Can I feed my BP in the bathtub?

Would you be hungry if you were suddenly put down naked in a freezing cold bath tub?

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Originally Posted by littlebp

The only reason I wanted to feed her in a separate enclosure is that in my research before getting her I kept coming across people saying it might make her aggressive or when I'm just trying to pick her up she might confuse my hand for food and bite. However, since you all seem to say that it's a non-issue then I have no problem feeding her in the enclosure. I just didn't want to get bitten when I just want to spend time with her another day!

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Its a myth that a lot of people think is true, but it simply isn't true. Nearly all of the of breeders, and most of the members on this site feed their BP's in the snakes cage, and I have yet to hear of a single incidence of cage aggression that was caused by feeding the snake in its cage.

Think about this. To feed a snake in a separate container you have to remove a hungry snake from its cage, then carry it to the feeding tub. After the snake has finished eating you will have to pick it up again (while it is probably still in feeding mode) to move it back to its cage. You are far more likely to get bit doing all of that than you are feeding the snake in its cage. They are smarter than most people think. Unless your hand looks, smells, and gives off the same thermal signature as a rodent your snake isn't going to think that your hand is food.

It would make sense that a snake could form the association of opening the cage and feeding if that is the only time it is opened. As long as you are handling the snake regularly, cleaning up after it, changing the water (I do mine nearly daily) then there should not be any problems. Congrats on the new addition and welcome to the forum.

Like others said, feed the snake in its enclosure. They aren't an aggressive species and cannot be trained to be aggressive by feeding them in their enclosure. If they seem "aggressive" when you open their enclosure you may not be feeding them enough. As for thawing f/t, put the rodent in hot water and keep checking on it. If it still feels a little hard/stiff it's not completely thawed. It can take a while sometimes, jut make sure the belly is soft and they are nice and warm.

The only time I have been bitten during handling of otherwise non-agressive/defensive snakes is trying to remove them from a separate feeding tub after feeding. I haven't used this method for a long time.

In general, feeding time involves me opening the tub, putting said food item in, and closing the tub. The snake then comes out of hiding, eats, and goes back to hiding. They rarely even have the chance to associate me with food. I have done a lot of work with rescued snakes that are emaciated and starving. Even these guys who start out very enthusiastically when I open their lid back right off as soon as they see/smell me and know I am not and have no food.

Also, I'm sure you would clean well, but rats can carry nasty parasites whose eggs can survive freezing. By putting thawed out rats in your bathtub you are opening yourself and your family up for potential illness/infection. This has happened to people who bathe their dogs in their bath tubs. Roundworm and hookworm eggs fall off the animal, stay in your tub, then before you know it.....you have worms.

Feeding in their enclosure usually will get you the best feed results. I wouldn't move her to feed. None of my bps are cage/tub aggressive. Look at this sweet lovey baby, zero tub aggression.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/18/subereba.jpg

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I may be the odd duck out but, I do use a feeding tub with an opaque lid. I feed the one snake and while it is eating I clean out its habitat. Replace the snake in its' habitat, change the paper towel in the tub, wash up and repeat with the 2nd snake.
It has been working fine for me so far but, based on others experience the tub may soon be saved only for habitat teardown and disinfections.

This likely only works for me because I only have a couple of snakes. If I had racks of them, no way would I even consider doing it the way I have been.

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

Would you be hungry if you were suddenly put down naked in a freezing cold bath tub?

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Depends how my day went really... :D:P