Feeding Technique????

[anatess]

Ok. I use paper towels, so there is no ingested substrate. My tubs are clear so I can observe everything at eye level. My balls are used to there tubs, and it is where they feel safe. They aren't stressed by a new place, and I don't handle before or after eating. My rats aren't in there long enough to make a mess until they are constricted, unless they aren't eaten. In that case, they get new towels. Which is so much easier to clean than an type of loose bedding.

The top priority is getting them to eat, so feed them where they are comfortable. Then you can decide what is best for your snake. To me there are more advantages to you feeding outside, than the snake. A snake can digest bones, substrate is no issue. I'm telling you the wild is not clean. Lol. I'm pretty sure they could care less of a few mouse droppings are in there.

And, although I haven't seen any proof of handling after feeding leads to regurgitation. It's still frowned upon. Is it worth the risk?

When you're moving a snake from his feeding box to his enclosure, you are moving the snake - not "handling" the snake. You make it so that it would be as close to the same amount of movement as if the snake was moving from outside his hide to inside his hide after eating.

If you have an enclosure like this:


You can't really feed inside the enclosure because a rat can hide in areas that are in-accessible to the snake and taking apart the enclosure for feeding is not practical.

So yes, it is completely dependent on your set-up and your snake.

Either method is fine.