where to feed ?

hey guys i just found this forum last nite and i am glad i did. i know this site will be very usefull to me. well its late and gettin tired but anyways i couldnt find what i was looking for. i just bought a bp and so many people are telling me to feed in its tank and some people say feed her out of her tank .. im a bit confused .. please help

First off Welcome to the sight. Second what are you using as substrate??

It really depends on the substrate your using, if your using bark or mulch, I would defently feed outside the cage our atleast put newspaper down over the substrate. Things like aspen shavings should pass right threw. It is also possible for the snake to associate you opening the cage with feeding time(if you feed in the cage) and thatwould make a bite more likely. I have 1 snake that is like that if I feed him in his cage but since I stopped feeding him in the cage, he is alot better. Its really more of a personal preference then anything :)

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It is also possible for the snake to associate you opening the cage with feeding time(if you feed in the cage) and thatwould make a bite more likely.

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Actually, this is not true. As long as you have a routine feeding day and keep routines, they will not mistake you for food. Plus, you'll be going into their enclosure to clean and for handling, so they will not associate that every time you go in that food is coming.

I feed all of mine in their enclosures, I've fed on newspaper and on aspen.

Handling a snake after feeding can really stress it out, which would mean it is more likely to regurge. I would say in it's tank.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I feed all of mine in their enclosures, I've fed on newspaper and on aspen.

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I have my snake (Fluffy) in a tub with aspen. I have always been hesitant to put his thawed mouse on the aspen. I usually put it on a small square sheet of tin foil.

Do you put your f/t mice directly on the aspen?

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Originally Posted by AkivaSmith

I have my snake (Fluffy) in a tub with aspen. I have always been hesitant to put his thawed mouse on the aspen. I usually put it on a small square sheet of tin foil.

Do you put your f/t mice directly on the aspen?

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I feed live, but invariably one will "dunk" their prey in water while killing it, and it will get aspen on it, and then some aspen ingested. I haven't had any issues with them breaking down the aspen along with the bones, teeth and fur of their prey.

It's a matter of personal preference.

I have fed many snakes for many years in the cage and have never had an issue with one mistaking my hand for food.

Recently, our vet told us that he had his first case of impaction due to aspen substrate. The snake in question was extremely young, however.

Since then I have fed my young snakes in separate containers sans substrate. I let them relax about 45 minutes after eating and then quickly put them back into their cages. I have not had a regurgitation or any other problems associated with this method.

I have always fed my little buddy in the tank. It seems he is adjusted to his feeding schedule. If I feed him early he is always a little hesitant to eat and is not very aggressive. On feeding day he is always watching me move around in my room. On that day he is very aggressive when feeding. I usually only handle him at night to. So he knows at night when his top is opening that he is not gonna get fed. Haven't got bit yet.

Also as for the eating substrate...

One time I was feeding and somehow a piece of Repti-bark was in his mouth with the rat. He swallowed the rat but the bark was still in his mouth. He was tryin to swallow the bark like other food. I couldn't reach to where he was and I just sat helpless and watched him eat it. I was worried, but for no reason. If he can digest bone, I doubt bark is a problem. He has since pooped several times. No troubles.

i have always fed all my snakes in their enclosures. even tho i am relatively new to balls, i have done this with boas, emmies, burms, and GTPs as well. i have not noticed an automatic feeding response whenever i put my hand in and my opinion is that until i start to smell like a feeder item, then i am probably pretty safe. that being said, i also no longer use any wood type stuff for substrate either. not so much an impaction problem but i have had to pull splinters out of angry mouths on more than one occasion and had a red-tail boa get mouthrot due to a piece of bedding lodged in his gum towards the back of his mouth and out of sight. my .02 for what its worth. :2cent:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Actually, this is not true. As long as you have a routine feeding day and keep routines, they will not mistake you for food. Plus, you'll be going into their enclosure to clean and for handling, so they will not associate that every time you go in that food is coming.

I feed all of mine in their enclosures, I've fed on newspaper and on aspen.

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I would go a step further and say that even without a routine you won't be mistaken for food. I don't always feed on the same day and have never had a snake mistake me for food. I feed in the enclosure and always will. If you are worried about ingestion of substrate then put down a piece of newspaper over the substrate when feeding.

I feed in the cage as well and mine have never thought I was food or that opening the cage meant it was time to randomly strike thinking it or I was food.

As for the substrate deal, I, up until Dec when I went to a rack system, always feed on reptibark and Ozzy has swallowed a pc now and then for a few years and it never seemed to affect him one bit. As always w/ feeding you should keep an eye on them because I did have a time w/ the bark as it got stuck sideways in his mouth like a bit would be in a horses mouth and he couldn't move it or open or shut his mouth from the position it was in. So I had to hold him and take the backside of a ink pen top and pluck it out.
Like some have said if your concerned just lay down a pc of newspaper over the substrate.

the only way i see a ball python mistaking you for food is if you dont wash your hands good after handling a mouse or rat. still it is not too common.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I would go a step further and say that even without a routine you won't be mistaken for food. I don't always feed on the same day and have never had a snake mistake me for food. I feed in the enclosure and always will. If you are worried about ingestion of substrate then put down a piece of newspaper over the substrate when feeding.

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agreed :salute:

We feed all 13 ball pythons in their enclosures (on newspaper but on aspen in the past), 1 bci in his enclosure on aspen and 1 milksnake in a feeding bin (due to her enclosure being very "busy" with cage decor). Personally I find the ball pythons seem to be confident feeders when they are in their home enclosure and often use their hides to either hunt from or use as "cover" while they hunt their live prey.

"Personally I find the ball pythons seem to be confident feeders when they are in their home enclosure and often use their hides to either hunt from or use as "cover" while they hunt their live prey."-frankykeno




Exactly my python wont eat when i move her into a 10, she likes to be under her log or in her humid hide. She sticks her head and neck out of the humid hide grabs the prey chokes it then pulls it into the hide and eats in there. Its a pretty cool site to see.

i have my ball python on coconut husk substrate... should i worry about feeding him on coconut husk or should i feed him in a separate container?? are there any problems with him ingesting coconut husk??

also what is impaction????

I would definlty feed him in another container and or consider switching substrates. impaction is when their is an obstruction in their digestive system causing them not to be able to go to the bathroom.

thanks everyone for your feedback.. the guy at the store gave me dessert snow .. i believe thats what it was .. i dunno im going back there tommorow to get some food for my bp..its been a week since i got her i guess ill feed her in her tank since mostly everyone is feeding thier bps that way .. hopefully she'll eat

What does this "dessert snow" look like? I've never heard of it.

Isn't that sand? :confused:

No, it's like Carefresh Ultra(the white paper bedding), but is more finely shredded.

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Originally Posted by Sausage

Isn't that sand? :confused:

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I'm not sure.. I haven't seen it used for BPs..

I was told to feed in a seperate container also, but then was told on this site that you shouldn't. I started feeding him in his cage. Haven't really had any problems yet, but i just started doing this.

However, i do not clean or do anything other than maybe mist or change his water when he is in the cage, or always take him out and put him in a box of some sort, so not sure about that. However, i too am very new to the PB and just getting use to them, the routines, etc. This site really does help alot.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Actually, this is not true. As long as you have a routine feeding day and keep routines, they will not mistake you for food. Plus, you'll be going into their enclosure to clean and for handling, so they will not associate that every time you go in that food is coming.

I feed all of mine in their enclosures, I've fed on newspaper and on aspen.

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Like I said I do have one snake like that, when I fed him in his cage, evertime around feeding time, he would become really grumpy. Now that I feed him outside the cage, he doesent do that anymore. My other snakes are fine with feeding inside the cage, dont say it isnt true because it does happen, I dont think its common but can happen.