Spider wobble tells and feeding in separate container?

[che]

cage aggression is a myth... and is filled with flawed logic. The last thing you want to do when feeding a snake is pick it up and move it to/from a separate container before feeding...Your chances of getting bit goes through the roof when moving a snake directly after feeding it.

If you think that a snake can't tell the difference between you and a rodent then you aren't giving them enough credit...

Snakes use multiple senses to identify potential prey.

They use their heat pits, their jacobson's organ (smell) and eye sight to ID prey.

So unless you have the same thermal signature, smell like a rodent, and look/ are the same size as a rodent a snake isn't going to think that you are food.

Every major breeder and most of the members on this site including me feed all of their snakes in their enclosures every time without any negative effects.

I'm not saying that you will never get bit... far from it, but when you do it won't be because your snake thinks that you are food.

It is far less stressful for the snake to be fed in it's cage.


IN most cases Spider wobble is very minor and only shows up when the snake is excited/scared/etc. you will notice a slight loss of motor control in the upper neck/head that makes the BP "wobble" In some rare extreme cases they do something called corkscrewing.. this is basically uncontrollable flailing. Once again, this is very rare and not something to be overly worked about. even most of the spiders that corkscrew will still live long happy lives, but in a very small percentage they cannot et very well and do not thrive. All spiders have wobble, and the degree that it presents itself can change throughout the snakes life.

A lot of great points here!

The one I have highlighted in bold I have witnessed first had. I used to feed my snakes in separate tubs and witnessed their feeding response quadruple when being fed in their enclosure, ie not being moved etc.

[Robyn@SYR]

I would be greatly upset if a piece of ingested substrate resulted in impaction or death.
I use paper towels, but your concern is legit.

We have bred and raised literally tens of thousands of snakes on a variety of particulate substrates- aspen, cypress, coir, sani-chips, and I have seen them get mouthfuls of it going after rodents (or during sheds) on occasion.

What I have never seen is an impaction issue from substrate.

[Slim]

Cage aggression from feeding inside the enclosure is a complete and utter myth. Period. Dot. End of the book. However...

Something my Dad always told me about my snakes as a kid thats always kinda stuck is that you dont want to feed a snake in its everyday enclosure.

I feed in a separate container for my own peace of mind.

If feeding in a separate enclosure helps you sleep better at night, knock yourself out. It's not what I would consider an optimal husbandry method, but it is a method.

[Rob]

Short and simple, no need to feed out of the enclosure. The spider wobble is not a defect, it's a trait and a great one if you ask me. It adds personality.

[kitedemon]

All spiders have wobble it is what it is. Sometimes it gets worse sometimes better.

Some of my snakes will feed in a separate container some it is very unlikely and a pair there is no way on earth they would. Basically they would starve if I tried. This is the best reason why to feed in a separate enclosure. I have witnessed only one single problem with substrate ingestion. It literally ran in to my vet during my appointment. Paper towels and an adult snake (the snake died). I have seen cyprus, aspen and coco ingestion all eaten with no issues.

[Christopher De Leon]

Cage aggression from feeding inside the enclosure is a complete and utter myth. Period. Dot. End of the book. However...






If feeding in a separate enclosure helps you sleep better at night, knock yourself out. It's not what I would consider an optimal husbandry method, but it is a method.

Yes, I suppose i sleep just fine. Lol. Its what i grew up with and something thats always worked for me personally and my snakes as well(including my spider, hehe). Im not sure i would consider it a less than optimal husbandry technique though...however, there have been some valid points made as to why some of you dont feed in seperate enclosures. But to each his own. We all know BPs can be picky or stubborn eaters regarless of feeding method.

[h00blah]

We have bred and raised literally tens of thousands of snakes on a variety of particulate substrates- aspen, cypress, coir, sani-chips, and I have seen them get mouthfuls of it going after rodents (or during sheds) on occasion.

What I have never seen is an impaction issue from substrate.

Oh I'm not referring to impaction. I used cypress mulch and aspen before, and sometimes the aspen would get stuck in the mouth while trying to get the rodent in it's mouth, and it would need to readjust.. This made watching my snake eat take longer lol. It's partially why I switched to paper towels.

As far as impaction goes, a snake in the wild probably ingests a bunch of things lying on the ground. That's not my concern.

[Serpent_Nirvana]

I hope this hasn't been asked a million times- I did somewhat search the subject.


Anyhow, I was just reading up on the "spider wobble"
I trust my breeder, but I was curious about the tells for wobble in very young snakes.
And really, the condition doesn't put me off. I don't think I'd mind owning a guy with a little bit of wobble.

It is a bit of a dead horse, but it's one of our favorite ones to beat around here

I will add that some spiders (like my adult female) exhibit virtually no "wobble" or other neurologic signs as babies and even subadults, but can experience an acute worsening of the condition as an adult. So, even if your baby seems fine and barely acts different from any other BP, be prepared that he may become worse in the future. (He may not -- but it is possible.)

[angllady2]

One thing I'll add. If substrate ingestion worries you, but you are nervous about moving the snake to feed, put down a small piece of poster board and offer the food over that. It minimizes the chance of substrate in the mouth.

I did that for the longest time, and for just that reason.

Gale

[clairlevee]

Fantastic answers, I'm picking up a lot (Even besides the answers to my questions )
Thanks again