Separate feeding cage?

[hhw]

I've noticed a few posts here and there on keeping a separate cage for feeding. What are the advantages of doing this? Also, wouldn't you need to move your snake back to its normal cage afterwards, or do you leave it in the feeding cage?

I'm currently using a 20 gallon tank with screen lid, but the natural humidity and the temperature with the heatpad are sufficient for it to not be a problem, but I bought 2 sterilite containers yesterday anyway because they were 50% off and I'm sure I'll make good use of them in the future.

[Sassafrass]

The biggest reason for using a seperate container for feeding is substrate in the primary cage. If you are using a mulch or bark, it's dangerous for the snakes to ingest it.

I used to use cypress mulch, and used a steralite for feeding. I would leave them in it for a few minutes after they finished, to let them settle down a bit after feeding.

[gozetec02]

I have aspen bedding in my enclosures and feed in an old glass tank with some carpet at the bottom.

[jotay]

I feed in a big cardboard box with paper towels on the bottom.
And Ozzy knows soon as he is lowered in the box that it is "chow time"

[JLC]

Feeding inside the enclosure, or in a separate location, is purely up to the keeper of the snake. Some people believe that feeding in the enclosure will cause a Pavolvian response, such that the snake will think it's feeding time whenever you open the cage...but I don't think that's a valid argument at all. However...keeping your snake safe from ingesting a dangerous substrate is. It really just depends on what substrate you use, and what seems to work best for you and your snake.

If you DO choose to feed outside the enclosure...wait until the meal-lump is nearing the half-way mark down the snake's body before attempting to move it back to its home. Then, as gently as you can, scoop him up in a way that supports as much of the snake's body as possible...and place him back into his home with as minimal fuss as you can manage. The bigger the snake, the more difficult this is to achieve.

For my part, as I begin to grow my collection of snakes...I intend to keep them on a "safe" substrate and feed them inside their enclosures. Seems the safest and most practical of methods to me...but that's just my personal opinion.

[green_man]

Just curious, and maybe this should be its own thread but...

Some people believe that feeding in the enclosure will cause a Pavolvian response, such that the snake will think it's feeding time whenever you open the cage...but I don't think that's a valid argument at all.

I am just curious as to why you think this is invalid? Now im not saying that a snake isnt going to be able to tell the difference between a hand and a mouse, but they do tend to make mistakes. For example, my BCI has his eyes blued over (going into shed). I was misting his tank and I think he mistook the sound of the spray bottle as hissing. He popped his head out of his hide and started hissing back he also took a strike at the glass. I find that somtimes snakes tend to have the attitude of eat or defend yourself now, ask questions later. I would rather there was no possability of him associating his home with feeding time.
Id really like to hear peoples opinions on this

[gen]

I feed my snake in his enclosure, and I've never had a problem with him mistaking my hand for a mouse, or thinking it's feeding time when it's not. I think the only way this would be a problem is if the only time you opened your snakes enclosure is to feed it. I open my snake's enclosure and stick my hand down there at least once a day (to change water) and usually more, to check the temps on the thermometer, to do any cleaning that is needed, and to handle him now and then of course. I think he is very used to the sound of his enclosure being opened and maybe even used to my big ugly hand messing around with things. The only time he has a feeding response is when he smells/sees a nice mouse/rat dangled in front of him.

[Marla]

I used to feed in a separate enclosure, partly because some of my snakes were feeding on live prey and needed monitoring, and partly because they normally went into hunt mode as soon as they were lowered into the "dining room" and could smell the lingering scent of prey. Eventually they all (except for the big one) got so used to eating f/t prey that they no longer strike and constrict and I got a better feeding response feeding inside the enclosure. I still feed the big one (unnamed still) outside the enclosure because s/he has a loose substrate (planning to change that when we move).

[Smulkin]

Maybe if feeding is your ONLY interaction with the cage you could set up a response - if you handle and maintain regularly I don't think it's very likely to happen (barring you have unwittingly "scented" yourself to get tagged).

Smynx feeds her water python in a seperate container but everyone else eats room-service.

[JLC]

Just curious, and maybe this should be its own thread but...

Some people believe that feeding in the enclosure will cause a Pavolvian response, such that the snake will think it's feeding time whenever you open the cage...but I don't think that's a valid argument at all.

I am just curious as to why you think this is invalid? Now im not saying that a snake isnt going to be able to tell the difference between a hand and a mouse, but they do tend to make mistakes. For example, my BCI has his eyes blued over (going into shed). I was misting his tank and I think he mistook the sound of the spray bottle as hissing. He popped his head out of his hide and started hissing back he also took a strike at the glass. I find that somtimes snakes tend to have the attitude of eat or defend yourself now, ask questions later. I would rather there was no possability of him associating his home with feeding time.
Id really like to hear peoples opinions on this

I'm not saying there won't be mistakes made by any snake. Although such mistakes are almost always the keeper's fault. If your hand smells like a mouse, the snake is well within its "rights" to bite you! :wink: But this has nothing to do with a Pavlovian response. The whole point of Pavolov is that an animal associates a specific UN-natural condition with its food. In this case...the opening of its cage. It would take many, many, many feedings, where you have no other instances of ever opening the cage except to feed...to build that sort of response in a primitive animal like a snake. It's just an unrealistic scenario. Even if you don't interact with your snake much...you still have to open the cage every couple of days to provide fresh water...and every so often to clean out feces. And most of us enjoy bringing our snakes out for some handling as well. So they never get a chance to build up that sort of expectation or association.

All that being said...if I were dealing with a huge and dangerous snake with a powerful feeding response...like a burmese...I would take steps to make SURE there was no conditioned association between the cage door and food...but that's really an entirely different topic of discussion.