whats the correct,responsible way to feed your snake a live prey?

[Johar]

well, i've searched and read alot. most advice were about to feed your snake with responsibility. so im thinking on how?

last time my snake didn't eat. she was just smelling the prey and going after it slowly. as soon as the mouse makes a snappy move and runs away. it shys away from the prey, takes a while and follow it slowly.

well i know it didn't get used to its viv. and i had only one hideout
i added 4 small ones. and it seems to be enjoying it and moving from one to another. my wife was like "the snake isn't in its hideout. its out of the cage!!"
she didn't know i had more than 2 , they other 2 are nicely hidden.

anyways. this isnt my question.. if its hidden in its hideout.. how can i feed it? should i hold the mouse from its tail until it gets out of the cage? how long should i leave the mouse in the cage?
10 mnts? what are the mistakes i could fall in? any advice?

[eightleggedfreak]

I'm far from an expert, and there's many people on here with more experience and knowledge than I. That being said, here's what I do.

I wouldn't recommend feeding your snake in it's vivarium. The reason for this is that snakes can begin to associate the cage being opened with food being made available and can respond aggressively.

Get a sweater box, or another container of some sort. Use this as your feeding box. Put the mouse in first, before the snake. I'd recommend putting the mouse in some sort of box as well inside your feeding box. Young snakes in the wild often prey primarily on young rodents in burrows and having the mouse in another container can bring out this response. I'd recommend using a small cardboard box and cut a hole on the side big enough for your snake to fit through.

You can also try stunning the mouse, simply by taking it by the tail and whacking it against a hard surface. I know it may sound cruel, but I've had to do it many times with mine. I've tried without success to feed my snakes f/t mice, and I often did this just to ensure that the mouse couldn't harm the snake. Now I have enough confidence in them to feed them live all the time. You can try dangling the stunned mouse in front of your snake and they'll usually figure it out themselves. Be sure to use long tongs when doing this, so your snake doesn't accidently tag your hand while attempting to strike the mouse!!

What kind of snake do you have, btw?

[ddbjdealer]

I wouldn't recommend feeding your snake in it's vivarium. The reason for this is that snakes can begin to associate the cage being opened with food being made available and can respond aggressively.

If you follow the same steps every week, feeding after feeding, and handle your BP on a regular basis (2-4 days a week), this isn't really necessary.

Most of us feed in their enclosures. There are numerous debates on this topic, that you can find through the search feature of the forum.

The debate to feed in or out of enclosure is almost as hot as live or f/t.

The truth is, there are many different ways to keep these animals, just as there are to keep/raise anything. Not all of them are technically "correct", but I wouldn't say most of them are "wrong" either.

Hope this helps.

[Johar]

hmm.... i wonder if someone had any pictures.
i have a small door at the top of the viv. i usually dont open the door just for feeding.
most of the time just changing the water. or just checking my ball python out.

well, i have a baby ball python. you can check the pics in my gallery.

i think im gonna do it while my wife is outside the house. she feels bad already for the mouse just sitting in one place with the snake!!!! ...
well, if any one had took pictured of the feeding. i'd gladly appreciate it.

i wonder if i should give it a try. its been 4 days since last attempt.

[Adam_Wysocki]

I wouldn't recommend feeding your snake in it's vivarium. The reason for this is that snakes can begin to associate the cage being opened with food being made available and can respond aggressively.

That's actually a myth that many people believe to be true. As long as you enter your snakes enclosure regularly for handling, cage cleaning, and giving fresh water, your snake will learn the difference between "feeding" and everything else and be no more or less aggressive than if fed in a separate container. A shy secretive species like a ball python may actually become stressed by being moved into a new container for feeding and refuse food.

You can also try stunning the mouse, simply by taking it by the tail and whacking it against a hard surface.

I can't say that I agree with any type of "whacking" when it comes to rodents. It is cruel and inhumane, and in reality, not necessary.

You can try dangling the stunned mouse in front of your snake and they'll usually figure it out themselves.

This is actually a dangerous practice ... a stunned mouse could potentially "snap out of it" in a very paniced and stressed state from being "whacked" and dangling from tongs and lash out by biting and scratching at whatever is around it ... possibly your snake.

Just my thoughts on the topic for whatever they are worth ...

Somewhere on the site there is a post where I described what I feel is the best way to feed a ball python live prey ... maybe someone can dig it up?

-adam

[Johar]

bleh!! couldn't find it ;/ well.
how do YOU do it adam?
i've put alot of stuff in the cage. like 4 hidings / bowl and some artificial leaves.
do i have to remove them each time i wanna feel my BP?

[srozell]

I guess I'm not a search wizard either. I couldn't find the post myself.

[ddbjdealer]

bleh!! couldn't find it ;/

I guess I'm not a search wizard either. I couldn't find the post myself.

Okay, okay... I'll do it... Nothin else to do this early in the morning.

Here's one...
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...03&postcount=7
Here's another one...
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...68&postcount=3

I'm sure there are many more as well... (Search, Advanced Search, Put "Feeding" in the search keywords, and "Adam_Wysocki" in the user field, there'll be a few items that come up.

[rabernet]

Here's my thought on feeding in the enclosure vs. in a separate feeding container. Is it right? I dunno, but makes sense to me.


My feelings are, my snakes are going to be more comfortable in their own familiar surroundings with access to their hides where they can actually "ambush" the prey item while still having the safety of their hides.

If they are in a separate feeding container, they don't have familiar surroundings, they don't have their hides, and while eating, it seems to me that they are most vulnerable. Imagine being halfway through swallowing the mouse or rat out in the wide open without the security of your hides and a predator comes up on you - what are you going to do? You can't strike at it, you've got a mouse or rat halfway down. You can't really ball up very easily and you surely can't flee.

I think feeding in the enclosure provides a better sense of well-being and safety for your snake. In the seven months I've had Kashmire, I've never fed outside his enclosure, and he's never even so much as hissed at me.

[tigerlily]

When I first started, I thought the same thing and I fed in a separate enclosure. My bp was prone to skipping meals and it was not working. After some advice from the lovely people here, I started feeding in the enclosures. I have much better feeding responses, and the routine is very easy. I have never had one of my bps mistake me for food. I open their enclosure's often to check for poo, do cleanings, or just to change their water. Now on feeding day, I'm not messing around with them.