How do I keep from jumping when I feed my snakes?

I managed to feed my 6 month old a pinky rat tonight and I barely flinched! Lol I think I just get in my head too much. I really do love feeding though! I always look forward to it.

I have been feeding snakes since I was 11 years old and I still jump like 75% of the time, lmao. It’s like those scenes in horror movies where stuff pops out at you.... you know it’s gonna happen and keep telling yourself it will but sometimes it still spooks you lol.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shadowy

I managed to feed my 6 month old a pinky rat tonight and I barely flinched! Lol I think I just get in my head too much. I really do love feeding though! I always look forward to it.

---

Not to get too much off topic, but is this a 6 month old BP? If so, an actual pinky rat is most likely too small. There are some very helpful feeding charts on this site. You want to offer prey that is roughly as thick around as the widest point of the snake. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WhompingWillow

Not to get too much off topic, but is this a 6 month old BP? If so, an actual pinky rat is most likely too small. There are some very helpful feeding charts on this site. You want to offer prey that is roughly as thick around as the widest point of the snake. :)

---

I know it’s too small, I actually fed 2 of them. My supplier was out of the size I needed so I got these temporarily and have just been feeding 2 at a time.

I've jumped many times while feeding Crowley, he is just so fast it catches you off guard even when you're expecting it. If you are using regular tongs your ball python should be fine. Anytime I jumped to feeding Crowley the rat got ripped from the tongs faster than I could even pull back. I've jumped a lot while feeding and never had any issues with pulling teeth out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alittleFREE

I have been feeding snakes since I was 11 years old and I still jump like 75% of the time, lmao. It’s like those scenes in horror movies where stuff pops out at you.... you know it’s gonna happen and keep telling yourself it will but sometimes it still spooks you lol.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

LOL... With my bigger snakes, they hit it so hard it is hard not to jump. I just work hard to control how far I jump. As for my BPs... Shiva is the one that is excited when it comes to food and she hits hard as she can every time. I have learned her method of attack but she surprises me from time to time. Is a fun part of the hobby. Love these guys.

I always jump inside when Punch, my 8 foot Boa strikes.

I never see the actual strike. The stack of cages shake, there’s a loud noise, all I see is him coiling around the rat. He is my most aggressive feeding snake. He will strike if the prey is 90 degrees from him. He will even strike like a gator if the prey is directly behind him.

I am always on extra alert when feeding him.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7716d6cb97.jpg

Punch, Wild Type BI

Feeding snakes definitely counts as entertainment. When I feed my big yellow rat snakes, they strike so hard that if they're in their branches at the time, they often
tumble down, rolling around with their f/t prey as if doing serious battle. Eleven years old & they STILL don't believe prey is ever dead...LMAO.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reinz

I always jump inside when Punch, my 8 foot Boa strikes.

I never see the actual strike. The stack of cages shake, there’s a loud noise, all I see is him coiling around the rat. He is my most aggressive feeding snake. He will strike if the prey is 90 degrees from him. He will even strike like a gator if the prey is directly behind him.

I am always on extra alert when feeding him.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7716d6cb97.jpg

Punch, Wild Type BI

---

Looks like you are putting that exercise machine to good use! LOL

I’m just the type of guy that can not jump. I work on race cars for a living and when u have to do stuff while the car is running and u know no matter what u can’t jump or u will get your hand crushed and chewed up. So I guess that helped. And I can normally tell when they are going to strike