Keeping mice in the same room as my snake?

[bcr229]

Keepers with a large collection feed in the enclosure for convenience.

Keepers who have giant snakes such as reticulated pythons, burmese pythons, or anacondas, feed in the enclosure to avoid ER visits.

Keepers who have venomous snakes feed in the enclosure to avoid trips to the ER or morgue.

I have a few adult retics that are anywhere from 14-15 feet long and weigh in at 100-120 pounds. You are more than welcome to come to my place, pull any one of them out of the enclosure to feed it, and then put it back afterward. I just get all rights to the video footage because it's going on YouTube.

I would LOVE to find out just where you read that feeding in a separate enclosure is a good idea, so I can go debunk them. I have looked for the sites that advise it's a good idea and have come up with nothing.

[Bogertophis]

He was striking for food in his reg enclosure when it wasnt even close to his feeding day...

Probably hunger...you were feeding too little, most likely.

[Kenzieburgess]

Avoiding the "cage aggression" by feeding in a separate tub can result in not only stress, but "Oh look! My human taking me out of the tank. Must be to feed me!" = snake going into feeding mode every time you take him out of the tank.

Top-opening cages/tanks are usually to blame if there's any "cage aggression" since our hands swooping down is a lot like a bird or other predator would. I like to use the "Tapping method" to knock my snake out of feed/aggression/defensive mode. Usually when he's in his hide. I'll tap the ground, then his hide, then lift up the hide, put it back down, and repeat a few times just so my snake knows it's me and isn't surprised when I scoop him up to take him out.

I havnt heard of this technique, that's pretty cool. It's like knocking before entering lol. I'll give it a go. Thank you

[Kenzieburgess]

Avoiding the "cage aggression" by feeding in a separate tub can result in not only stress, but "Oh look! My human taking me out of the tank. Must be to feed me!" = snake going into feeding mode every time you take him out of the tank.

Top-opening cages/tanks are usually to blame if there's any "cage aggression" since our hands swooping down is a lot like a bird or other predator would. I like to use the "Tapping method" to knock my snake out of feed/aggression/defensive mode. Usually when he's in his hide. I'll tap the ground, then his hide, then lift up the hide, put it back down, and repeat a few times just so my snake knows it's me and isn't surprised when I scoop him up to take him out.

I havnt heard if this technique, its pretty cool. It's like knocking before entering lol.

[MR Snakes]

Keepers with a large collection feed in the enclosure for convenience.

Keepers who have giant snakes such as reticulated pythons, burmese pythons, or anacondas, feed in the enclosure to avoid ER visits.

Keepers who have venomous snakes feed in the enclosure to avoid trips to the ER or morgue.

I have a few adult retics that are anywhere from 14-15 feet long and weigh in at 100-120 pounds. You are more than welcome to come to my place, pull any one of them out of the enclosure to feed it, and then put it back afterward. I just get all rights to the video footage because it's going on YouTube.

I would LOVE to find out just where you read that feeding in a separate enclosure is a good idea, so I can go debunk them. I have looked for the sites that advise it's a good idea and have come up with nothing.

Great post but better location you are in. I race at Summit Point from time to time. Pretty area.

[Kenzieburgess]

Hey, I'm not trying to knock you here, but trying to help. Your "ton" of research clearly wasn't enough since you were feeding prey smaller than BPs eat out of the egg.

Between the two other members (both of whom are fantastic, knowledgeable keepers) trying to help you, and now myself, there is nearly 50 years of experience with many, many snakes of multiple species telling you a seperate feeding tub is a bad idea.

A seperate feeding tub is old school and proven counter productive over time.
1) this will increase your chance of rhe snake refusing the meal since you have to move the snake before feeding and moving = stress
2) this will increase your chance of the snake regurgitating it's prey since, now the snake has to be moved AGAIN. And moving = stress.
3) this will drastically increase your chances of being bitten since the snake will remain in feed mode after eating.

Again, not trying to knock you, but trying to help.

I'm not trying to come off defensive in my replies, however I feel slightly attracted like I'm the worst person ever for going by my research and still trying to figure it out. I understand you trying to help and I appreciate it, really, but I think getting into this hobbie also takes experience. For example, I have fed him in his enclosure and outside of this enclosure, and he doesnt seem to mind being fed outside. I hold him everyday twice a day for 15/30 mins, except a day or two after feeding. And by my experience this far with my snakes individual personality, he seemed to strike at me more for food when fed in his enclosure vs outside. Not saying this could change over time as he gets older, and by then I will adjust what I am doing. I also want to mention I do not move him back into his enclosure till after I can see his mouse has moved to about half way or more down his body, not the second he gets it down this throat, and transfering him I do my best to make it as quick and stressless as possible, litterally picking him up with a snake hook and putting him right back down in his reg enclosure. Litterally a .2 second transfer. Also, I would like to question that feeding outside his enclosure is such a bad thing, if this practice has been used for how ever long by people more experienced than anyone I'm sure there is some truth to it. If it didnt "work out" for them then, I dont see why it wouldnt work now to some degree. Otherwise why would it be so common? To me, this matter seems just as controversial as live vs prekilled/ft, its preference and individual personality of your pet. Again, I am new to this and I am still learning dispite the months of research, I am not trying to say I'm right and your wrong. I am hearing all of your advise and taking it in, but I feel it still depends on my ownership personality as well as my individual snake's personality.

Lastly I want to mention me feeding too small of prey, I was told by the place I got him at 3 months old he was eating fuzzies, asked a question about it here, attacked about the prey being too small, and upped his size. He has been on hoppers for 3 weeks now and just asked a seperate question here about wanting to up his size again. I just want to throw that out there.

Again, I am hearing all of your advise, and I appreciate it, but I still have my own experience this far with my snake. Thank you.

[Craiga 01453]

I'm not trying to come off defensive in my replies, however I feel slightly attracted like I'm the worst person ever for going by my research and still trying to figure it out. I understand you trying to help and I appreciate it, really, but I think getting into this hobbie also takes experience. For example, I have fed him in his enclosure and outside of this enclosure, and he doesnt seem to mind being fed outside. I hold him everyday twice a day for 15/30 mins, except a day or two after feeding. And by my experience this far with my snakes individual personality, he seemed to strike at me more for food when fed in his enclosure vs outside. Not saying this could change over time as he gets older, and by then I will adjust what I am doing. I also want to mention I do not move him back into his enclosure till after I can see his mouse has moved to about half way or more down his body, not the second he gets it down this throat, and transfering him I do my best to make it as quick and stressless as possible, litterally picking him up with a snake hook and putting him right back down in his reg enclosure. Litterally a .2 second transfer. Also, I would like to question that feeding outside his enclosure is such a bad thing, if this practice has been used for how ever long by people more experienced than anyone I'm sure there is some truth to it. If it didnt "work out" for them then, I dont see why it wouldnt work now to some degree. Otherwise why would it be so common? To me, this matter seems just as controversial as live vs prekilled/ft, its preference and individual personality of your pet. Again, I am new to this and I am still learning dispite the months of research, I am not trying to say I'm right and your wrong. I am hearing all of your advise and taking it in, but I feel it still depends on my ownership personality as well as my individual snake's personality.

Lastly I want to mention me feeding too small of prey, I was told by the place I got him at 3 months old he was eating fuzzies, asked a question about it here, attacked about the prey being too small, and upped his size. He has been on hoppers for 3 weeks now and just asked a seperate question here about wanting to up his size again. I just want to throw that out there.

Again, I am hearing all of your advise, and I appreciate it, but I still have my own experience this far with my snake. Thank you.

You're 100% welcome to do what you want to do with your snake.
I'd love to see some of the references you're citing that you're learning from.
You've now got 4 people in just a few hours who have over 60 years of combined experience telling you a feeding tub is not the best way to go.
So I'm very curious where you're learning from that is more reliable.

And also, you're not being attacked at all. We're simply trying to help you. You've asked for advice, we're giving you advice

[tttaylorrr]

i didn't read through your last post entirely, but i can guess you're getting defensive as you're taking things as a criticism of you, when it is a criticism of your care. separate the two ideas and you will get along better here.

Again, I am hearing all of your advise, and I appreciate it, but I still have my own experience this far with my snake. Thank you.

now this is where new keepers always get it wrong.

your ONE lived experience with ONE success story with ONE animal does not trump countless years of practice over countless different types of animals. that's just a fact. we are telling you the Tried and True methods that can apply to almost every ball python (and HAVE been applied, and WORK, for DECADES). i promise you're running a risk of coming into issues in the future if you continue on with your methods.

[rockonjp76]

Back on topic, I wouldn't keep mice/rodents in the same room as my snakes, but that's just me.

[Kenzieburgess]

You're 100% welcome to do what you want to do with your snake.
I'd love to see some of the references you're citing that you're learning from.
You've now got 4 people in just a few hours who have over 60 years of combined experience telling you a feeding tub is not the best way to go.
So I'm very curious where you're learning from that is more reliable.

And also, you're not being attacked at all. We're simply trying to help you. You've asked for advice, we're giving you advice

My original post stated that it was never a question. I simply wanted to hear your stories about your snakes and rodents cohabiting in the same room, not advise about how I feed my snake. I mentioned one little thing about it and it was blown up. Maybe I just didnt word my original post good enough and was misunderstood. Secondly, I have ready on several sources suggesting it, just by googling. Like I said before, I still hear your advise and take it in, but with a grain of salt. I am sure you did things a certain way because you researched it and where told by more experienced people you should do it another way, maybe not just about the reptile hobby, but for everyday people things. Either way, research and advise is taken with a grain of salt and adjusted and done by the persons own experiences, idk by me or anyone else. Like I said, this seems just as contraversal as feeding live vs dead. There are pros and cons either way, and there are personal preferences and different experiences and personalities.