First feeding

[chintasurf]

Hi guys

Its now been just over a week since having my new and first bp, and it is coming up to feeding time.

She has been coming out alot more during the days and evenings now and has started to look like she is looking for food.
The place where i got her from said that i should feed live food, which i am ok to do. I am planning on giving it ago this evening.

Can you guys give me any tips or advice on how to go about it please. Should i feed her in her set up? or should i take her our and pre-scent her tank with the mouse and put her back in after 15mins?

any advice on live feeding would be great.

[FL0OD]

this is the thing you will see posted the most on these forums, "my snake has not eaten in months". let me tell you what I do and have done for years. I have a tub that is the right size for the snake that I am feeding, smaller snake would get a smaller tub, just a normal sertlite tub, even large ones cost a whole $4, so they are not expensive. when you are ready to feed him/her put them in that. once they get the food about mid body gentley remove them from the tank and place them back into their enclosure and leave them be for 2-3 days. I feed mine out side of their cage is for several reasons. People that feed there animals in there enclosures run a very high risk of having the animal ingest their substrate/bedding which could make them sick or kill them. I hear the statement " I watch them the whole time they are eating so I am not worried about it". Well that one time it swallows that pretty bedding in your tank it could be its last and I do not feel comfortable with a pair of tweezers digging around in my balls mouth looking for what ever it is they swallowed nor would I recommend that. People that just breed usually use newspaper or paper towels as substrate so this is not an issue for them. Secondly I do not want, nor have I ever had my snakes, mistaken me for food. I have heard of some people have hungry snakes and them sticking there hands down to get their little pal out and it snapping at them. A lot of times that is because they feed them in their home and if they decide they are hungry then little one may think your hand is food. Just because you feed them on a certain day of the week, every week, does not mean that your animal may get hungry some time before that. Some people may think this would be a pain or not worth the little effort you have to put into it but if you ever have to live through the stress I see people on here going through because they can not get there pets to eat, I would think about giving it a shot if it is in your means to do so. I have never had any of my animals go "off feed" even in the winter and I attribute that to feeding them outside of there enclosure because when I taken them out of their home and put them in their tub they know what time it is, time to dine. Just a thought.

[Brimstone111888]

this is the thing you will see posted the most on these forums, "my snake has not eaten in months". let me tell you what I do and have done for years. I have a tub that is the right size for the snake that I am feeding, smaller snake would get a smaller tub, just a normal sertlite tub, even large ones cost a whole $4, so they are not expensive. when you are ready to feed him/her put them in that. once they get the food about mid body gentley remove them from the tank and place them back into their enclosure and leave them be for 2-3 days. I feed mine out side of their cage is for several reasons. People that feed there animals in there enclosures run a very high risk of having the animal ingest their substrate/bedding which could make them sick or kill them. I hear the statement " I watch them the whole time they are eating so I am not worried about it". Well that one time it swallows that pretty bedding in your tank it could be its last and I do not feel comfortable with a pair of tweezers digging around in my balls mouth looking for what ever it is they swallowed nor would I recommend that. People that just breed usually use newspaper or paper towels as substrate so this is not an issue for them. Secondly I do not want, nor have I ever had my snakes, mistaken me for food. I have heard of some people have hungry snakes and them sticking there hands down to get their little pal out and it snapping at them. A lot of times that is because they feed them in their home and if they decide they are hungry then little one may think your hand is food. Just because you feed them on a certain day of the week, every week, does not mean that your animal may get hungry some time before that. Some people may think this would be a pain or not worth the little effort you have to put into it but if you ever have to live through the stress I see people on here going through because they can not get there pets to eat, I would think about giving it a shot if it is in your means to do so. I have never had any of my animals go "off feed" even in the winter and I attribute that to feeding them outside of there enclosure because when I taken them out of their home and put them in their tub they know what time it is, time to dine. Just a thought.

Wrong on many different levels. Where did you get your husbandry facts and or advice? Petco?

Feeding in a separate tub is an alternative route to feeding, which is still just as good. That said it is NOT better then feeding in the cage, just a different method.

Substrate will NOT kill your snake if ingested. Possibly if it eats a cup full, but a piece stuck tot he rodent. These animals digest Bone, Teeth, Hydrochloric acid. A thin piece of soft wood won't kill your snake, even in a common sense point of view that is stupid.

Smaller substrates like Aspen can get stuck on your BP's teeth however. Not really a big deal most of the time they can knock it off.

Snakes DON'T mistake your hand for food when you stick your hand in the cage. After dealing with your snake for a while, you will notice the difference between feeding mode and Oh crap!

You seem to be very familiar with the "False Cause Fallacy". "I stick hand in enclosure, and I get bitten. He must be hungry"

Now for feeding:

Find a rodent with the same girth or so as your snake. Small adult mice arn't unusual for new born BP's, so I wouldn't get anything smaller than a hopper.

If you can ask for some soiled bedding with the rodent, from it cage. Use this to Pre-scent when you get home. Put some bedding in with your snake and it should put him in feeding mode. My snakes pretty much go instantaneously.

If you are feeding live, make sure the snake has eaten the mouse. DO NOT leave the mouse attended.

[mooingtricycle]

If you are feeding live, make sure the snake has eaten the mouse. DO NOT leave the mouse attended.

I second this! When youre at the petstore, maybe pick up a pair of tongs to feed as well.

I personally hold the mice while the snake strikes, coils, and constricts so that i have better control of the situation, and can then, once the mouse is in the grasp of the snake, control the head until the prey perishes.

This prevents bites, and also keeps the mouse from startling the snake like it may if it were to run freely in the enclosure.
Though, keep in mind that some snakes might need to get used to a method such as this ( some get skittish if youre hanging out watching them hunt)

Whichever way you choose to feed, ( in or out of the enclosure, letting prey run free, or holding it with tongs, Live, P/K or F/T) Is completely up to what you are comfortable with. Good luck!

[FL0OD]

I am sorry. Disregard everything that I said. Jeff apparently has the "How to Care For A Ball Python" book near by and my SUGGESTION was not in there. Thanks for the correction.

[mooingtricycle]

I am sorry. Disregard everything that I said. Jeff apparently has the "How to Care For A Ball Python" book near by and my SUGGESTION was not in there. Thanks for the correction.

Substrate Can and Cant kill your snake, while it CAN lead to impaction, that is not ALWAYS the case.

Probably best not to use absolutes when speaking in terms of feeding Live,Dead, In the enclosure, and outside of it, as anything can happen, and while some stuff can happen more often than not... theres no definite. best not to use Absolutes unless the topic calls for it.

[chintasurf]

Thank you all very much for your advice - i will give it ago tonight with the pre scenting etc in her enclosure. I quess i will see how it goes and take it from there. I don't have any tongs for feeding but i will def look into getting some now as the last thing i want to happen is for her to get biten.

Will let you know how it goes.

[mooingtricycle]

Thank you all very much for your advice - i will give it ago tonight with the pre scenting etc in her enclosure. I quess i will see how it goes and take it from there. I don't have any tongs for feeding but i will def look into getting some now as the last thing i want to happen is for her to get biten.

Will let you know how it goes.

As sick as this might sound, have fun. heh.

[FL0OD]

there is not any "can or will" statements anywhere in my post nor is there any absolutes. What I posted was a suggestion. Please feel free to read the post again if needed. If you read Jeff's post he first starts off trying to insult me, great start. Then next comments that in some way I think my way is "better" or the best way where nothing like that was even mentioned. Next substrates have been known to kill snakes of all kinds that does not mean it is going to happen but it can and no where in my post does it say its a "done deal" and look forward to it happening. Lastly anyone that has not been bitten by a snake has not been keeping them for very long. Ask any large breeder and they will tell you that people that are bitten are normally bitten during feeding times. Again that does not mean that it will happen and no where in my post does it say that it is "going to happen". In that same breathe why would you turn your tank into a feeding area buy spraying it with a rodent scent is beyond me. That is usually used for animals that will not eat or on pre-killed/frozen thawed prey. Your ball should have a normal feeding response with out having to be enticed by spraying the inside of the cage. But with that being said that is left to the thread poster to decided what he or she wants to do. No one is right or wrong here so no one should critique one another suggestions unless a person is putting some ones animal in mortal danger and if that is the case that is left to the Admin of these forums to decide whether it needs to be pulled or not.

[frankykeno]

Let's all please remember that each keeper and each snake have their own routines and if there's nothing outright bad or dangerous about a piece of advice, to respect someone else's ways as you'd expect yours to be respected.

I for instance, don't agree with restraint of live prey. If it's working for someone else then so be it. Personally I don't believe a healthy snake fed an appropriately sized live rodent needs that rodent restrained. I also feel that restraint of a live rodent actually leads to the fight/flight response in the rodent and may in fact up the odds of a bite occurring. This is just my opinion and my feeding routine however, take that for what it is.

In the end, whatever feeding routines you establish, asking questions and gathering opinions, even if they differ, is the mark of a smart, involved keeper trying to educate themselves for the betterment of their snake. Good for you!