feeding BP in substrate

[TMoore]

Like most people said, consuming small amounts of substrate such as aspen will not cause a problem.

Snakes can digest whole prey items (bones, fur, teeth, etc..)with ease. A bit of substrate stuck to the prey should easily be digested as well.

[Otto1208]

just do not use pine or cedar..Not for feeding concerns, but the wood has a toxin in it for snakes, and snakes breathing in this toxin will lead to RI.. MORE likely pine then cedar, but better to be safe than sorry!! I do not see any problem with you feeding on aspen...If you get bit you get bit right lol.. YOU will be alright on feeding in your tank(helps reduce stress in my boy)...

[physalia]

Thank you everyone. I plan on using aspen in his new home.

[Oxylepy]

Personally I use paper towels for small snakes and aspen for my adult. I like the aspen better because you can remove handfuls, but I don't like the concept of having small snakes in larger pieces of substrate, I'd rather have them incapable of ingesting any substrate.

And again, don't use highly absorbent substrate and I would avoid hard substrates (crushed glass, walnut, sand, etc).

[Bruce Whitehead]

I know that I am still new to the whole world of snakes. But just with the little bit I know I have to kind of call those that say this out. Feed your snake once a week, and handle it three times a week (or more, whatever). Through repetition, if the snake sees your hand more by being held, than being fed it is likely to assume that it is going to be handled when it sees your hand.

Or you could never let it see your hand when you go to feed it.

Just to clarify this. Your snake responds to 3 things, heat, scent and movement... which is why we tend to recommend people not make SFEs (Stupid Feeding Errors).

A hand that smells like rodents, moves like a rodent, and is emitting heat will get tagged as well as a rodent.

Hence using tongs, pre-scenting, and not handling when you smell like a rodent.

When my snakes are in feed mode I do not put my hands in the enclosure ever.

To the OP, I think the paper plate idea is a great one. One other thing you can do is ensure the prey is dry (blowdrying it) and removing your water dish.

I remove my water dishes when I begin my pre-scenting and put them back in once the snake heads into their hides following. This way it will not drag the prey through the dish, and then through the substrate.

Bruce

[Typical_08]

Just to clarify this. Your snake responds to 3 things, heat, scent and movement... which is why we tend to recommend people not make SFEs (Stupid Feeding Errors).

A hand that smells like rodents, moves like a rodent, and is emitting heat will get tagged as well as a rodent.

Hence using tongs, pre-scenting, and not handling when you smell like a rodent.

When my snakes are in feed mode I do not put my hands in the enclosure ever.

Interesting take on that. Never really thought of it that way. But one would think that they would become accustomed to repetition like most other animals.

[Bruce Whitehead]

Interesting take on that. Never really thought of it that way. But one would think that they would become accustomed to repetition like most other animals.

They definitely do. But never underestimate pre-scenting. You get them into feed mode and you have a lot of years of evolution acting behind that very small reptilian brain (which is very primal to begin with).

I have some snakes I know I can reach in when they are in feed mode and others I would not even consider it.

But those 3 points are why when people think that everytime a hand goes into an enclosure a snake will mistake them for food if they feed in the enclosure, that is why it is a myth.

[MarkS]

Like most people said, consuming small amounts of substrate such as aspen will not cause a problem.

Snakes can digest whole prey items (bones, fur, teeth, etc..)with ease. A bit of substrate stuck to the prey should easily be digested as well.

One correction to this, most substrates are cellulose based (wood, paper, etc) and so are not digestible. They may pass through just fine, but they are NOT digested.

[Typical_08]

They definitely do. But never underestimate pre-scenting. You get them into feed mode and you have a lot of years of evolution acting behind that very small reptilian brain (which is very primal to begin with).

I have some snakes I know I can reach in when they are in feed mode and others I would not even consider it.

But those 3 points are why when people think that everytime a hand goes into an enclosure a snake will mistake them for food if they feed in the enclosure, that is why it is a myth.

Oh I hear ya. And totally agree. I was not so much saying that repetition would pull them out of a feeding response. But was more saying that repetition may be more likely to put them into a feed response.

If you only put your hand in three times a year (other than feeding), then they may become accustomed to the hand meaning getting fed. But if you handle them more then the are less likely to think that the hand means food.

Smell what I am stepping in?

[TMoore]

One correction to this, most substrates are cellulose based (wood, paper, etc) and so are not digestible. They may pass through just fine, but they are NOT digested.

I guess I was wrong. Sorry to the OP and thanks for the correction.