Feeding Inside or Outside the Vivarium.

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to know how people feed their snakes.

So do you guys feed your snake inside or outside the vivarium and why?

I feed my ball python and BRB inside their enclosures. It gets rid of the stress of being moved and I don't think the whole aggression deal is a thing. I feed my corn snake outside of the enclosure simply because it's easier for me due to the way all my enclosures are stacked and set up-and she's always ready to eat so it's not a problem with her.

I feed my BP in his enclosure. I've never fed him outside, and he's never shown any aggression. He's prone to fasting, so I don't want to lower his chances of eating even more by moving him around. Also, I thaw his food in the same room that he's in, and I don't want to move him after he's smelled it- I'm afraid that would be asking for trouble.


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The general consensus seems to be that feeding outside the enclosure to prevent aggression is just a myth. There's no actual proof that feeding in a separate tub helps with anything except adding some level of stress on the snake. :snake:

When I first bought my BP, I tried to feed it outside the vivarium live and f/t but it really stressed it out. One time the mouse was actually trying to get out climbing on my snakes head. After reading on here and watching snakebytes tv on ---> You tube. I realized it would be better if I fed it inside it's vivarium. And wow what a difference, but it eats only live and I'm going with it. I'm tired of trying to get it to take something it seems to hate, (f/t) My wife wants me to go with live, my snake does, so why not. It loves to strike inside or just outside it's hide, ( mostly inside ) lately it has been as soon as the feeder sticks it's head in the door. I can tell when it is hungry now when I see it's head waiting just inside the door of the hide. I just went from large mouse to small rat and it is working perfectly:). My snake is very skilled at quickly dispatching it's prey. And so far not a mark on it. But I think it is important to go with the appropriate sized feeder. Never too large. I would rather feed it 2 mice, then one too large a rat. Sometimes I think, if they could, the snakes would would go out somewhere and bring in some road kill and say here eat it.:rage: Actually I think they eat what they are use to eating from the start. Live or F/T People can switch it (sometimes) if you want, but I'm not.

Can we not go three days without this thread being created?

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Originally Posted by tbowman

Can we not go three days without this thread being created?

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Well said. Search button must be broke.

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I've always fed all my ball pythons outside of their enclosures and it's worked so well for both me and my snakes - my girls couldn't be any sweeter, plus it's cool because they know that shoebox = feeding day

I have fed my BP in a separate enclosure since day 1...In fact, when I move her to her feeding box, she "knows" it's feeding time and waits with her head elevated.

Most of the time, she meets the F/T rat as I lower it in the box.

My only issue with feeding her in her enclosure, is that the F/T rat will collect substrate and my BP will ingest it.

I use ECO-EARTH...I am not sure if it's harmful if ingested.

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Originally Posted by stuka1166

I have fed my BP in a separate enclosure since day 1...In fact, when I move her to her feeding box, she "knows" it's feeding time and waits with her head elevated.

Most of the time, she meets the F/T rat as I lower it in the box.

My only issue with feeding her in her enclosure, is that the F/T rat will collect substrate and my BP will ingest it.

I use ECO-EARTH...I am not sure if it's harmful if ingested.

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lol This thread's kind of dead.

But eco-earth won't be harmful if ingested. The particles are small enough that they don't block up their system; it's what's recommended for pacman frogs (which eat more substrate than just about anything else I can think of). You can also place the rat on a paper plate in the enclosure if you don't want it to get substrate all over it.

I started with putting mine in a separate container and she fed very well each time, but then I opted to start just feeding straight to her normal enclosure.
I think it was a good idea because within minutes of bringing a bag of baby rats home, she is out of her den trying to escape the cage to get at them, every time.
Basically she gets pretty worked up when food comes around and although I could easily get her out of her tank, but she clumsily snaps at everything within reach when she smells food. Not aggressive-like, just kind of dorky - still learning clumsy and excited.

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Originally Posted by swannyuk

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to know how people feed their snakes.

So do you guys feed your snake inside or outside the vivarium and why?

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Kg hbffb[IMG] by ffgihuy huh huh u tg[/IMG.hhhhrf gg guy hg GHz f]ffkmv

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Originally Posted by Boomerang

I started with putting mine in a separate container and she fed very well each time, but then I opted to start just feeding straight to her normal enclosure.
I think it was a good idea because within minutes of bringing a bag of baby rats home, she is out of her den trying to escape the cage to get at them, every time.
Basically she gets pretty worked up when food comes around and although I could easily get her out of her tank, but she clumsily snaps at everything within reach when she smells food. Not aggressive-like, just kind of dorky - still learning clumsy and excited.

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hu d,

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Originally Posted by Megg

I feed my BP in his enclosure. I've never fed him outside, and he's never shown any aggression. He's prone to fasting, so I don't want to lower his chances of eating even more by moving him around. Also, I thaw his food in the same room that he's in, and I don't want to move him after he's smelled it- I'm afraid that would be asking for trouble.


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Originally Posted by theoremofgoats

I feed my ball python and BRB inside their enclosures. It gets rid of the stress of being moved and I don't think the whole aggression deal is a thing. I feed my corn snake outside of the enclosure simply because it's easier for me due to the way all my enclosures are stacked and set up-and she's always ready to eat so it's not a problem with her.

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F

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Originally Posted by stuka1166

I have fed my BP in a separate enclosure since day 1...In fact, when I move her to her feeding box, she "knows" it's feeding time and waits with her head elevated.

Most of the time, she meets the F/T rat as I lower it in the box.

My only issue with feeding her in her enclosure, is that the F/T rat will collect substrate and my BP will ingest it.

I use ECO-EARTH...I am not sure if it's harmful if ingested.

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I like to take mine out to a fancy restaurant and order a' la cart.

I feed all of my snakes inside their enclosures. It's less stressful for the snake and takes less time and energy on my part.

Inside. When I first got a BP I fed outside for the same myth most newbies here. Yes, this topic comes up often for keep in mind, for the newbie, its a great reminder that don't believe everything you read online and the forum can be a great place for first hand experience and even just basic husbandry help. Without newbies and newbie questions the forum would not grow.

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Originally Posted by tbowman

Can we not go three days without this thread being created?

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This probably wouldn't be an issue if Petsmart would update their brochures.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I like to take mine out to a fancy restaurant and order a' la cart.

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Personally I like this approach best.

Doesn't feeding in the enclosure arise extra cleaning?

I only got my BP on Friday (17,1,15), and his feeding day is tomorrow. I'm still debating whether I should move him into a RUB or keep him in his viv? I have newspaper in his RUB, but I have bark chippings mixed with aspen in the viv. I dont want my new baby to ingest the bark :/ What are your opinions?

Feed in the viv. It's unusual for them to ingest substrate. If feeding f/t dry the rodent off so nothing sticks.

Okay, Thanks! :)

Again, doesn't that mean more cleaning?

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Doesn't feeding in the enclosure arise extra cleaning?

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I don't understand your question. Cleaning up what, precisely?

I feed my girls in their viv and they are large: 4.5, 6, and 7+ ft. So they sometimes knock things about that must be tidied up. But being big girls, I'm always picking up after them.

To answer your question, I have no extra clean up.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

I don't understand your question. Cleaning up what, precisely?

I feed my girls in their viv and they are large: 4.5, 6, and 7+ ft. So they sometimes knock things about that must be tidied up. But being big girls, I'm always picking up after them.

To answer your question, I have no extra clean up.

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You wouldn't worry about blood or bacteria?

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Originally Posted by SCWood

You wouldn't worry about blood or bacteria?

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No.

Illness is caused by a weakened immune system.

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Originally Posted by tbowman

No.

Illness is caused by a weakened immune system.

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Ahhhh. See, I've always been weird I have to make sure their feeding bins are sanitized afterwards

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Originally Posted by SCWood

You wouldn't worry about blood or bacteria?

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Blood has never been a problem until I had I two gut bombs. That was when I was just learning about converting to F/T. But that wasn't too hard to clean up.


As far as bacteria, you can drive yourself crazy with this one. :rolleye2:

These snakes are not that fragile. They pick up more bacteria crawling on your floor, bed, and neck, than what is introduced by a rat in the tank.
They have good immune systems. Granted, captives I/S are probably not as amped as wild :snake: , but they are still good.

Do you worry about the bacteria your dog and cat brings into your house?

These are hardy animals if their basic needs are met.

Enjoy them! :)

( I forgot to post this sooner) But I gave my BP his first meal on Wednesday, in the viv, and he was right onto it :D Thanks for the advice everyone :)

I've always fed outside the tank. Elphie's a great feeder. She hits like a semi and takes both live or frozen/thawed.

http://i.imgur.com/litfcvEl.jpg

I've been feeding twice a week, a live adult mice and then a f/t fuzzy for her other meal. My concern with in tank feeding was with her live meal. Mice poop and pee a lot and I didn't want that in her tank. Also her tank has a lot of hides and stuff and I thought a mice would have too many chances to getaway to prolong feeding.

Anyway I decided to have fun with her last 2 feeds and decided tease her with her live feed. I placed the mice carrier in her tank and after a brief bit, she comes out of her hide, after sniffing the scent of food.

http://i.imgur.com/0VEVkj4l.jpg

Her last feed, I teased her and then fed her in tank. She was so ready to eat and was probably salivating by the time I dropped the mouse in her tank. She struck and coiled so fast. Did not even leave her hide. lol

http://i.imgur.com/URozCsyl.jpg

I fed my new boy Fiyero the same day. It was my 1st feed with him and I fed him outside his tub.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I like to take mine out to a fancy restaurant and order a' la cart.

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Some people place mice/rats on paper plates but I prefer to use my fine china.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

You wouldn't worry about blood or bacteria?

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Snakes literally eat bacteria and blood and raw meat in the form of mice/rats. I don't worry about small amounts of blood because it dries out easily, and regular cage cleaning takes care of it.