First Feeding and a Problem

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for your thorough responses, very helpful! So you’re saying if this happens in the future where I see he can’t find the rodent after leaving him for some time, to still go in and re heat it even like you said I have a high chance of taking a feeding response bite? He was locked onto me and head cocked back about to strike the glass last night when he saw me and dropped his rat. Not sure I’d be able to go in there and get his rat from him without him launching himself at me. Have you ever done this, and should I have just waited until he moved away from the rat to take it out and re heat?


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Use feeding tongs, & if needed, use a cardboard box lid (for example) to block him from biting you. This is a BP, not a charging rhinoceros. Get some 18" non-locking hemostats, or use some long, blunt ended BBQ tongs. Yes, you can wait a little while until he calms down & loses interest, but the delay makes it more likely he'll lose interest in food too.

"Have I ever done this?" Yes, for many many years & keeping many kinds & sizes of snakes, lol. And I don't like bites any more than you do. I also practice the "art of distraction" pretty well- if he's following your motion, let him follow the hand that's not doing the retrieving. This is a matter of practice & experience, trust me I'm not trying to get you "eaten" by a BP, lol. Estimate his "reach"- a little more than half a snake's body length, & stay out of his reach. Or put something between him & your reaching hand. Multiple ways to do this- you'll get this.

If you think this guy is challenging, you should have met my 7.5' boa (BCI) at meal time. I had trouble opening her enclosure to get the food in- she always KNEW when food was on the way, & she was "loaded for bear" & aiming at me the whole time.

[Snagrio]

The visage of a snake being grotesquely swollen with prey isn't necessarily accurate the majority of the time, at least as far as we're concerned as keepers. Especially when it comes to young snakes that we have to carefully gauge prey size with so they can safely swallow and digest. And even if there is a visible lump it doesn't take terribly long to get broken down. Those stomach acids have to dissolve an entire body after all.

And to add to Boger's point about how vulnerable snakes feel during feeding, put this into perspective. What are a snake's two best ways of defense? Fleeing and/or biting. The act of eating severely hinders both options so it's an extremely compromising position for any snake to be in. When you jumped after his strike (which is understandable considering how slow BPs tend to move at any other time) that spooked him and made him feel very unsafe. In his mind, there's a big scary predator about, it's too risky to try and eat.

But as also pointed out, it will get better with time. He will learn that you aren't a big scary predator and will grow comfortable with your presence. You both simply had a little road bump is all.

[EthanMG]

Use feeding tongs, & if needed, use a cardboard box lid (for example) to block him from biting you. This is a BP, not a charging rhinoceros. Get some 18" non-locking hemostats, or use some long, blunt ended BBQ tongs. Yes, you can wait a little while until he calms down & loses interest, but the delay makes it more likely he'll lose interest in food too.

"Have I ever done this?" Yes, for many many years & keeping many kinds & sizes of snakes, lol. And I don't like bites any more than you do. I also practice the "art of distraction" pretty well- if he's following your motion, let him follow the hand that's not doing the retrieving. This is a matter of practice & experience, trust me I'm not trying to get you "eaten" by a BP, lol. Estimate his "reach"- a little more than half a snake's body length, & stay out of his reach. Or put something between him & your reaching hand. Multiple ways to do this- you'll get this.

If you think this guy is challenging, you should have met my 7.5' boa (BCI) at meal time. I had trouble opening her enclosure to get the food in- she always KNEW when food was on the way, & she was "loaded for bear" & aiming at me the whole time.

Lol thanks “charging rhinoceros” lmao! I was laughing while reading your response. I know he’s just a little baby BP, I couldn’t imagine feeding a boa. I’m kind of scared of them because they can be unpredictable and whip around. Definitely sticking to ball pythons for now. Thanks for explaining how to do it. I’ll definitely do this next time if it ever happens again


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[Zincubus]

It’s great he ate !!

I haven’t read through the recent posts but ... I’d feed over a piece of card to minimise the chance of ingesting substrate.

Also feed in the evenings, low /dim light .

I find it best to wait until they’re settled UNDER a hide then a quick blast with a hairdryer and dangle it whisked it’s still warm in front of the hide entrance.

Don’t blink


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[Bogertophis]

Lol thanks “charging rhinoceros” lmao! I was laughing while reading your response. I know he’s just a little baby BP, I couldn’t imagine feeding a boa. I’m kind of scared of them because they can be unpredictable and whip around. Definitely sticking to ball pythons for now. Thanks for explaining how to do it. I’ll definitely do this next time if it ever happens again


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Yes, I was laughing too. But no joke, you don't want a "feeding bite" from a snake, as they tend to hang on & wrap on you- some snakes can be very determined once they "catch something", lol.

BTW I currently have 7' rat snakes that are quite fast at grabbing food too. Keeps my reflexes in good shape. But with them, I can "tell them NO" with a little spritz of clean water mist to their face so they know it's me & not "incoming prey", whereas that might be too much for a baby BP- BPs are much shyer snakes & you don't want to scare them. Honestly, nothing could scare my rat snakes, & they'll happily drink from a water spray. They're fun snakes, with great appetites.

Zincubus brought up a good point too, when feeding f/t rodents, it's best to offer with cardboard for a "plate" underneath if you can, to minimize the chance of your swallowing substrate.

[EthanMG]

The visage of a snake being grotesquely swollen with prey isn't necessarily accurate the majority of the time, at least as far as we're concerned as keepers. Especially when it comes to young snakes that we have to carefully gauge prey size with so they can safely swallow and digest. And even if there is a visible lump it doesn't take terribly long to get broken down. Those stomach acids have to dissolve an entire body after all.

And to add to Boger's point about how vulnerable snakes feel during feeding, put this into perspective. What are a snake's two best ways of defense? Fleeing and/or biting. The act of eating severely hinders both options so it's an extremely compromising position for any snake to be in. When you jumped after his strike (which is understandable considering how slow BPs tend to move at any other time) that spooked him and made him feel very unsafe. In his mind, there's a big scary predator about, it's too risky to try and eat.

But as also pointed out, it will get better with time. He will learn that you aren't a big scary predator and will grow comfortable with your presence. You both simply had a little road bump is all.

Very well said, thanks so much!!


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[Zincubus]

Yes, I was laughing too. But no joke, you don't want a "feeding bite" from a snake, as they tend to hang on & wrap on you- some snakes can be very determined once they "catch something", lol.

BTW I currently have 7' rat snakes that are quite fast at grabbing food too. Keeps my reflexes in good shape. But with them, I can "tell them NO" with a little spritz of clean water mist to their face so they know it's me & not "incoming prey", whereas that might be too much for a baby BP- BPs are much shyer snakes & you don't want to scare them. Honestly, nothing could scare my rat snakes, & they'll happily drink from a water spray. They're fun snakes, with great appetites.

Zincubus brought up a good point too, when feeding f/t rodents, it's best to offer with cardboard for a "plate" underneath if you can, to minimize the chance of your swallowing substrate.

Mmm

With my King / Rat snakes I don’t offer with tongs as my nerves can’t take it

I just place the warmed rat / mouse on a piece of bark or card and get out of the way sharpish


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[EthanMG]

It’s great he ate !!

I haven’t read through the recent posts but ... I’d feed over a piece of card to minimise the chance of ingesting substrate.

Also feed in the evenings, low /dim light .

I find it best to wait until they’re settled UNDER a hide then a quick blast with a hairdryer and dangle it whisked it’s still warm in front of the hide entrance.

Don’t blink


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Is it necessary to put something under if the rat isn’t wet? Also, most have said it didn’t matter where he is when you feed, but he’ll most likely be in his hide when I do. Thanks


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