Feeding on substrate - what do you do?

Feed on the substrate, even if it is natural like cyprus, aspen, or coconut?
Feed on the natural substrate, but put paper towels/newspaper/tray over it during feeding, and then take it out afterwards?
Feed in a separate enclosure?

I plan on setting up a display tank for my new BCI and was wondering about feeding time, because I'd really like to use aspen, I think.

Feed on natural (Cypress, currently)
She drags it around to maneuver it how she likes it anyways.

I have thought about putting it on a little tray or something..but that just seems like a bit of overkill.
Next it will be a silver platter, then hand feeding while fanning with a feather fan...It's a vicious cycle ;)

Thaw the rats and drop them in. Right onto the newspaper. Never had a problem before.

I just feed normally in the enclosure. A little bit if substrate isn't going to kill your snake as they ingest bones fine.

If you're uncomfortable with your snake ingesting substrate , just lay a paper towel over the substrate.

But do not feed in a separate container. It creates unnecessary stress and probably not very safe for you or your boa since they're voracious feeders.

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I use aspen in my tanks. As long at the rat isn't COVERED in aspen (which has never happened) I don't worry. They wouldn't have anyone pick off the dirt and junk in the wild, so their bodies are obviously able to digest little things of dirt or debris off the ground. :P Then again, I have to lay down some paper towels for my ball python, because if ANYTHING gets on her food she spits it out. Picky lil' bugger.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

If you're uncomfortable with your snake ingesting substrate , just lay a paper towel over the substrate.
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I would not do this. The f/t rat could easily get the paper towel stuck to it and if the snake ingests that then youre gunna have more problems than just a bit of substrate.

Ingested paper towel often kills the snake a friend of mine is a vet tech and she has had 4 or 5 snakes come in after eating paper towel some have opted for surgery some not. Some lived some died. It is serious no matter how you cut it.

I feed on coco coir Mine eat some with every meal and I have not had any issues with it in the years I have been using it. It is digestible in fairly large amounts and is not sharp and cannot get wedged into the mouth. It is also environmentally one of the best choices (cyprus being very poor)

I have used cyprus in the past and used a feeding shield after an (fluke accident) just a sheet of plastic about 6 inches square. It cut 'substrate mouth' down to next to nothing.

I fed my boa the first time yesterday. I fed her like my ball in a separate container. She didn't seem to mind and she ate just fine.


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Originally Posted by darthkevin

I fed my boa the first time yesterday. I fed her like my ball in a separate container. She didn't seem to mind and she ate just fine.


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Both of mine are feed in separate container, they eat fine.


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Originally Posted by darthkevin

I fed my boa the first time yesterday. I fed her like my ball in a separate container. She didn't seem to mind and she ate just fine.


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:/
Are you still going to be feeding your boa in a separate enclosure when it gets 6ft and hungry?

I feed every one of my snakes in their tubs/enclosures: on paper towels and aspen. This includes all my boas too. I recommend feeding in the enclosure and as long as the rat isn't soaking wet I wouldn't worry about substrate.

GF and I switched from newspaper to aspen recently and it seems to have brought a more positive feeding response from some of our pickier eaters. We feed on the substrate too, a few flakes of aspen isn't gonna harm the snake as I'm sure they get far worse than that in addition to their prey in the wild.

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Yea what she said lol...

Feed all of my snakes in their tanks right on the substrate and I also feed live. Just yesterday my wife fed the snakes and my pastel missed his strike and got a mouthful of carefresh bedding. He proceeded to swallow it and then go for the rat. This is the most substrate that I'ev ever seen any of my guys take however I am not concerned at all about it. As has been said numerous times, they undoubtedly ingest random bits and pieces in the wild so I can't see how doing it in captivity would be an issue.

If the rat is the appropriate size, it will be large enough that any excess substrate will be sloughed off during the feeding process.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I would not do this. The f/t rat could easily get the paper towel stuck to it and if the snake ingests that then youre gunna have more problems than just a bit of substrate.

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Then whats the difference from people using straight out paper towel substrate? I was thinking most people have their f/t on tongs and do the zombie rat dance above their substrate so the snake would strike and coil in the air then drop, thus not catching the towel? And I was hoping people monitor their feedings and have enough sense to unravel the paper towel if it gets coiled too.... And as I feed live, I haven't experienced a gooey F/T rat sticking. /: I guess I can see eating paper towel if you just lie a dead feeder on the ground or a keeper isn't watching...



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I have 11 sometimes 1-5 extras to feed as well. (I do a lot of rehabing rescues) I usually feed them in a few batches. I then check the first batch ect. I don't have time to wait fir one snake to start and finish swallowing a ray before moving on. I have a couple of pokey feeders whom need to constrict for ages and then poke and pull the prey around a while before swallowing. The first one I feed often is just finishing the when the last ones offered have Lang since done. He takes 30-60 min to feed. I have a few 15-30 min feeders it would take many hours to feed everybody if I was to wait start tofinish for them all . Paper towel would require this and the question is what is the advantage over other papers? Nothing. No advantages and a serious health risk and time waster I don't see the point.


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