should I let her explorer.

When I take her out of her cage she like to try and get on the floor. I let her go for awhile then pick her back up and start over. when I put her back in the cage it seems to me that she's not happy with it and just goes around the cage looking for a way out. What should I do? On top of that her first feed for me is coming up. I bought a separate cage for that to feed her in. Should I put aspen in that as well? I also don't want her stuck in that cage for that time period. How should I go about getting her back into her main cage?:snake:

Feed her in her enclosure, then you don't need to worry about getting her back into it. If it worries you, lay down a paper towel under where you offer food so aspen doesn't stick to it. If you hope to avoid being tagged by feeding her in a different enclosure, you're doing it wrong; you're way more likely to get bitten by a snake still in feeding mode when you reach for it than you are any other time.
As for her nightly rounds, some snakes just do it and need a bit to wind down after handling.

Wouldn't she the start associating her main cage for feeding.? Then after the 48hrs of letting her be couldn't she nip at me? Thinking it's food?

Do not feed her in a seperate container. It's old bad informations that just won't I away because newbies read about it, it makes sense the way it's written, so they keep doing it until someone more experienced gets them to stop. If you are worried about being bit from feeding in the tank just learn the hook technique and it stops that from happeneing. When feeding just feed. When wanna hold poke it with a hook. It learns poke means no food don't bite. It doesn't have to actually be a hook, just something long enoug to reach in and poke it without your hand being in the tank.

It's an on going debate which is better. Some people swear by feeding in the same enclosure. Others feed in a separate one. If your going with a feeding enclosure, skip the aspen and paper towels. Paper towels can be a real hazard. I personally use a feeding cage. One of the reasons for using a separate feeding cage is to avoid the ingestion of bedding materials. If you worried about feeding mode aggression, just use a snake hook or place a towel over the snakes head. That should calm it down no problem.

I think it all comes down to personal preference, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. I personally do not feed in a separate enclosure, and have never had any problems.

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Originally Posted by albinos_rule

I think it all comes down to personal preference, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. I personally do not feed in a separate enclosure, and have never had any problems.

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I absolutely agree. It's personal preference. I feed live so I feel more comfortable feeding in a seperate enclosure and never gotten bit or striked (sp?) at. My BPs know that once they go into their feeding box, it's meal time.

Do what works for you.

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Originally Posted by lorenhavens

Wouldn't she the start associating her main cage for feeding.? Then after the 48hrs of letting her be couldn't she nip at me? Thinking it's food?

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Short answer: no.



Long(er) answer: she can strike at you whenever she wants. She has that ability. Every animal with teeth (or a mouth) can bite. :P But unless you ONLY open the cage to feed, the chances of her mistaking your clean, dry hand for food... I just don't see it.

Handlers do get bitten and mistaken for food, but that is often with a mouse or rat scent on their hands. Snakes are instinctual, but have good "resources" for hunting. Ball pythons specifically have heat pits and can sense minute differences between you and its food.


I don't know if I'm explaining this well enough, so I hope someone already has and I missed reading it in the comments. Or maybe someone better at explaining and with more experience will come along!

:)



To answer your original question. I wouldn't let her/him go. They can be quick. If you are new or newish to snakes, then that's really a chance I think. I used to let one of my snakes crawl around on the back of a wire chair when she was smaller, but as soon as she hit the floor I picked her up.
You can never really trust reptiles, or animals in general. Or people. Don't trust anyone.
Kidding ;)

But my suggestion is to get to know your snake's personality and patterns for quite awhile before you do anything too adventurous like taking her/him outside, or letting them roam further than you have.

Has anyone handle their bp and feed it right after? Plan on feeding it tomorrow just want to make sure she eats. Could i use a sandwich container lid to put the mouse on so the aspen doesn't get on it or could that hurt my bp?

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Originally Posted by lorenhavens

Has anyone handle their bp and feed it right after? Plan on feeding it tomorrow just want to make sure she eats. Could i use a sandwich container lid to put the mouse on so the aspen doesn't get on it or could that hurt my bp?

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Why are you handling right before/after feeding?


Usually "handling" refers more to longer duration of handling, as in more than just a couple seconds/minutes when moving the animal, for example, from one place to the next, or weighing/measuring it.

Keep in mind that any handling, especially to a young or new snake, can be stressful. Stress can cause a snake to refuse a meal.

I think putting the mouse on a lid on the aspen is a great idea. My corn snake takes her mouse right out of a small ice cream container. My ball python is picky though, and I have to do a whole show for him which includes warming up his rat and and putting it in tongs ;) not too bad I should say! Fun to watch.

Like most people said it's about preference when comes to feeding. It's also good to start a routine before taking your snake out of the cage to feed if u feed in different enclosure or just want to take her out to hold. Find your own method that works for you. And like said above learn your snakes personality.I personally like the tap method while others hook train or poke with hook before holdingtaking them out. I tap on cage and on hide three times before holding. Works so far and haven't been tagged from doing it. As far as holding a bp after feeding it's not a good idea for around 24 hours to 48 hours due to chance of them getting stressed out and throwing up their food. Baby bps are most likely to do it then adults. But if your feeding in a diffrent enclosure u have to move it back to its home lol. U will find something that works for u and your bp. It's trial and error. Lol.

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

It's an on going debate which is better. Some people swear by feeding in the same enclosure. Others feed in a separate one. If your going with a feeding enclosure, skip the aspen and paper towels. Paper towels can be a real hazard. I personally use a feeding cage. One of the reasons for using a separate feeding cage is to avoid the ingestion of bedding materials. If you worried about feeding mode aggression, just use a snake hook or place a towel over the snakes head. That should calm it down no problem.

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How can paper towels be a real hazard? I'm just seriously curious since I use paper towels and have never had an issue with them.


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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

How can paper towels be a real hazard? I'm just seriously curious since I use paper towels and have never had an issue with them.


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There has been stories on of snakes ingesting them, while attempting to swallow their prey. I've almost had it happen while feeding boas.


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I like using tongs or plastic containers - that is, putting a plastic container in the snake's vive (not taking them out to feed). I used to take my corn out to feed but found I got lazy :P so I put her food in a plastic container and she eats it right in there. She has dragged it out to her hide before, but now that they are adult mice that seems challenging for her so she doesn't.

I have seen my BP ingest aspen a couple of times. I don't think one piece every now and again is all that harmful. If they eat a mouse or rat sized amount in one sitting, yes, I'd be worrisome.

If the rat or mouse is dry though, much less chance of it getting substrate stuck to it.

Ask the people with larger boas, retics, burmese pythons, etc. if they feed in a separate enclosure. The answer will most likely be NO ARE YOU NUTS? Moving/handling a big snake with a strong food drive is a sure-fire way to end up bleeding. Heck even my female king snake will grab and wrap your hand if she thinks your finger is a mouse pinky, and she does not like to let go. At least when my boa made that mistake she cut me loose pretty quickly.

I've been going with feeding in the enclosure, no probs, I know some snakes really really come out with a vengeance at feeding time, or when they think it's feeding time!
All the bps I've fed over the years, examine their prey a bit first, I've never seen one vs one boiling out of tgeir hide and tag anything, prey or handler, but I hear it's happened plenty...
I think as long as you don't have rodent scent on you(yuck) and your not moving fast, you'll generally be fine.
It's always seemed stressful to me to feed Herps out of their cage, and it is in fact a great way to get tagged a big bad snake, I've seen that more than a few times, I find it quite humorous as long as the animals ok...I rarely have pity on the handlers :)

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Originally Posted by Swayback

All the bps I've fed over the years, examine their prey a bit first, I've never seen one vs one boiling out of tgeir hide and tag anything, prey or handler, but I hear it's happened plenty...

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I'll have to video the hatchlings feeding sometime.

My BP is the calmest, most relaxed snake I think I've ever seen, and enjoys just perching at the front of the vive all evening... but as soon as he sees the feeding tongs (and he knows them. I clicked them together a few times to let him know they are there) he instantly gets into hunting mode and moves to the door. I get nervous sometimes when he's already perched at the front and I open the door, then he sees the tongs.

He doesn't get into his hunting mode anytime I open the door, just when the tongs are out (or maybe he smells the rat in the air instead, or a bit of both) but I hope I don't get tagged accidentally one day!

I also had to use the tongs trick my my bp. It was fun to watch like u said. And I wasn't handling her it's just my daughter wanted to touch her but I told her no until i get more opinions on it.

I just fed my little guy tonight in his enclosure. I fed a live rat pup. I first just put the paper bag with the pup in it on top of the enclosure so Snakey Shakes could smell it. When he came out of his hide, I put the pup in, and he struck and ate. Later when I checked his temps and humidity and water, I tapped the enclosure and spoke to him. He didn't even move (my temp and humidity are good and he's basking after his meal), he just barely acknowledged that I gave him fresh water.

I rubbed him lightly and now he's super chilling. This is my first bp, and he's just been amazing awesome. I may have lucked out with the coolest snake ever. I do tend to tap on his hide when I'm putting my hands in to change water or make sure his paper towels are clean (he peed the day after I got him and he had a nice dump after shedding) and when I want to handle him. I didn't put my hands in at all with the pup. I dumped the little thing out of the bag and closed up the enclosure and just watched Snakey Shakes get his meal. I didn't talk to Snakey or anything like I'd normally do and it all worked out fine.

I'm going to keep feeding him in his own enclosure and tapping to let him know it's not food time. I also make sure to sanitize my hands so that they don't smell like food or my other animals. Seems to be working, I have a satisfied and happy snake on my hands right now.

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Originally Posted by Swayback

All the bps I've fed over the years, examine their prey a bit first, I've never seen one vs one boiling out of tgeir hide and tag anything, prey or handler, but I hear it's happened plenty...

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It's not just the hatchlings that can come barreling out at meal time. ;) This, combined with the fact that I have quite a few hungry mouths to feed, are the reasons that I don't feed anyone in a separate enclosure. This picture was from one of the first few feedings when I got this girl (no - this isn't normal - just an extreme example of a great feeding response). She is a such a sweetheart, but you'd better believe I'm going in her tub rat first on feeding day when the entire room has been scented with rats that have been thawing for several hours. I'm not saying this to scare anyone off from feeding in a separate enclosure - far from it. Many people do so successfully. I'm simply saying "know your audience". :)
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...823_213642.jpg
Edit: I should add that I didn't let her stay there on her own. I lifted her up and back in her tub while she still had the rat wrapped tightly. Notice though, that when she flew out of the tub, she actually missed the rat with her mouth, but caught it with her body. Lets just say that knowing she was in feeding mode with her mouth still completely free made me take extra precaution while getting her back in her tub safely.

A lot of great info here. I just got my first ball python and was originally going to feed him in a separate enclosure but your picture there is enough to change my mind, Eric. Heh. And while it could work while he's small I don't want to try and deal with that when he gets bigger!

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Originally Posted by Latifah

I just fed my little guy tonight in his enclosure. I fed a live rat pup. I first just put the paper bag with the pup in it on top of the enclosure so Snakey Shakes could smell it. When he came out of his hide, I put the pup in, and he struck and ate. Later when I checked his temps and humidity and water, I tapped the enclosure and spoke to him. He didn't even move (my temp and humidity are good and he's basking after his meal), he just barely acknowledged that I gave him fresh water.

I rubbed him lightly and now he's super chilling. This is my first bp, and he's just been amazing awesome. I may have lucked out with the coolest snake ever. I do tend to tap on his hide when I'm putting my hands in to change water or make sure his paper towels are clean (he peed the day after I got him and he had a nice dump after shedding) and when I want to handle him. I didn't put my hands in at all with the pup. I dumped the little thing out of the bag and closed up the enclosure and just watched Snakey Shakes get his meal. I didn't talk to Snakey or anything like I'd normally do and it all worked out fine.

I'm going to keep feeding him in his own enclosure and tapping to let him know it's not food time. I also make sure to sanitize my hands so that they don't smell like food or my other animals. Seems to be working, I have a satisfied and happy snake on my hands right now.

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Thanks for this post, very informative. I think I'll be using a similar method to yours.

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Originally Posted by Rinne

A lot of great info here. I just got my first ball python and was originally going to feed him in a separate enclosure but your picture there is enough to change my mind, Eric. Heh. And while it could work while he's small I don't want to try and deal with that when he gets bigger!

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You know what they say about pictures and words! :D