First feed sunday! A few questions..

[XoKarma]

Sunday will be the first time feeding my bp since buying him. He eats live mice. I have heard mixed opinions on in tank feeding. "in tank feeding increases bite risk''..." out of tank feeding can cause stress"... He is a very sweet snake, a he crawls to my hand anytime I reach into his tank and he's never balled on me or shown any signs of fear or aggression.. In your opinion which is better in tank or out of tank and why? I'd personally take being bit or snipped at over stressing him, but I would like an informed opinion. (more informed than the flunkee at pet paradises opinion anyhow)

[iCandiBallPythons]

Feed inside enclosure,it does not increase any risk of being bitten

[I-KandyReptiles]

Feed inside enclosure,it does not increase any risk of being bitten

x2

You're more likely to get bit by feeding him in a separate container.

[XoKarma]

Thank you, that's what I figured but I wanted to be sure. I will be feeding in tank. One last question... He is in a glass tank with 3 of the sides blacked out, since bps are shy eaters (or so I've been told) and should I temporarily cover the front with a towl to give him that privacy or should he be fine.

[mercerasian]

He should be fine. My BP's tank is uncovered on 3 sides and he could care less. All he cares about is dinner.

[don15681]

depends, they are not all the same. see how well he does first. when watching, try not to move a lot. less stress while he eats.

[sorraia]

I think in general it is safe to feed in the enclosure, but some snakes may require feeding in a separate container.

My personal experience: As a kid I had a ball python, and I always fed him in his enclosure. He was always a very easy to handle snake. The ONLY time I was ever bit was when *I* made the mistake of sticking my hand in his enclosure at meal time. He let go as soon as he realized it was me in his mouth. Considering this, I probably would have been bit more often if I tried moving him from his enclosure to feed him (moving becomes associated with food).

Currently I am feeding my pythons and rosy boas in their enclosures, and haven't had any problem. Hearing what you have about snakes fed in their enclosures being more likely to bite, I started out trying to feed my rosy boas in a separate container. They weren't too keen on that, and skipped every other meal, then one day one of them escaped from their feeding container (was found, safe and sound). I'm not using the separate feeding containers any more, and haven't had a skipped meal (or escape) since then.

[tdrusk]

I have been weighing the goods and bads of this debate. This is what I have come up with.

• In Cage
  
  • Arguments For
    
    • More comfortable
    • Less distracting
    • Don't have to pick up and move snake after feeding(less change of regurgitation)
    
    
  • Arguments Against
    
    • Snake expects to eat in cage, associates you with food
    • Snake could swallow some substrate
    
    
  
  
• In Separate Container
  
  • Arguments For
    
    • Easier to clean up any mess
    • Less chance of being bitten since snake associates the tank with feeding, not opening the lid of cage
    • No substrate to swallow
    
    
  • Arguments Against
    
    • You have to handle the snake after feeding it. It could still be in feeding mode and bite you.
    • When moving it the snake could regurgitate.
    • Uncomfortable surroundings, wrong temperature, distractions
    
    
  
  

So from my understanding, if you are afraid of bites then you still have a risk either way. From my research I feel it is better for the snake AND the owner if the snake is fed in its cage.

People have had luck in both scenarios. I am new and have been having trouble getting my snake to eat. I have been feeding him in a separate container, but I am going to try in cage since he seems very distracted.

If anyone has anything else to add I will gladly add it.

[shorty21030]

I actually feed all of my snakes in separate enclosures only because they do eat live and I do not want the rat or mouse going to the bathroom in the enclosures. I have fed in their enclosures before and I could not figure out why the enclosures started to smell even though I would check to see if there are any droppings from the rat/mouse and if I did see it I would get it out. So I just tried to feed them in a different enclosure and I have not had a problem at all. They do not get stressed out for me at all and they never skip a feeding unless it is breeding season.