up with this problem. My male has been inviting himself out of the tub at feeding time, and so far I've been able to guide him back in before offering food. Waiting to see what happens when he gets bigger though!

My rosy boas are doing this now too, except they are in a tank instead of a tub. A few days ago when I was feeding them, both were rearing up as high as they could go without support as I lowered their food in. One snake missed and hit the side of the tank, then immediately hit the tongs, before finally getting the pink. The other snake kept following the tongs until I finally got him zeroed in on the pink.

I have more than a few large females that will launch out of the tub for food, it can get exciting if I don't protect myself :P

I open the tub slightly so I can slip the rat in and slide the tub closed real fast.

I open the tub a few inches to slip the rack in and use the lid of a 6qt tub to block the snake from coming out. All done quickly lol

I'm so glad to read that I'm not the only one battling off my snakes at feeding time. I felt like a pansy shielding myself with things etc. but apparently this is just how it goes lol.

I'm picturing Mike with a tub shield attached to straps like a warrior shield and hemostats in the other hand like a sword all "MOVE BACK, FOUL BEAST!"