Quote Originally Posted by SnakeLos
wouldnt plopping up the hide cause stress on him, leading him to get defensive and refusal to being picked up??
if you are worried about this, why don't you feed in the enclosure? if you have a super skiddish snake, then maybe it will be very stressful, but it has been my experience that once they smell that mouse/rat, they switch into "feed mode" and eat the same as if they were in their tub. it really depends on the snake though. if you are gonna feed out of the tank, have the container close by and just move the snake to it with as little handling as possible to eliminate some stress. but there is definatly nothing wrong with feeding in the enclosure, wherever your snake feels comfortable enough to feed. Hope this helps