Feeding Tongs Question

[Bogertophis]

Thanks so much! I think they are locking ones because they do have teeth at the handle end. I'll get a pair of non-locking, so I don't hurt Lilith. I've mostly been working on not being just a little grossed out by dead rats to be really systematic in how we hold it, but I will acquire more finesse as I learn more. (And we will not be getting a 7' constrictor anytime soon! It took me a couple of years to talk myself into getting a ball python, but my son adores her, so it's worth it.)

This all gets easier...I never expected to get into snakes at all, but that ship sailed over 3 decades ago, lol. I'm an animal-lover & kept an open mind, even though feeding rodents bothered me at first. (I've had many rodent pets before I got into snakes...) It's so nice that you can share this interest with your son, & it should encourage him to read & learn more too. (pretty sneaky, lol)

The locking hemostats are also called "clamps" in the medical world...they're used to "hold things" firmly, like during a surgery. Very awkward though for feeding snakes, & fyi, the 12" tweezers are the most comfortable to hold & use, at least to me, but if you're wanting 18" (over-kill for a ball python, IMO) you don't want the tweezers; for that length, non-locking hemostats are easier to use. 18" tweezers are too long to easily squeeze & control- too much distance to transfer your hand pressure effectively.

If you're wondering where to get them, here's one place I've bought from in the past: https://tongs.com/

Here's a link to their giant tweezers: https://tongs.com/product/tweezers/ They have them with rubber coated tips (good idea!) https://tongs.com/product/rubber-coated-tweezers/
and they also have the hemostats in various sizes: https://tongs.com/product/hemostat-straight/