Stop flinching during feeding

How did you stop flinching when you feed your ball pythons? I have a bp that doesnt need tongs for feeding f/t thawed and another is off food so I don't know. But my albino does eat f/t food sometimes without tongs, but I feel like he would eat for me everyday if I fed on tongs. But I keep flinching when they bite the rat, making my albino miss the food. Is it something that I have to get used to to stop flinching or what.

Don't watch. :P

Just wiggle it and wait for that tug like you are fishing.

Lol you flinch that bad that they miss?!! You probably could use a good bite and see how little it hurts to get over the flinching.

This same thing happens to me. No matter how much I say I won't jump I always do, I agree I just close my eyes and when I feel the hit I know. Lol

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Originally Posted by Rob

Lol you flinch that bad that they miss?!! You probably could use a good bite and see how little it hurts to get over the flinching.

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Haha! Tough love! I approve of this message! :gj:

Can't you just throw it in and let it be? That's what I do and my ball eats regularly.

You can flinch faster than they can strike lol? Ive never seen someone twitch out that much. I guess try just thawing it out and leaving it in the cage over nite. Two of mine eat just fine like that. If i do zombie dance they will strike and constrict but if i just leave it in there they just go up to it and start to eat it...

Reading your post, I'm having a hard time figuring out if you do use tongs or you don't use tongs?

My advise...use tongs.

I feel your pain! When I fed my very first snake for the first time (f/t) I remember flinching terribly. It wasn't scared of being bitten, it was that they just move so dang fast! My first corn snake's cage was under a shelf and I remember several occasions of bruising my knuckles when I went to feed (the cage was a couple inches under it and I pulled the cage out some, but still managed to hit the shelf).

I agree it's much easier to just not watch. That way you don't even know it's coming! I have to get blood tests done a lot and I still have to look away when the needle goes in or I'll freak out, but afterwards I'm fine. And tongs are best as well. That way you have a very tiny chance of even being bitten :)

I use tongs but lets just say they are not the best tongs to use. And I think its also a bit of a reaction kind of because I still watch the snake and right when it gets the rat I move my hand a bit. And I can't just throw it in because although he coils it, he later doesnt eat it.

I don't know how to answer man I have never fliched because I use tongs when they are live or if I pre-kill. I good pair of tongs are only $6 about 7 inches long

haha. Been there, not that bad though. You also need to be very careful too, BPs can be sensitive animals. When i got my first BP he ate for me 3 times and the 4 time i "flinched" and the mouse accidently hit the snake in the face and he got startled. He ate that mouse, but went off FEED for the next month. PTSD maybe? LOL

My spider goes absolute psycho when he's eating and it's kind of scary. I use the lid of the tub as a shield when I open it. I used to drop the prey a LOT and since he's a little wobbly, sometimes it takes him 2 or 3 hits to get it. This has caused me much grief.

I'm going to get these as I think it will help me: http://www.bigappleherp.com/Hemostats

I currently use a long tweezer style hemostat. I think they suck. You said 'tongs' so maybe that is what you already use... but if not check out a LONGER hemostat so you can feel 'safer.'

You also kind of have to just get over it. I used to release as soon as they struck because I'm jumpy too, but as I see more videos and meet more keepers I see that they hold onto the prey till the snake gets a firm grip and even give a little tug to make them really clamp down. That's what I do now and recommend it.

GL

Since I had to switch my bp over from live to f/t, I decided to get tongs the day I bought her. I wasn't sure what to expect feeding response-wise so I bought the 10-12" variety 'just in case' and they have worked wonderfully. To keep from flinching too much as my girl does strike pretty hard, I rest the edge of the tongs on the side of her tub to steady it but now that I'm getting used to it, I find I don't jump nearly as much. Also, I do what MrLang suggested and hold on, giving a little tug, to simulate a live prey item. It helps with the startle response since I know I can't just let go.

I've had Pretzel for nearly a year and a half now and her strike still makes me jump. Its just me, i'm not scared, I'd love for her to tag me at some point. I use tongs. She's just SO lazy recently and strikes less often, but i'm being persistent. I don't really wanna leave it in there and be done with it... no fun :)

Grant has had Munch at his house now for 3 weeks, and not flinched once :) Though he did admit it made his heart race a bit :)

I literally jump everytime I feed Ferb. I'm not scared to get bit, he's just so bloody fast, it shocks me each and everytime. Even with tongs, my heart beats like it will jump out of my chest.

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Originally Posted by ShaleneRafuse

I literally jump everytime I feed Ferb. I'm not scared to get bit, he's just so bloody fast, it shocks me each and everytime. Even with tongs, my heart beats like it will jump out of my chest.

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Thats me. I'm not scared one bit. In fact I would like to feel a snake bite, but like their eating response just shocks me.

You can feed your snake from the next room over with these bad boys...

http://www.reptilebasics.com/hemostat-18

lol i do the same, i always jump they just strike so fast its almost impossible not to jump, i tried seeing how far he could strike one time and moved the mouse further away from him as he was about to strike and he missed and whacked my hand but immediately let go, it didn't hurt but bled pretty bad lol wouldn't recommend doing this, but really shows how far they can strike but not too accurate at a distance

This video highlights A- why you should use tongs and B- how big of babies us flinchers are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjZ69by5i2I

Didn't even react! And those puppies pack a punch!