8 Ball Pythons - Feeding Lessons

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Originally Posted by Jake_Snake

Good video! I just can't say that I hate feeding rodents to my snakes. I actually get a lot of pleasure out of it. :D

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I hear ya.. I hate rodents! Sorry guys/gals.. That is the only thing I hate about keeping snakes. I wish I could switch them over to frozen/thawed pizza!

Everytime i go to youtube, I'll always watch this great video. thank you for sharing your technique.

Great video! :gj: Thanks for posting it.

And I can see with that many snakes how you'd have the technique down.

Also nice to know what Adam looks like. And not bad looking I have to add. ;)
I'm sure lots already know him but since I'm new to the hobby it's always nice to have a face to go with the name.

I liked the video - I enjoy watching snakes eat - too cool!

Where can I find tongs that long??? Most I've ever seen is 10".

Ideas Anyone?

Not much of an increase but heres one in 12'

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Tweezer-12-p-16241.html

phenomenal vid. ty for sharing

Great video! I'm sure those tips will come in handy soon. :D

I do have a question, though...I know that when you get a new snake, you're supposed to leave it in the tank without bothering it for a week or two, so it can get comfortable. Does that include NOT feeding it for a week or two after moving it in?

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Originally Posted by patattack

Great video! I'm sure those tips will come in handy soon. :D

I do have a question, though...I know that when you get a new snake, you're supposed to leave it in the tank without bothering it for a week or two, so it can get comfortable. Does that include NOT feeding it for a week or two after moving it in?

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Yes.

Big mistake by a lot of new keepers is that they are excited to have a new snake and all that comes with it, including feeding. They jump the gun so to speak, the snake refuses, and the keeper is left scratching their head.

They need a week or two, some more, with no action to ensure that they properly set into their new surroundings.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

Yes.

Big mistake by a lot of new keepers is that they are excited to have a new snake and all that comes with it, including feeding. They jump the gun so to speak, the snake refuses, and the keeper is left scratching their head.

They need a week or two, some more, with no action to ensure that they properly set into their new surroundings.

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Cool, thanks! I assume I should at least put new water in the bowl when necessary?

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Originally Posted by ALEX B.

great video
i feed f/t fuzzies to my 3 month old ball
should i let it thaw out by the tank so she can get the scent, right now it thaws in the connecting bathroom, probably close enough that she can still smell it though,. huh?

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I feed my BP F/t and I usually just let it thaw in the kitchen but then I bring it into the room and put it under the heat lamp that I used to use for about 5 minutes to warm it up and she starts going CWAZY zoomin around looking for the mouse :D and she gobbles it up every time.
Also thanks Adam! I would never have known how important pre-scenting was if I hadn't watched this video a while ago :salute:

He ate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told our kids mom can't feed live.
So I gave our new BP 4 week old 3 weeks to make the switch (knowing I'd never ba able to give him up, but a mom's gotta sound tough every once in a while:rolleyes:)

Anyway, after the breeder and store owner said nope...he wasn't even remotely interested he a live only feeder I was LUCKY to find this video when I went searching.

Yes I'd already read everything I could find online, in the books etc.

But today was our first attempt. Did exactly as the video showed and BAM!!! He struck in less than 10 seconds....he'd been out looking within 5 minutes of me placing the mouse on the cage and I fed him at the 30 minute mark:D

Just wanted to give 8 Ball a big :gj: you are so gracious to share so that us midwestern gals have as good a shot as the pros at having healthy pythons:bow::bow::bow:
THANK YOU!!!

Adam...that was a very well put together video. I enjoyed watching it... "more than once".

That was VERY professional and informative!!! I never thought about "prescenting" the room 30 min before feeding day. I think I'm gonna try it now.....

What about leaving the mice/rats in the same room all the time... mine are about 5 ft away from my snake tank at all times?

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Originally Posted by PythonKaa

What about leaving the mice/rats in the same room all the time... mine are about 5 ft away from my snake tank at all times?

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I have my mice in the same room and I haven't noticed a difference from when there were no mice in the room.

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Originally Posted by Jake_Snake

Good video! I just can't say that I hate feeding rodents to my snakes. I actually get a lot of pleasure out of it. :D

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:confused::colbert::weirdface

how should i pre-scent with f/t???

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Originally Posted by nybp

how should i pre-scent with f/t???

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While you are thawing it (whether it be in hot water or just thawing to room temperature) just leave it by the snakes enclosure. Make sure you get it above room temperature before you feed it though, otherwise the snake won't see it against the room temperature background.

Great Video!!!!...

Where can I get some of those tongs or clippers you use to feed the rats with...?

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Originally Posted by btrout56

Where can I get some of those tongs or clippers you use to feed the rats with...?

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Pet stores, online reptile supply dealers like Reptile Basics.

NICEEE video, I loved it, i just hold the mouse by the tip of the tail and wiggle it in front of my snake usually and she nails it.

great video!!! it just keeps getting better the more i watch it

I fed my new BP for the first time today and he took f/t with no problem (he had been eating live)...and I wouldn't have let it thaw next to the tank if I hadn't seen this video!

Couple comments.

You show a bin full of live rats moving around. Then you (presumably) feed stunned or pre-killed without saying they're stunned or pre-killed. I found this misleading as I tried to pick up a couple mice with tongs and hurt them doing it, trying to copy your technique. Now I feel bad about needlessly causing them pain.

The other thing is you contradict yourself. At the beginning of the video you say you love feeding your snakes. But at the end you say you hate feeding your snakes. Can't have it both ways.

OK so guy above me is very confused. Most animals have an excess of skin above their neck (the nape) and are almost always carried by their mothers by this flap of skin. Also he said he loved feeding the snakes, just not the killing of the rats. He can totally have it both ways.

Also I have a question. I plan on feeding f/t mice to my young ball python and was wondering how exactly to feed him. Do I need to use tongs like the video? Do I just drop the mouse in the cage for my snake to find? I know it's a very basic question but feeding time is approaching and I'm nervous.

I'm not a dude, dude.

And I did pick up the mice by the skin on the back of the neck and boy did they squeal and squirm. I went back and rewatched the video, and you can see the rats hanging limply. It is deceptive as it does show a bin full of live rats moving around. The shots of the snakes striking are quick so I had to watch closely to see what the rats were doing -- which was hanging there lifelessly.

I also got the impression he's not that concerned over feeding live rats given his enthusiastic affirmation of how he loves to feed his snakes but admitted what he did to assuage those who are quite vocally averse to live feeding.

As for feeding, do what works. I have 3 snakes that strike at tongs like there's no tomorrow. My newest BP still is settling in, he's struck and hit, struck and missed, and now totally ignores the tongs so I leave the prey at his doorstep. And my fifth snake has taken to refusing f/t so he's now getting live (that's easy, just drop it in).

ok when i hold mice but the extra skin by their neck it dosent hurt them, the squealing is fear because their natural predators will grab them from above like that

Do those work with f/t to? Whats the best way to sent the room with a thawed mouse.


Leave it near the cage while it thaws and warm it with a hair dryer near the cage?

Thanks! I used what I learned from your video to feed my bps this past weekend. I was able to get them both to eat on the first try with F/T mice!

I used a set of tongs and held the F/T mice by the tip of the tail. The tongs allowed me to put the mouse virtually in the snake's face. I moved the mouse around to get the snake to think that it was alive and then slowly dangled the mouse closer to the snake. Once it was in range...BAM! I got both snakes to take multiple F/T mice in one feeding this way.

It deifinitely works for F/T. Good luck!

:( I cant see the vidio anymoreeeeeeeeeeeeee:mad:!! And I need to teach some dudes!!:mad: