Cage feeding

Ok I know everyone states there is no such thing as cage feeding aggression, but I do think that my snakes know what is going on. We do feed in a different tub, I am glad we do. When they are placed in the tub they know what is going on, I clean with soap and water so there should not be a smell. Nut they coil up, get in the S position and wait for the drop. So my theory, at least with these snakes is if I fed in their cage it would confuse them.

Now my husband did, 20 years ago, work at a pet shop they feed in the cage and the snake always struck every time they opened the cage. Husband started feeding new snakes in separate containers, new snakes, the new ones never struck. Said pet shop still feeds this way, we are good friends with them.

So what are others views on this topic, and let's all be nice.


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There's nothing wrong with the way you're doing it if it works for you. I've found that my snakes eat better when they can "hunt" from their cages and their hides. Sometimes the less shy ones will strike as soon as I open the cage during feeding time, but when it is not feeding time I can open any of their cages and handle them without a problem. They seem to go into feeding/hunting mode about an hour after sunset, but during the day they are usually sleeping and never strike... except the babies, they love to strike at all hours of the day. :P

It's crazy how they "know" what is going on!


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My bp's previous owner fed in a different tub but I don't. She has done fine and never strikes at me. One night she was in a rock hide looking out the hole, i reached to lift the top of the hide but decided to leave it. My fingers were dangling in the entrance because that's the best place to grab to lift it but she didn't strike. I then started to lower the mouse toward the hole to bait her out. As the mouse came into her view she struck like lightning and sucked the mouse into the hide, never to be seen again. I realized that she knew the difference between her food and my fingers.

I could see pet store snakes striking because they are not used to regularly being handled and usually when the cage opens it means food. Well that's my thought.

I feed mine in their cages with no problems. My snakes have never been aggressive towards me during feeding time or any other time. They know I'm not a tasty rat lol:banana:

At this pet store they where handled often, small mom and pop store with not many snakes.


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To each their own in my opinion. I would never recommend someone to feed outside of the snakes enclosure simply based on nature and their proclivity towards being skiddish. Taking them out of their hide and exposing them in an open tub just doesn't seem "natural" to me. However if it works for you then keep it up. I have a large sample size with my collection and the cage aggression myth is just that from my perspective. There are snakes that have attitudes and snakes that are calm as can be but that has little to do with where they are fed but more so about personality difference. More important than where you feed them is that they are eating consistently so if you have that battle won then :gj:.

I've never had any of my snakes strike at me because they thought I was food. I feed all my snakes in their own enclosures.
I have one girl who always periscopes out of the tub looking for food the moment I open the tub. She rushes out. If I moved my hand too fast in front of her, I'm sure she would bite.
She's my strongest feeder. But I wouldn't say she's aggressive, but has a very strong feeding response. She doesn't fight or try to bite when I pick her up or handle her. So she's not aggressive. But I just need to give her a second to realize that I'm not food after I open her tub.
But aside from her, none of my other snakes really react negatively to anything other than food (rat). They don't flinch or strike when I rummage around them.

Snakes don't strike for no reason. They have food strikes and defensive strikes.
Could it be that your husband moved to quickly and the snakes reacted to such movement? Plus being in a petstore can be stressful for a ball python. The strikes could just be a result of that stress or husbandry.
I always move slow with my snakes and away from their faces. If I handle my snakes, I slightly brush their sides to let them know I'm there and scoop them from the side or behind.

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Originally Posted by tsy72001

At this pet store they where handled often, small mom and pop store with not many snakes.


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Yes, they are handled but they are young and have not be handled alot in their short life. They still have much to learn and expierence to gain is what I meant.

Not to derail the thread but mite as well ask im probably getting a boa soon feed in cage im guessing and on the note of the thread, my snake was tub fed at the petshop i got him from switched him to his cage. Boy eats like a champ never had him pass on a meal.

I feed in the enclosure. I have a few snakes that would be likely to feed in a tub but not all. Most of my 11 snakes I would not be likely to reach in to the enclosure on the evening of feeding day with the smell of rats in the air. I am 100% sure I would get tagged by many. However if the sounds and more importantly smells of feeding day are missing I have no hesitation or concern to reach in and pick up move hides or whatever I need or want to do. I have never been tagged by one of my snakes unless there was food involved.

IMHO the idea that snakes will become cage aggressive fails to acknowledge the abilities of the snake. They have very very fine sense of smell, heat pits show body temp shape and size. They know a mouse from a rat immediately, They have (generally) very good perception of distance and size (accuracy of strikes) The believe they are likely to 'mistake' a human as food I have a hard time buying. An animal capable of tracking a small rodent from 15 -20 m away it is certain that it will be able to discern a human, smell, shape, and size from a rodent.

The idea that they are being fed in a cage makes them aggressive simply makes no sense an aggressive snake is an aggressive snake in or out of a cage and a passive snake remains passive. there are snakes that are simply willing to strike out of fear but it is unconnected with feeding. They just are, and often with care and patience they learn that the keeper is not a threat. (often not always... sadly)

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Originally Posted by tsy72001

Ok I know everyone states there is no such thing as cage feeding aggression, but I do think that my snakes know what is going on.

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Yes - they know what is going on in the sense that ball pythons (and many other species) do very well with routines that let them anticipate specific events. In this case, they've been conditioned to anticipate feeding when they're put into a separate tub.

A snake that has a feeding response isn't cage aggressive...it has a feeding response. It's not hard to "read" this behavior and turn it off, whether with a snake hook, a roll of paper towels, or simply knowing how to pick up the snake in a manner that does not trigger such a response.

I've always said, when the snake is in its cage, it's allowed to do whatever. When it comes out for handling, it should be accustomed to acting in a well-behaved manner. Feeding in a separate tub caters more to the keeper's comfort level than it does the snake's, IMO, especially with a relatively shy species like the ball python.

$.02...

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

The idea that they are being fed in a cage makes them aggressive simply makes no sense an aggressive snake is an aggressive snake in or out of a cage and a passive snake remains passive. there are snakes that are simply willing to strike out of fear but it is unconnected with feeding. They just are, and often with care and patience they learn that the keeper is not a threat. (often not always... sadly)

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With this said, the sweet snake that we have, 1st one, is not aggressive at all, except in her feeding box. She bite my son and drew blood. The has never struck from her cage or another time.


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Most of our larger breeder girls would probably eat if we moved them to a seperate tub, but most of the others would not. On feeding day, I open the tubs just enough to stick a rat in, close the tub, and move on to the next tub, and they eat well. I don't have an issue with anybody being aggressive. I have one really big girl that is very curious, and I have to bonk her on the nose gently with a piece of paper to remind her I'm not food, but I don't know if she would actually bite, or if she would just come check me out and realize I'm not edible. One snake out of a whole roomful that shows more interest/curiosity than normal, is pretty good for having fed everybody in their tubs since we've had them :)

Im a "newbie" to the snake world - but will offer my 2 cents. (that may be all its worth :P

The pet store we bought our snake from was feeding in a seperate tub. That made perfect sense to us. But When we got her home and the more research I did, i realized that it might not be the best idea to move her to a strange environment for feeding.

So we have fed her numerous meals in her tank now after several months. Only once, (maybe after her 2nd feeding) did she show any aggressive behavior. And this was after the F/T sat in her cage- untouched all night. she did eat it in the a.m. but the rest of that day seemed a little "hyped up" maybe from being in "protective mode" over the mouse all night?? not really sure, but have never seen that behavior since.

I go in her tank daily- change water, etc. just so she gets use to a routine. Take her out after a few days, once she's processed her meal. She has never shown any of the signs she shows as soon as I walk in the room & open the baggie that holds her mouse. I swear she can smell it from across the room. :)

Of the numerous times we've fed her now, she has not eaten right away maybe 5-6 times- In other words, she prefers to eat without an audience. Other times she strikes as soon as we drop it in the tank. Either way, I can't imagine moving her before the meal & her being comfortable enough to eat (although I assume many get use to that situation) Also, I dont think I would want to take her back out of the tub & move her to her tank if she didn't eat right away?!?! Finally, I wouldn't want to pick her up AFTER she eats. she still seems a little too "hungry" post eating, for me to want to put my hand in there & move her :)

This is just our experience so far. As she gets older, this might change?!? but can't see that happening.
On the other hand, I can see there is always exceptions to the rule. I guess it all comes down to the personality of your snake.

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Originally Posted by tsy72001

With this said, the sweet snake that we have, 1st one, is not aggressive at all, except in her feeding box. She bite my son and drew blood. The has never struck from her cage or another time.


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You're more likely to be bitten when feeding in a separate area.

After you've fed him, and let the mouse/rat go down a bit, you have to pick him back up.

I've been snapped at by my bumblebee but only when I tried to remove the mouse he refused to eat >_> but he's a youngin.

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Originally Posted by tsy72001

With this said, the sweet snake that we have, 1st one, is not aggressive at all, except in her feeding box. She bite my son and drew blood. The has never struck from her cage or another time.


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That is actually my point this is a rat scented area with the scent of rat snakes most snakes will strike. Only one of my 11 will not strike under these circumstances. This is not cage aggression just normal healthy feeding response. I wonder if you understand the nature of your own question. The idea is that feeding inside the enclosure will make the snake aggressive inside the cage during non feeding time. the answer is no.

let me try a different method. Snakes have a lower type of response than many other pets, a dog has instinctive responses and cognitive responses and a range of mixed between the two partial instinct with some amount of intellectual control at the same time. Snakes do not. They are either in cognitive response (I like exploration mode) or instinct mode. When in instinct there is nobody home they are running on genetic imperatives. A snake triggered to feeding response by say a smell (why most will pre scent a room to trigger feeding mode) will react as a instinctive killing machine. get in the way and have a 'Stupid Feeding Accident' not the snakes fault, yours. Ever notice a coiled snake even the most shy one can be moved and manipulated in ways they would never tolerate just sitting there? Instinct, no thought at all. When out just hanging with you they may go into instinct mode (defence balling up) but often they are interested in their surroundings tongue flicking and curiously nosing about in a relaxed calm manor (exploration mode). Feeding in the cage will not mean that when you go to change the water (no feeding trigger present) the snake will instantly drop into feeding mode and strike. I have a snake that is bold and aggressive she has struck me 3 times with no reason I can discern. The other 10 I have had 2 strikes from, one time, I accidentally left a zip lock bag that had the the previous days rat in it on the enclosure top. I saw him out and though you ate yesterday you should be sleeping it off you must have pee'd not he was in full on feeding mode. I failed to read the signs correctly and just popped my hand in and got a quick nip for my efforts. The second was straight up abject terror on the snakes part. I rehab rescues and we had got one from a far off spca that had no idea of how to deal with it so the placed it in a room full of barking dogs for a week I got a snake that had come from a car after a 3 hour drive. The snake had 8 or 10 ticks (dog ticks) on it was seriously stressed in a very tight ball. I broke a cardinal rule. I decided to deal with the ticks straight off rather than pop him into quarantine and give him a day to settle before assessing the issues. I dove in and started un curling him and using tick tweezers. I got bit. My fault.

A docile snake will not become an aggressive snake in the cage just because it has been conditioned to be fed in the cage. If that were the case and conditioning could be trained to that degree to over come instinct you could condition a snake to say roll over or other tricks. The case is they can only in the most base way be controlled by manipulation of instinctive drivers. For example feeding a snake dead food by 'tricking it' with artificial body heat and motion. Just tossing in a cold rat is unlikely to get a feeding response they simply will not see it as food.

I simply cannot accept that feeding in the enclosure will mean a snake void of any prey scent or other prey like stimulus will strike when it never did before.