feeding question

[jarobin]

i just bought a baby ball python today. the woman at the pet store told me not to feed it in its tank, but instead to take it out and feed it in a cardboard box. she said this way it wouldn't associate the tank with feeding and would not think anything, like hands, entering the tank is something to eat. i have never seen anyone do this before. i know that snakes need a certain atmosphere in order to digest and i read somewhere not to handle them while they are digesting. so my question is, if we have to feed it outside the tank how am i supposed to put it back in without disturbing the digestion?

also...the store fed it every friday. we bought the snake for my step-son and he goes back to his mom's house thursday nights for the weekend. would it be a big deal for us to change its feeding day to thursday instead of friday so that he can be here for it?

[Skittles1101]

I suggest leaving in it's own enclosure. It's less stressful for the snake. Make sure you leave it alone for a whole week from the time you got it, no handling or feeding at all. Changing the day to Thursday won't make a difference. Here is our caresheet, it's very helpful and welcome to the site
I only suggest looking it over because any info you got from the woman at the pet store is most likely incorrect.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

Edit: I feed all of mine in their enclosures and have never gotten a bite from my ball pythons (only my boa...but he's moody not hungry lol)

[pinkeye714]

Some people believe that the snakes do associate the tank as a feeding place but i personally do not believe that. I have been feeding my snake in the tank and i have never been bitten by them. they also know my hand is not food. I think the snakes only associate feeding time when they get the smell of a rat...but anyways! If you were to feed in a different container. yes wait till you see the rat past the snakes throat and then yes you just put your snake back into the tank once he is done eating and leave him alone for the remaining days.

No it is not a big deal to change the feeding day. JUST a little hint. do not panic if the snake does not eat on that day. just take it slow and try next Thursday.

[pascofishboy]

I have a Ball & a BRB. As far as time frame I like to mix it up and dont keep them on any schedule. I do not remove them from their tanks when I feed them I do however keep to a ritual I know where the Ball is so I lifht her pot and grab her and move her right to the far back corner of her cage I then give her the rat. I need to find the Boa after I do so I do the same thing. I have held both snakes after feeding with no problems I have even handled them wile constricting and swallowing with no problem I try to leave them alone for the most part but sometimes I need to intervine.
With that said the only one that showed and agression was the Boa she was still new to me and in her 1st shed for me her eyes were clouded and she couldnt see, see stuck at me hitting me and not bitting me.
The most important thing is to not have the smaell of prey on your hands when you put them in the cage and you wont get bit.

[jarobin]

ok thank you. so then should i even feed it this thursday or wait until next week?

[pinkeye714]

ok thank you. so then should i even feed it this thursday or wait until next week?

Just see if he will eat. if not then wait till next Thursday.

[ogdentrece]

If you do happen to feed outside its enclosure, which I used to, you can pick it up gently but support its entire body especially the stomach and set him down gently, let him slither off. But I think its really unnecessary to do that, and stresses him out. As for cage aggression, the snake is very unlikely to get that 'cage aggression' thing for a few reasons. One its not proven. Two, you'd probably be entering his enclosure more often than just feeding times. Out of like 3-4 intrusions a week, only 1 is food. He won't associate it. I feel you're more likely to get bitten feeding outside its enclosure since you need to pick it up to put him back into his enclosure. Right after they eat their feeding response is INTENSE, theyll strike at pretty much anything which give off a heat signature unless they're really full. So I won't recommend it.