feeding in tank

[Caspian]

Really, the only viable reason I've ever heard of for feeding in a separate enclosure is that if the only time you open the cage is to feed them, they learn to associate you opening the cage with you feeding them.

Of course, if you think about that, then if the only time you open the cage is to take them out and then feed them, they're going to learn to associate you opening the cage with you feeding them.

And if the only time you open the cage is to feed them, then what does it matter if they do associate it with you feeding them? Personally, I'd rather have them be excited in the cage, and settle down once they're out of it, than the other way around. But then, mine all come out to play regularly, so they just heave a proverbial sigh of resignation when I open the cage if they don't see food. But if I open one tub, they know that sound - I'll have six little noses poking out of hides immediately to see if anybody's getting fed, and find out why they aren't if someone else is. However, as soon as the snake in the tub sees that it's not food, it settles right down.

I do, however, make a point of not having rodent scent all over my hands when I take a snake out, or snake scent if I take my kingsnake out! I made the mistake of checking on one of my ball pythons before taking my Kingsnake out one day, and the poor Kingsnake got so excited about the snake smell on my hands that he bit his own tail. Not me, himself. He was very put out about the whole affair.