My personal thoughts on feeding in the cage making them more "aggressive"

[Trackstrong83]

*JUST my opinion, not stating anything out-right, no definite facts. Just observations from my own experience*

Thought of this today when I was feeding the snakes at the pet store I work at, specifically when I was feeding our male pastel we have.(who is in an enclosure by himself).
I was feeding our pastel a f/t rat pup today, in his enclosure, when my boss came around the corner and instantly started yelling at me for feeding the snake in its cage. Stating "you know if you feed a ball python in its cage it will make it ALOT meaner". WHAT I THINK, is that people mistake a good feeding response for aggression. All of my snakes eat in their tubs, which I do believe makes them feel more comfortable, and all are eating machines. Now I just opened the tub to my little butter girl, and when I went to move her water bowl I saw her head poking out of her hide and following my hand everywhere it went. It did look like she was getting ready to strike at me, so i placed my hand near her to see if that's what she was going to do, and nope, no bite. My dumerils will do the same thing. They may get back in the "S" shape looking like they're going to bite (which can be very intimidating to a novice keeper, and can be easily mistaken for aggression) but I think they just LOVE TO EAT. And I think when they rear back I think they're just waiting for a rat to pass in front of them.
Just my thoughts on what I noticed tonight while feeding.

[West Coast Jungle]

totally bogus. I have fed hundreds of balls in their enclosure. Has nothing to do with aggression.

[Trackstrong83]

totally bogus. I have fed hundreds of balls in their enclosure. Has nothing to do with aggression.

That's what I'm saying, I believe people mistake a good feeding response for aggression.

[bandicoot4]

i agree, i mean i only have one ball python but i have been feeding her in her enclosure since i got her in july and the only time she was "aggressive" was when i bothered her when she was trying to digest. other than that shes as calm as can be.

[rickm]

people need to realize that snakes function, their whole lives in modes. feeding mode which is also a lot of times resting mode, exploring/thinking mode, defensive mode, ect. any snake, no matter what species is going to first be ready to defend themselves, they are, after all...prey in the wild. so until they realize that they are not being threatened....they are going to be ready to defend themselves. also, not so much with balls, but after almost twenty years working with retics....I can assure anyone, that a big, food responding hungry striking retic is WAY easier to deal with IN their enclosure, than outside it!!!! I know balls are not retics, but a striking snake, that does not want to 'snap' out of the food response, is a lot easier to deal with when you can just slide the tub closed or close the door....instead of trying to get the snake BACK INTO its enclosure. and no offense, but your boss does not know what he is talking about if he thinks that feeding an animal in its enclosure will make it more aggressive. they exist in modes, understanding what mode your snake is in, and dealing with it properly....will result in almost never getting bitten, if ever. if you know your animal, and understand it....then you should not get bitten by a food response. period. snakes do not have the mental capacity or ability to be 'mean', they react to their environment...weather that be food, predators, or what ever.

[Neal]

Yea, I've fed in and out of enclosures before and I can tell you for a fact that the feeding in cage makes them more aggressive is total bull. People misunderstand the simplest things. It's like if you show a picture to two diferent people they're going to see it in their own way. That goes with how people think of bp's. I see some people saying that their bp begs for food when this isn't the case. The bp just happens to be visible and is watching a heat source, or for the many reasons it's just out of the hide.

I've never fed any of my BP's out of their enclosure and the only reason I do for my 3 Rufous is because they live communal and I don't want any accidental feeding incidents.

[sho220]

*JUST my opinion, not stating anything out-right, no definite facts. Just observations from my own experience*

Thought of this today when I was feeding the snakes at the pet store I work at, specifically when I was feeding our male pastel we have.(who is in an enclosure by himself).
I was feeding our pastel a f/t rat pup today, in his enclosure, when my boss came around the corner and instantly started yelling at me for feeding the snake in its cage. Stating "you know if you feed a ball python in its cage it will make it ALOT meaner". WHAT I THINK, is that people mistake a good feeding response for aggression. All of my snakes eat in their tubs, which I do believe makes them feel more comfortable, and all are eating machines. Now I just opened the tub to my little butter girl, and when I went to move her water bowl I saw her head poking out of her hide and following my hand everywhere it went. It did look like she was getting ready to strike at me, so i placed my hand near her to see if that's what she was going to do, and nope, no bite. My dumerils will do the same thing. They may get back in the "S" shape looking like they're going to bite (which can be very intimidating to a novice keeper, and can be easily mistaken for aggression) but I think they just LOVE TO EAT. And I think when they rear back I think they're just waiting for a rat to pass in front of them.
Just my thoughts on what I noticed tonight while feeding.

Agree 100%

[PitOnTheProwl]

You just cant "fix" some people

[Mephibosheth1]

You just cant "fix" some people

Who's this directed to??

[PitOnTheProwl]

when my boss came around the corner and instantly started yelling at me for feeding the snake in its cage. Stating "you know if you feed a ball python in its cage it will make it ALOT meaner".

Who's this directed to??

Didn't think I would need to explain myself, I don't have a problem directing my comments when I want to