Feed in cage or separate cage?

That's what I'm saying, and before you tell me I'm wrong I'll say that I've never had a regurge and they are both healthy.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

So, are you saying you handle your Ball pythons 20 minutes after they eat?

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Anyone who feeds out of their housing is going to need to handle them some.
Handling a snake 20 minutes after it fed and putting it into it's enclosure will not cause regurge unless your doing a tango with the snake :snake:
That said, I try not to disturb after eating because I understand how I feel after a big meal :P

Same cage

I've read that it's best to feed out of cage simply so your snake will never confuse you with food, I have never fed out of cage and so far my hand has not been confused with food nor have I ever been bitten in general. So personal preference I guess.

I feed all of my snakes in their tanks. Only exception has been fussy baby corns that went into a paper bag inside their tanks. Never had any aggression issues or impaction issues. If the animal is properly hydrated they shouldnt have any problems passing small pieces of substrate such as aspen shavings. They have been eating in the wild for hundreds of years and seem to be doing pretty good.

I just got my first "real" bite and even that was pretty minor (baby corns don't count!)

I had cleaned my Normal BP's cage and noticed that she hadn't eaten one of the F/T, So I tossed the mouse in the garbage bag and finished cleaning. Then I went to my adult corn snakes cage, set the bag right outside his cage and like an idiot I reached in even though I knew he could smell the mouse and he was looking mighty interested in my hand. He tagged me and then quickly let go. I've owned reptiles for 10 years (snakes for 6), and this is my first bite, so I think feeding in cage is fine as long as you use your brain (obviously mine wasn't on). I have a friend that will only feed out of cage so I think it really depends on what your comfortable with and whether or not your snake will eat out of cage. :)

seperate cage teaches your snake that

1. your fingers are not prey
2. that when they recognize the scent of the second cage/box that its feeding time

Well i feed defrost and they know its feeding time coz a pre scent.

So handling a 4ft+ snake in feeding mode is a sure way to get nailed IMO. Even after they have eaten they will always take another one.

I would suggest you remove any items that could potentially get swallowed before you start to defrost / pre scent the room

I've had snakes for 8 years and have not been biten yet

jim

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Originally Posted by Tiny_loves_Roxanne

seperate cage teaches your snake that

1. your fingers are not prey
2. that when they recognize the scent of the second cage/box that its feeding time

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old school and untrue
Separate cage means possibly getting bit more often, as mentioned, many snakes will eat more than one prey item.

Mine know it's feeding time when I open and close the lids quickly or slide open and closed the drawer quickly.
They have learned to assume that if I leave the lid open it's not feeding time, just time for love :P

I'm a firm believer in feeding ball pythons in their own housing, and most hobbyist these days will agree :)

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Originally Posted by Tiny_loves_Roxanne

seperate cage teaches your snake that

1. your fingers are not prey
2. that when they recognize the scent of the second cage/box that its feeding time

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Funny, my BP has never bitten me. Not once. He also has never bit any of my children for that matter...strange seeing as our fingers look like food to him. My snake smells his rat and knows it's feeding time. I've never had him be confused bc the smell of the "other container" wasn't there. I don't see anything wrong with feeding in another container. I personally don't do it bc it seems to be more of a hassle than anything else. If this was a problem that BP's had (see your list) then everyone would be feeding in another enclosure. I do, however, have a routine for my snakes. When I'm getting them out of the cage, I move their hide and pick them up right away. When it's feeding day, I move the hide, move them over and let them explore a little. This has worked fine for my snake. He almost automatically starts looking for food.