Quote Originally Posted by Forrest
Since you don't know the temperment with this snake I would remove the snake from the enclosure first, place the rat in, then place the snake back in the cage (following proper husbandry rules of course: wash hand after handling rat and before handling snake ect.ect.ect.).
So you would take the snake out of the enclosure....put the rodent in the enclosure....then put the snake back in the enclosure?

I would not suggest that method for several reasons:

1) If the temperment of the snake is unknown, the last thing you want to do is handle at feeding time.

2)In order to decrease the stress on the snake and increase the chance of a successful feeding, the snake should be disturbed as little as possible before a feeding attempt. Most snakes and especially snakes that are in a new environment may not eat once their environment is disturbed and they are removed from the 'safety' of their home.

3) By placing the rodent in the enclosure first, the scent will linger in the air everwhere the rodent has been. Although the rodent smell may not be noticable to you, the snake can definately sense the smell in the air. So the snake may initiate a feeding responce when still being handled by the keeper. If the rodent is placed into the snake enclosure, the feeding responce will not be initiated until the scent reaches the snake.