Jas, while I did mis-state with the month, more like 3 mos, and someone mentioned 6 mos! it seems kinda pointless to just respond to a post with "WRONG". I would never consider a snake who didn't eat for 3 mos., on a regular basis, ok.

I mentioned already a good reason for not feeding your snake in the enclosure. I didn't make that up, most herpetologists will tell you the same. Personally, I think it is a good idea to have your snake have some variety in life, and not just sit in an enclosure for 20 years. Emulating, to whatever limited way we can, what a snake may do in nature is a healthy thing. Personally, I use a small black narrow dedicated garbage can and offer live prey to my snakes. They usually sit above it and take whatever time the want to ease into the can (simulating a hole in the ground) and catch live prey. They are never exposed to prey until the moment of kill, and, of course I am monitoring the whole process from start to finish to ensure the snakes' safety. My snakes eat regularly right through winter, with no "off feed" episodes.