Keeping mice in the same room as my snake?

[Kenzieburgess]

This isnt really a question, but just want to know anyone else's experiences with keeping mice or other rodents in the same room as your snake. I feed my BP live because no matter how hard iv tried he refuses to eat pre killed or F/T. Anywho I've been keeping several mice at a time in an enclosure in the same room as my snake so I can feed the mice better nutritious food, making them more nutritious for Twig (my bp) and at first he seemed to become a bit more fiesty, striking at me when I was getting his water bowl or fixing something up in his enclosure or whatever and he wasnt like that before, it took about a week or so before he quit striking at my hand hoping for food (I feed him in a seperate tub anyways) anyone else have any experience with keeping rodents in the same room and did your snakes behavior change when you did?

[Kenzieburgess]

Edit: although he doesn't strike at me anymore, he still hisses sits there like he wants to strike and I gotta go in for that confident grab and just scoop him up and then he is good. Just forgot to mention.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I kept mice and rats and snakes in the same room for 4 years when I first started without any issues.


On a side note

(I feed him in a seperate tub anyways)

That is exactly how you will get tag, snakes will be in feed mod hours before and hours after being fed and moving an animal to feed is what you SHOULDN"T do as it increase the chances of you getting bit.

[Bogertophis]

I hope you're not renting where you live, as mice raised over time will impart an odor to your room (home) that you may get used to but landlords won't welcome-
as it's not easily removed.

Agree that you're asking for bites by feeding in separate container...never a good idea, can also stress some snakes into NOT eating (due to your handling), and
some snakes stay pumped up to feed again (aka "feed mode") for hours or even a day+, so MORE likely to bite you when you have to return them to regular cage.

[Kenzieburgess]

On a side note That is exactly how you will get tag, snakes will be in feed mod hours before and hours after being fed and moving an animal to feed is what you SHOULDN"T do as it increase the chances of you getting bit.

He was striking for food in his reg enclosure when it wasnt even close to his feeding day. I feed him in a seperate enclosure to avoid "tank aggression" or thinking my hand is food when I reach in for him. And I pick him up with a hook to transfer to and from his feeding tub, and use my hand for regular handling. Granted this is my first snake, I did a ton of research and on countless forums/websites/videos suggest feeding in a seperate enclosure for this reason. I believe this is just preference to individual owners and individual snakes. Like I said, I havnt really had much of a problem after a week or so of moving in the mice.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

He was striking for food in his reg enclosure when it wasnt even close to his feeding day. I feed him in a seperate enclosure to avoid "tank aggression" or thinking my hand is food when I reach in for him. And I pick him up with a hook to transfer to and from his feeding tub, and use my hand for regular handling. Granted this is my first snake, I did a ton of research and on countless forums/websites/videos suggest feeding in a seperate enclosure for this reason. I believe this is just preference to individual owners and individual snakes. Like I said, I havnt really had much of a problem after a week or so of moving in the mice.

There is no such a thing as tank aggression, this is a myth and a persistent one at that, ask yourself this how do you think people with HUNDREDS of snakes feed their snakes, how do you think people with giants feed their snakes, how do you think people with hots feed their snakes? And why?

All you do by moving your snake is stressing it before a meal which with a BP will sooner or later lead to refusal and taking risks.

[Kenzieburgess]

I hope you're not renting where you live, as mice raised over time will impart an odor to your room (home) that you may get used to but landlords won't welcome-
as it's not easily removed.

Agree that you're asking for bites by feeding in separate container...never a good idea, can also stress some snakes into NOT eating (due to your handling), and
some snakes stay pumped up to feed again (aka "feed mode") for hours or even a day+, so MORE likely to bite you when you have to return them to regular cage.

I'm not renting, and I clean the mice tank between every 4-7 days, and i have yet to have an issue with odor so far *figures crossed* also I use a hook to transfer to and from feeding enclosure, my hand for reg handling, he eats just fine in it, and hes not been as food aggressive after a week or so from the mice moving in. And he was being a butt even when it wasnt even close to feeding day (monday) and be nippy on a wed/thurs

[Bogertophis]

"Tank aggression"- much better ways to avoid, but this BAD idea to feed in separate container has been around & shared for a long time...have fun.

Many of us here have literally decades of experience with countless snakes that we are trying to share with you.

[Craiga 01453]

Granted this is my first snake, I did a ton of research and on countless forums/websites/videos suggest feeding in a seperate enclosure for this reason. I believe this is just preference to individual owners and individual snakes. Like I said, I havnt really had much of a problem after a week or so of moving in the mice.

Hey, I'm not trying to knock you here, but trying to help. Your "ton" of research clearly wasn't enough since you were feeding prey smaller than BPs eat out of the egg.

Between the two other members (both of whom are fantastic, knowledgeable keepers) trying to help you, and now myself, there is nearly 50 years of experience with many, many snakes of multiple species telling you a seperate feeding tub is a bad idea.

A seperate feeding tub is old school and proven counter productive over time.
1) this will increase your chance of rhe snake refusing the meal since you have to move the snake before feeding and moving = stress
2) this will increase your chance of the snake regurgitating it's prey since, now the snake has to be moved AGAIN. And moving = stress.
3) this will drastically increase your chances of being bitten since the snake will remain in feed mode after eating.

Again, not trying to knock you, but trying to help.

[55fingers]

Avoiding the "cage aggression" by feeding in a separate tub can result in not only stress, but "Oh look! My human taking me out of the tank. Must be to feed me!" = snake going into feeding mode every time you take him out of the tank.

Top-opening cages/tanks are usually to blame if there's any "cage aggression" since our hands swooping down is a lot like a bird or other predator would. I like to use the "Tapping method" to knock my snake out of feed/aggression/defensive mode. Usually when he's in his hide. I'll tap the ground, then his hide, then lift up the hide, put it back down, and repeat a few times just so my snake knows it's me and isn't surprised when I scoop him up to take him out.