I'm probably going to catch a bit of flame for recommending this, but I'm going to anyway.

There's a school of thought out there that suggests you shouldn't feed your snake in their regular tank. I haven't even heard this mentioned in these forums, but I believe many if not most of the people on this forum are keeping numerous snakes and therefor it wouldn't be practicle to feed each one outside its tank.

The reasons for feeding outside their cage are twofold. First, you completely avoid the problem of digesting their own bedding. Second, it prevents your snake from becoming accustomed to objects entering their cage being food, which means you're less likely to catch a bite while reaching in to handle your snake, clean their cage, fill a water dish, etc.

I recommend either a plastic tub or, if you've got an old 10 gallon lying around somewhere, that works well too. If you're going to use this method, follow these steps:

1. Place the prey item in the feeding tank first
2. Wash your hands
3. Put the snake in the feeding tank

Depending on the snake, you should allow them fifteen minutes to an hour to settle before you put them back in their regular tank. Some snakes are still very aggressive right after eating, and others are skittish and you might get a regurg if you pick them up too soon. Your snake will let you know how to proceed.