Quote Originally Posted by bearhart
I've been most adament about the issue of whether or not the decision has any ramifications - not whether or not it was right or wrong.
And I'm just saying that to insist that there ARE ramifications is a bit of a stretch based on a solitary, limited experience...when 99.9% of other experience out there says otherwise.

So, I can only conclude that it must be that my BP is fairly unique and that its better to say "it CAN have an effect" rather than "it DOES have an effect".
That's pretty much been my point from the beginning. It MIGHT have an effect...in rare instances and under unique circumstances, based on your personal experience.

I think you're being kind of hard on me, really. Alot of the people that feed in-cage posted in this very thread that they take special care when dealing with the snake on feeding day because it is expecting a meal to be placed in the cage. Are you saying that you think these snakes would act the exact same way if they were fed out of cage? (Once again, please keep in mind that I'm not debating the pros and cons of either method. I'm most interested in establishing what those pros and cons might actually be).
I don't think I'm being "hard" on you. It's just that if you take a very strong stance on the potential ramifications of feeding inside the enclosure, based on a singular event...when compared to the vast experience that says otherwise...people are going to expect you to back up your words with concrete evidence, or back off that stance and admit that maybe you are being too hard on everyone else who insist that it makes no difference to the snake's overall behavior.

As for being careful on feeding day....I can't imagine being otherwise! And I can't imagine trying to life MY ball python out of her tub on feeding day because she IS looking for food. But any other time, she's very easy to get out and has never shown any tendency at all toward striking at me.