New here! Am I doing it right?

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

I too have no problem with feeding on aspen. My snakes strike up and coil their prey, I've only once seen one of them get a piece of aspen in their mouth and he spent all of .002 seconds wiggling it out before wolfing down the mouse. The one snake that doesn't strike, just eats...well, I just lay his mice down in front of him. No worries though since he's a weird little thing and always pushes all of the bedding out of his hide so he's lying on the naked tub floor. He's like a little interior decorator!

[Caramell]

Thank you everyone! I chose to feed outside of the enclosure to avoid getting tagged if my hand goes in the cage. I've read in a lot of places that it doesn't really work and it's highly debated, but I think I'll just stick to what works for me. I also switched to paper towels because I was afraid the aspen was going to mold(which it did actually start to in one corner) and spread bacteria. I put a few layers of paper towels over the heat mat(and yes, its a low power mat for 5.5 gallons) to avoid any burns. The heat lamp also is low powered, and keeps the ambient temps nicely. I plan to get a ceramic heater in the future.
Also, the shed has been stuck there since last week and she only got a little bit off, so I think tomorrow would be a good time to soak her.
The fuzzie we fed her was just a bit smaller than her widest part, so if she grows dramatically within the next few weeks, I'll check out the sizes of the mice they have at the pet store and see if it's good enough for an upgrade.

And here are the photos of my little darling! She(not sure if it's a she, I just enjoy saying it) is about 1 and a half feet long, and I named her Caesar.

[seeya205]

You have more of a chance getting bit trying to pick up a snake on feeding day! Feeding in the enclosure will get better feeding response because the snake is less stressed from not being moved! See what works best for you!

[Caramell]

You have more of a chance getting bit trying to pick up a snake on feeding day! Feeding in the enclosure will get better feeding response because the snake is less stressed from not being moved! See what works best for you!

Really, there's a bigger chance? I didn't know that. I thought that maybe if I feed in a separate enclosure, the snake will get used to a routine and also have a good feeding response. The snake was fed in the store every Thursday, so we didn't change the day. She didn't struggle or strike when we moved her and had an immediate response to the mouse on the tongs. I'll see if the good behavior continues, and I'll feed in the cage if anything goes wrong.

[ballpythonluvr]

You have more of a chance getting bit trying to pick up a snake on feeding day! Feeding in the enclosure will get better feeding response because the snake is less stressed from not being moved! See what works best for you!

Agree 100%.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I would say, if the snake is eating regularly in a separate container, there is no need to mess with what's working. If she ever goes off feed, that's another story.
Do you have a postal or kitchen scale? How much does she weigh?

[Caramell]

I would say, if the snake is eating regularly in a separate container, there is no need to mess with what's working. If she ever goes off feed, that's another story.
Do you have a postal or kitchen scale? How much does she weigh?

I have a kitchen scale, and I'll make sure to weigh her at the time of her soak tomorrow. She does have good girth though. But what do I know,right? I'm a noob.

[sarahlovesmiike]

You said you're using a heat mat, are you regulating it? It needs to be on a thermostat because they can reach 120*. Look for the Hydrofarm Thermostat on Amazon, they are the best digital thermostat for the money.

Also, eventually your snake will be waiting to be fed when feeding day comes around after a while. If you continue to feed outside the enclosure, you will be picking up a snake that is already in feeding mode. Thus, increasing your chances of being tagged. You should know that being tagged is just inevitable with snakes, some day it will happen. It doesn't hurt, don't worry. They barely even draw blood. I would take a BP bite over a paper cut any day.

[sarahlovesmiike]

BTW, I like your snake! Very cute

[Caramell]

You said you're using a heat mat, are you regulating it? It needs to be on a thermostat because they can reach 120*. Look for the Hydrofarm Thermostat on Amazon, they are the best digital thermostat for the money.

Also, eventually your snake will be waiting to be fed when feeding day comes around after a while. If you continue to feed outside the enclosure, you will be picking up a snake that is already in feeding mode. Thus, increasing your chances of being tagged. You should know that being tagged is just inevitable with snakes, some day it will happen. It doesn't hurt, don't worry. They barely even draw blood. I would take a BP bite over a paper cut any day.

Alright I'll make sure to get a thermostat as soon as I can, I also want to invest in a thermometer with a probe.
I guess I'll rethink feeding in a separate enclosure. I have until next Thursday to make a decision.