Suddenly aggressive

[IamMyEnd]

Definitely makes more sense in their tubs, think I just heard about seperate container at one point and stuck with it. No problems for 12 years. Now being in a wheelchair it really became hard to get them transferred. Got sick of it, no fun for either of us. Any tips how to limit the substrate from getting on the rat? Got three in tubs and one in a animal plastics cage. Any advice on how to make it smooth. It hasn't been fun lately with less mobility

[Bogertophis]

Use whatever works...it depends on the size of your cages. When I suggested using a paper plate or similar thing, you could use a shallow tray of some
kind, or even a new kitty-litter-box to just set in the cage for feeding. It's up to you. This way is much easier, besides being safer. There's no rush to remove
the "plate" either...wait until the next day if you want, or whenever the snake goes back in their hide to digest.

The one thing you don't want to use is paper or a towel (paper OR cloth) on the floor of the cage, as the dampness from the prey can make the paper or cloth
stick to the prey & get swallowed too, as their teeth catch on it. (& they cannot digest towels, that becomes emergency surgery)

One more suggestion: when you go to feed, your snake probably already knows food is on the way. Some are more apt to aggressively bite a hand reaching in
than others (even if you are just trying to put their "plate" in place). I have been known to use a ping-pong paddle in front of the doorway of the hide where the
snake is, just to keep them in there for a moment, & sometimes I even use it to back them up into the hide while I do something. A snake will also usually back
off with a short spritz of water in their face...it sounds so rude, but they do get rained on in the wild, & they do NOT associate it with you. So do what works, &
what you need do to, to avoid needless bites.

BTW, the idea of "feeding in a separate tub" comes up frequently on forums...it's a lousy idea that just keeps getting shared & believed, so don't feel bad.

[zina10]

I feed right on the substrate and I heat my rats in water, so they are wet. Granted, I roll them into my rat towel (used only for that purpose) so by the time I bring them to the cage, they are mostly dry.

I've fed that way on aspen and now on the coarser kind of coco coir. Only once did I have to remove a piece of aspen from a snakes mouth. Most of the time everything falls off while they work the rat into the mouth. If a little sticks, they will digest it. They digest bones and in the wild all kinds of stuff gets transferred into their mouth during eating.

If a little is in their mouth, they usually work it out without a couple of hours.

It just hasn't been a problem for me.

[Bogertophis]

Depends on the substrate, but I'd rather my snakes do NOT ingest it...once in a while it can lodge in their mouth, for example, & cause irritation & infection.

Yes, they do ingest bits of stuff in the wild too, but these are our pets & presumably we want to prevent whatever problems we can foresee. I for one do not
enjoy trying to retrieve substrate stuck in a snake's mouth. Also, I believe that their digestive enzymes cannot digest wood, while they ARE designed to digest
bones & all that, so I'm siding with the OP on this: prevention.

[zina10]

Mine are on soft substrate now. There is no way it would work for me to put something under the rat.

For one, they are usually primed and ready to take the rat, there is no laying it down nicely on a mat or something, they grab right out of the air. I refuse to use anything that can bunch up, they've been known to eat it along with the rat.
On top of that, they drag the rat all over the place.

I would literally have to cover the entire floor with a mat of some sort. Knowing how BP's are about changing their environment, it would cause more stress then anything, akin to removing them from their home to eat.

The only other option would be to keep them on large sheets of paper. Since I love substrate for many reasons, that isn't a choice for me.

It may work for others, not saying that it doesn't. But it won't work for mine.

[zina10]

If I had them on Aspen with larger, solid pieces. I wouldn't do it.

I also don't like wood chip substrates. On coco coir, it isn't an issue.

[Bogertophis]

Mine are on soft substrate now. There is no way it would work for me to put something under the rat.

For one, they are usually primed and ready to take the rat, there is no laying it down nicely on a mat or something, they grab right out of the air. I refuse to use anything that can bunch up, they've been known to eat it along with the rat.
On top of that, they drag the rat all over the place.

I would literally have to cover the entire floor with a mat of some sort. Knowing how BP's are about changing their environment, it would cause more stress then anything, akin to removing them from their home to eat.

The only other option would be to keep them on large sheets of paper. Since I love substrate for many reasons, that isn't a choice for me.

It may work for others, not saying that it doesn't. But it won't work for mine.

I understand where you're coming from- every snake & enclosure is a little different & I'm not at the OP's house, obviously...can only toss out suggestions to pick from.

[zina10]

I understand where you're coming from- every snake & enclosure is a little different & I'm not at the OP's house, obviously...can only toss out suggestions to pick from.

And the more, the better

I can't tell you the times when I've read others suggestion and thought to myself..now why didn't I think of that before !!

[Bogertophis]

And the more, the better

I can't tell you the times when I've read others suggestion and thought to myself..now why didn't I think of that before !!

Well usually you can put something in the cage first on which to feed a ball python (judging from those I've kept in the past) but there's no way I could have done
that with the BCI I had for years ...I could barely open her cage to get the rat in (being held by tongs) lol...the same goes for my large Florida rat snakes now.
Their food never touches the cage floor, but I picture most BPs waiting in their hides, with their faces poking out expectantly...however, even BPs don't all read the
same manual ("How to be a Ball Python"). That's where my suggestions were coming from...to be "adjusted as needed".

[IamMyEnd]

Thanks everyone, good advice. I'm gonna try feeding one in his enclosure, he's always been the :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:. The others I will continue the same routine. Might be looking into a rack system. Tubs seem to be the easier option in my position. My oldest in the animal plastic is so difficult for me to clean, get him out.