Feeding questions

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

I'm sorry fire-eyes but I have to disagree with some of the points you made. Feeding does not need to be that complicated.

There is no proof that rats are more nutritious than mice. Feeding one prey item is easier than feeding multiples, but there is nothing wrong with feeding multiple prey items in one sitting. I have fed up to 4 mice in one sitting with no problems.

Cage aggression does not exist in ball pythons. Moving them to another enclosure will only increase the chance of getting bit. I never come into physical contact with my snakes on feeding day and I never get bit. As long as you feed them enough and your husbandry is right, there should be no problem with biting.

I used to use tongs but instead I heat up the head of the rodent with a hair dryer and hold it by the tail when offering. Never been bit. I like to hold on for a little while once they strike and wiggle it so they keep a strong feeding response.

I don't know why you would bring the snake to the thawing food and not the other way arund, you are just asking for a bite handling your snake on feeding day.

I find the most efficient way to thaw rodents is under a heat lamp or on a heat pad for a few hours.

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I agree with most of what you posted here and many of your other posts except for the cage aggression, you just haven't seen it yet. I have rack systems for my ball pythons and I still feed in their tubs that they are housed in. But I have 2 normal females that when I slide the tubs open, I use a snake hook and pull the tub forward with it. Because they will come out of their tubs about 2 feet mouth wide open head going side to side looking for food. After this happens and it's not feeding time, I can hook the snake, reach in and get her out, not a problem. Once she's out of her tub no more aggression. You wouldn't think they are the same snakes as the handle without any problems. If I would feed these 2 out of their tubs, it still might happen. I can have a hotdog in the tongs and these 2 would hit it. I wish all my females had feeding responses like these two. feed in their tubs, but know your snakes!

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Originally Posted by don15681

I agree with most of what you posted here and many of your other posts except for the cage aggression, you just haven't seen it yet. I have rack systems for my ball pythons and I still feed in their tubs that they are housed in. But I have 2 normal females that when I slide the tubs open, I use a snake hook and pull the tub forward with it. Because they will come out of their tubs about 2 feet mouth wide open head going side to side looking for food. After this happens and it's not feeding time, I can hook the snake, reach in and get her out, not a problem. Once she's out of her tub no more aggression. You wouldn't think they are the same snakes as the handle without any problems. If I would feed these 2 out of their tubs, it still might happen. I can have a hotdog in the tongs and these 2 would hit it. I wish all my females had feeding responses like these two. feed in their tubs, but know your snakes!

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Mine is always aggressive the first time I handle him after a feeding. Once I'm able to just touch him the aggression goes away as quickly as it started. It's pretty amusing actually to open up my tub the first time after a feeding, which is usually a few days later. He looks like a cobra the way he pops his head up and sticks part of his body out of the tub. All I have to do is distract him a little with something so I can touch him somewhere on his body. Once I do that, the aggression goes away and he knows it's handling time and not feeding time.