Way too excited when it's time for a meal

Hi,

so I've been at a loss for quite some time now. I have a male ball python that will turn 1 year that the end of this month. He ways about 590g and eats every Friday. I give him a small rat (weight ranges from 60 to 90 grams).
Since I don't handle him, he seems to know that when I stay for a longer time that it's feeding time (I normally take a short look at him every evening when he's awake). This is where the trouble starts.
Before I am even able to offer the rat he's already waiting right at the glass front being all excited and ready to strike. I'm not really scared of being bitten but if I can avoid it, I'll gladly do so. I also don't want him to strike at the glass (I'm afraid he might hurt himself) or open the door so he can get out of his enclosure, so I just leave the room for a few minutes. Normally it takes me at least about half an hour before I can offer the rat.
I've considered feeding in a separate box but I don't know if that's a good idea.
Anyone got an idea what I should do?

Btw. he won't eat if I just drop the rat. He wants to see it wiggle while it's warm.

Keep feeding in the enclosure. Moving him before and again after is asking to be tagged.

When you do open the enclosure and it's not feeding time try a gentle little boop on the snoot with a paper towel roll. That usually let's them know it's not feeding time and they will snap out of feed mode. It may take a little time and patience, but should do the trick.

Feeding separately would just make chances of getting bitten higher. It's cool he has a great feeding response!

Just use long tongs and open the enclosure a crack just to fit the tongs and rat in, and stick the rat right in his face. If he tries to move around the rat (if ever), just stick the rat back in his face and push him back. It will be okay!

I just noticed that I wrote weighs as ways. Sorry, I'm really tired. I meant he weighs 590g.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Keep feeding in the enclosure. Moving him before and again after is asking to be tagged.

When you do open the enclosure and it's not feeding time try a gentle little boop on the snoot with a paper towel roll. That usually let's them know it's not feeding time and they will snap out of feed mode. It may take a little time and patience, but should do the trick.

---

Then I'm going to stick with feeding him in his enclosure. I know that most people think that feeding outside of the enclosure is unnecessary but I'm just a little frustrated, I guess. Touching him in that stake is just asking to get bit, isn't it?
But I can try the paper towel thing. As long as I'm gentle enough it should be fine, right? I won't hurt him.
Normally, if he's not hungry, he won't run at me like that. It's just two or three days before the next feeding.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by redshepherd

Feeding separately would just make chances of getting bitten higher. It's cool he has a great feeding response!

Just use long tongs and open the enclosure a crack just to fit the tongs and rat in, and stick the rat right in his face. If he tries to move around the rat (if ever), just stick the rat back in his face and push him back. It will be okay!.

---

Yes, I think so too. I love that he's always eager to eat and I feel at ease when I eats his food. There have only been two times when he refused to eat: The first week that I got him and once when he was in deep shed. I never expected him to be like that since his breeder only fed live and I feed frozen.
Anyway, I'll definitely try it. Normally I put the rat as far as away as possible and then slowly move it towards him. Once it's in his range, it's gone. If I hold it right in front of him right when I open the enclosure, it'll be gone within a few seconds. I never tried that because I know that he will strike immediately. It happened before that he stroke (or is it striked?) so hectically that it caused him to miss (but he always tries again).

u also have to remember that u have a Bumblee - a Pastel Spider combo. the Spider gene and it's wobble adds a lil extra step (some pep?) to a BP. my Honeybee patrols the front of his tub and comes shooting out on feed day. i don't mind it and find it exciting. maybe u can try prepping and warming the rat somewhere else in the house to minimize his wait and excitement, but u should continue feeding him in enclosure.

anyway take a deep breathe, use long tongs or hemostats, take a step back if u want, be ready for the strike and be ready to repeat if it misses the strike. ;)

My girl Flame is like this. As soon as she smells a rat, she is waiting in her enclosure to strike at any moment! Even if she just ate, (when I am feeding another of the snakes.) As soon as I slide open the tub, I have to instantly offer the rat on tongs, if I give her even a second, she leaps out and starts striking at anything warm! She is voracious. :hungry: I am SO HAPPY about it, as she has never refused a meal, and is growing rapidly.

Also, she has never struck at me defensibly and my kids can even hold her, I just have be very cautious if there is any rodent odor at all around! THEN she turns into a killer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ax01

u also have to remember that u have a Bumblee - a Pastel Spider combo. the Spider gene and it's wobble adds a lil extra step (some pep?) to a BP. my Honeybee patrols the front of his tub and comes shooting out on feed day. i don't mind it and find it exciting. maybe u can try prepping and warming the rat somewhere else in the house to minimize his wait and excitement, but u should continue feeding him in enclosure.

anyway take a deep breathe, use long tongs or hemostats, take a step back if u want, be ready for the strike and be ready to repeat if it misses the strike. ;)

---

I've had him for 8 months now and I definitely noticed his love for food. Before I got him, I read up on Spiders and many people mentioned that they're amazing eaters.
But I have nothing to compare him to because he's my only snake but he loves eating for sure. I also prep the rat in the kitchen, so he shouldn't notice but I have my tongs (they're about 12 inches long) at his enclosure, so I just take the rat out of the bag with the tongues and then he's already waiting. Also I will try to optimise my food offering style so that both of us don't have to wait too long.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Godzilla78

My girl Flame is like this. As soon as she smells a rat, she is waiting in her enclosure to strike at any moment! Even if she just ate, (when I am feeding another of the snakes.) As soon as I slide open the tub, I have to instantly offer the rat on tongs, if I give her even a second, she leaps out and starts striking at anything warm! She is voracious. :hungry: I am SO HAPPY about it, as she has never refused a meal, and is growing rapidly.

Also, she has never struck at me defensibly and my kids can even hold her, I just have be very cautious if there is any rodent odor at all around! THEN she turns into a killer.

---

Haha I see. You have one of the same temperament. I'll definitely try to make offering a bit faster and easier for both my snake and I. Just like your snake, I'm also sure he'd leap out of his enclosure if I'm not fast enough.
By the way Friedrich (that's his name) is very kind while being handled (I do handle him when I have to clean his cage. I check if he looks healthy and also weigh him before putting him in a warm darkened box to wait which is also the box I used for his quarantine.). He never struck at anyone or even threatened to strike at them. If you touch him though, I can happen that he'll curl up into a little ball (but that was only once).