Quote Originally Posted by AliBe View Post
the reason i don't feed her in her enclosure is because I've been told that she will associate me reaching in to her tank with feeding time and could start striking at me. i handle her a lot, but this is my first reptile so i am still a little unsure when i hold her...so i try to avoid anything that will cause her to strike. the only reason i am hesitant to get an extra mouse is because i also have 2 cats and i know they will drive me crazy if i have a live mouse chilling in the house for a few days.
i'm not sure how much she weighs but she is about 18" long.
one more thing- i've heard conflicting opinions on things like hides and dirt to burrow in. some people have told me that they are unnecessary, others have said they'll get stressed and won't eat without it. should i get her a hide? i think i'm going to need to upgrade to a bigger tank if i do.
how often should i change her bedding? i use dirt bought from the pet store if that makes any difference.
Snakes associate food by scent and heat. Feeding in the enclosure is best. I would start to feed her rat pups or rat crawlers. They are larger and safer. The problem with the theory of feeding out of the enclosure is if this is true they are gonna think everytime you take them out it's feeding time. Snakes react to scent and heat signature, not a change of scenery. Most of my snakes come out of their hides to eat when I walk in the room with rats, they know it's feeding time now if you stick your hand in there and they are expecting a rat you might get hit because you have a heat signature and they smell rats. Thus the rule never handle a snake after handling rodents, you may get mistaken for one. Since they are ambush predators they like to feel safe before the ambush, taking them out could make them insecure and not feed. I used to think the same thing and took my first out and eventually it refused out of fear. Some info we read or hear is OLD and outdated but still circulating. Thats why the forums are great you can get up to date info and the lastest sucessful husbandry tips

Oh yeah hides are a must even if it just crumpled up newspaper she can hide under(for now)