Quote Originally Posted by suzanne
I know they told me with my corn snake that I should never feed her in her enclosure because she may bite me when I try to take her out thinking I am food. Also they said it was bad for the corn to ingest any substrate.
Those are common myths spread about keeping snakes in captivity.

As long as you regularly go into your snakes cage for cleaning and handling sessions, he/she will be no more prone to identifying your hand with food whether you feed in the enclosure or in a separate feed box. My opinion is that since ball pythons are such a generally shy and easily stressed snake, feeding in the enclosure is best for them .... but other people will of course have their own opinions.

As far as ingesting substrate goes, a ball pythons stomach acids are strong enough to digest rodent bones and hair as well as the hard cellulose contents in the stomach ... a little mulch doesn't stand a chance. If you're really concerned about it, you could always lay a sheet of newspaper down on the cage floor prior to feeding.

-adam