(poll) Do You Feed Your BP In It's Viv?

Sorry if this has been done already but I was just curious who feeds in the tank and who separates them?

Add any additional comments as to why you think it should be done a certain way!

uhh where the poll?

You didn't post a poll. And I think it has already been done. Anyways, inside of the cage.

poll is up

Inside of their tub. When I had fewer BPs I tried feeding outside but once I got over 5 or so it became too much of a hassle.

They may be a little more inclined to bit when I open the cage up for something other than feedings but they are handled pretty frequently and I always have a snake hook to give them a little tap to let them know there's no food coming. I also use tongs when feeding so they don't directly associate my hand with food.

And in the end BP bites aren't that bad so I can live with that for the huge convience of feeding in tub.

If I were dealing with a much larger animal things would probably be different. Since the risk would be a lot higher.

My snake will only eat inside her enclosure but i would feed outside enclosure if I had the choice.

Feed in a seperate tub, heard that if u feed them in there tank they might be more prone to biting you. Is this true???

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Originally Posted by armbarvictim

Sorry if this has been done already but I was just curious who feeds in the tank and who separates them?

Add any additional comments as to why you think it should be done a certain way!

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Since hatchlings my bps have always been fed in a seperate enclosure...I just don't want to take any chances of them biting me or worst eating bedding by accident...so I just feed them in seperate enclosures...by the way they get use to it once you start feeding them since they're hatchlings...they won't get stress...they would if you did when they're adults already though...

I feed in the enclosure. I haven't really had any problems with cage aggressiveness. There was a small time frame where he used to dart out of his hide whenever I went to open up his tub back when I first started feeding in there, but he doesn't do it anymore now that he knows food isn't always coming. Even when he used to dart out, he would never strike until he knew for sure it was food.

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Originally Posted by Nickcb

Feed in a seperate tub, heard that if u feed them in there tank they might be more prone to biting you. Is this true???

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I have read way more stories about people getting bit from moving their snakes back to it's enclosure after feeding than stories of cage aggressiveness.

I feed them in their tubs--some of my snakes refuse to eat if they have been handled at all that day.
I use newspapers, so eating bedding is not a concern.

I feed them outside their tanks, but I don't have a problem with people feeding in their tanks. Mine don't mind being moved before/after eating. Plus, I use sani-chips, and since my snakes slobber all over their mice, I don't want them ingesting any substrate.

If anyone's worried about cage aggressive behavior (which honestly, is not a problem with balls) then think about hook training. Every time you are NOT feeding the snakes (handling, cleaning, watering) gently tap the snake on the head with a hook or anything else that is available on hand. The snake quickly learns that it is not being fed. This is particularly useful for the larger snakes. Burms and retics start acting like a dog that thinks it's getting a treat as soon as you start opening their cage. A quick tap on the head, and their feed response is completely extinguished and they can be safely taken out of their cage.

On top of that, there are a number of cons to feeding in a separate tank. Many balls will not eat if they are constantly being moved back and forth. A couple of mine won't eat if I'm watching them or if I've touched them at all any time that day. Plus, while this does not apply to balls, what's more dangerous? A retic that's being fed inside it's cage? Or a retic that's just finished feeding, is still in feeding frenzy mode, and now needs to be moved back into his cage?

Always feed mine in his viv and never had any problems!

I feed my BP inside of his enclosure. I once tried feeding him in a separate feeding enclosure and he would not eat this way. Now I just do what works best and that is feeding him in his enclosure.

feed all of my animals inside there enclosures

All 40+ are fed in their tubs. I've never ever fed in a separate feeding tub, and I've never been mistaken for food.

all of mine are fed inside their enclosures. I use news paper for substrate so i dont have to worry about them ingesting anything.

I feed mine in a different enclosure so he doesn't get any bedding in his mouth. Sani chips stick to everything.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

All 40+ are fed in their tubs. I've never ever fed in a separate feeding tub, and I've never been mistaken for food.

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Never been mistaken for food? I only got 13 BPs and I've been bit a decent # of times by snakes a little to eager to get their ASFs or rats.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

All 40+ are fed in their tubs. I've never ever fed in a separate feeding tub, and I've never been mistaken for food.

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Never been mistaken for food? I only got 13 BPs and I've been bit a decent # of times by snakes a little to eager to get their ASFs or rats.

I have only been tagged once that way, when the snake shot past the rat, came up out of the tub and started climbing the side of the rack--I thought he was fleeing. I realized I was wrong when I grabbed him to put him back, and he grabbed me. <lol>

I have been mistaken for food a few times, but only when food was actually present. I dodge well, though. ^_^

Technically I feed in his enclosure-the thing is he has not eaten yet :p

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Originally Posted by euphuistical

Never been mistaken for food? I only got 13 BPs and I've been bit a decent # of times by snakes a little to eager to get their ASFs or rats.

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Nope - never. I do get some that are eager to take food from my hand before I can drop it in, but they have never mistaken ME for food. Nor have they attempted to bite me on non-feed days.

I have always fed in thier enclosures, racks etc, no mater what size the snake. I've been dealing with snakes for over 20 yrs and have always done this. Some snakes have a strong feeding response and trying to put them back in thier cages after feeding is not a win win situation. Just my 2 cents

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

all of mine are fed inside their enclosures. I use news paper for substrate so i dont have to worry about them ingesting anything.

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I would have to agree... as long as my hands are clean I have no problems..:D

I just feed my BPs in a separate container. I've always done it that way and I'm used to it. Plus once I put them in there my snakes know right away that it's feeding time, so they are already ready once their in the tubs.

I used to feed in a feeding tub but now I find it is easier just to feed in the cage. I use newspaper so that's not a concern. I haven't any more or less aggressive behavior between either method.

All six of mine are fed in the tubs, they also share the snake room with my rat colony. I've never been bit and don't have problems with food aggression, just one snake with a bad tude :D

I always feed in a separate enclosure that is opaque, i tried once in his/her tank and wouldn't eat... so far never been bitten afterwards, I just leave him in there until he starts to come out over the edge on his own

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Originally Posted by jayefbe

If anyone's worried about cage aggressive behavior (which honestly, is not a problem with balls) then think about hook training. Every time you are NOT feeding the snakes (handling, cleaning, watering) gently tap the snake on the head with a hook or anything else that is available on hand. The snake quickly learns that it is not being fed. This is particularly useful for the larger snakes. Burms and retics start acting like a dog that thinks it's getting a treat as soon as you start opening their cage. A quick tap on the head, and their feed response is completely extinguished and they can be safely taken out of their cage.

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I know this was posted long ago but I just found it and wanted to thank you for this info!!! My BP recently just came out of a 4 1/2 month long fast period. Previous to that I was feeding in a seperate tank. Now after 2 successful feedings without moving him ( :D ) I have decided that this is what I will be doing from now on. However, I am a little gun shy since he now peeks his head out of his hide waiting for the mouse and then strikes right away LOL. I know it's normal for him. But after 4 1/2 months it's not normal for me LOL.

I have a hook though and that is a great idea and way for me to ease my own fears about being bit!!! So THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feed in their own enclosure.. Generally if you follow a schedule and always feed on the same day, the snakes will learn when its feeding day. Some people have no problem feeding in a seperate box (which is really required if you have a bedding in its enclosure that is not safe to ingest) but sometimes doing this will stress the snake and it will not want to eat. So i just use newspapers and papertowles in their enclosure and feed them in there on thursdays every week.

i would prefer my snake seeing my hand to go "Oh, this jerk again, whatever I'm fine" instead of "I'M GUNNA GET FOOD SOON!!!!!!" and running the risk of it striking. I mean... you would have to feed it the moment it moved for that to happen, but if you left it for 10~20 minutes in it's feeding tank you wouldn't have this issue (classical conditioning requires very short time intervals between neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus (your hand, the rodent)).

I take out my bp's, put the mouse in the tank, and then put them back in, just to be safe. My one male bp can get really excited if he sees a mouse...

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

i would prefer my snake seeing my hand to go "Oh, this jerk again, whatever I'm fine" instead of "I'M GUNNA GET FOOD SOON!!!!!!" and running the risk of it striking. I mean... you would have to feed it the moment it moved for that to happen, but if you left it for 10~20 minutes in it's feeding tank you wouldn't have this issue (classical conditioning requires very short time intervals between neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus (your hand, the rodent)).

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In the four and a half years I've been feeding about 40 ball pythons in their enclosures, I've never been mistaken for food. But then, I also don't smell like a rodent (another vital piece of the classical conditioning) when I go into their enclosures. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Isis

All six of mine are fed in the tubs, they also share the snake room with my rat colony. I've never been bit and don't have problems with food aggression, just one snake with a bad tude :D

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I wonder which one that is? :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

In the four and a half years I've been feeding about 40 ball pythons in their enclosures, I've never been mistaken for food. But then, I also don't smell like a rodent (another vital piece of the classical conditioning) when I go into their enclosures. :gj:

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I was saying that that is why I DO feed them in the enclosures. By feeding it outside of the enclosure it will come to think that you picking it up means food is coming soon, thus it will be more likely to strike at you if you move it than if you don't. (Classical Conditioning)

I feed mine in their tubs, I do everything wrong also according to popular opinion and still never have problems of aggression or getting bit or anything.

I feed them on a random schedule I try to stick to every saturday but sometimes It just doesn't happen *insert excuse here*, I feed anytime during the day, morning, mid day, night. doesn't seem to matter. Lights on or Lights off, again doesn't matter. Whenever i decied "im gonna feed the snakes now" is when they get fed.

I keep 11 snakes, 7 of which are BPs... no problems. If i stick my hand in there they always smell me, and even if I was handling the rodents, i still don't think they'd try to eat my hand. I mean the only one that would worry me would be the small GTP. thats the one i know would bite me if he smelled rodent. but if I don't smell like rodent i can stick my hand right in there and he'd smell it and most likly go back to sleep.