Feeding your snake?

[mummabear]

Im just trying to do all the relevant research before become a snake owner and would like some advice.
What is the best way to feed your python. Should you use tweezers, your hand or just leave it in the enclosure?

 

[mysnakesau]

Second option is most definitely one you shouldn't do. Regardless of how well one thinks they know their python, a feed response from a snake is fast, can be aggressive and innacurate. If he misses the prey item and latches on to you, good luck getting him off. Prying them off is inappropriate as you can rip their teeth out. So make a cuppa and wait....hehe

Your first and third options are pretty much a personal choice. Tweezers are a popular way to feed snakes, and good to see them take their food. But if you have a snake that stresses when you approach them with food, leaving it near them and leaving them alone would be a better option to take. Come back later, if you feed them at night it can stay in their tub overnight, and see if he has taken it later on or by morning.

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

Personally, when I first get snakes I use tweezers for the first couple of feeds, these days I hold the rat up by the tail and it's usually gone within 5 seconds. I hold it slightly above the snake so even stretched out it can only get the food, not my hand. I've never had any troubles with hand feeding whatsoever.

 

[wranga]

tweezers

 

[JAS101]

tweezers

same

 

[melgalea]

Personally, when I first get snakes I use tweezers for the first couple of feeds, these days I hold the rat up by the tail and it's usually gone within 5 seconds. I hold it slightly above the snake so even stretched out it can only get the food, not my hand. I've never had any troubles with hand feeding whatsoever.

jordan wait till they get alot bigger hun, u dont want to have a adult miss u and get your hand...one hell of a bite. lol.
cheers
mel

 

[mummabear]

What type of tweezers?

Is it necessary to get special reptile tweezers or can i just go to chemist etc. Should they be plastic, metal?

 

[anntay]

tweezers are best i use for both mine even though he does not strike for his food but to be on the safe side. you need tweezers that are long so get them from the petshop. as for feeding in the enclosure i get mine out and put in a plastic tub that way they know they are being feed.(one snake at a time of cause).

 

[Eureka]

I also hold the rat by the tail, but I feed mine out of their enclosures (in big plastic tubs with a door in the roof, like a big bug container). So I just dangle to top part of the rat in so they can't get me at the same time. or I'll just drop them in, either way they eat it and I don't have to worry about them thinking it's feeding time in their real enclosures

 

[mysnakesau]

Is it necessary to get special reptile tweezers or can i just go to chemist etc. Should they be plastic, metal?

No need for "reptile branded" ones. You might not get a long pair from the chemist though. Even just a pair of tongs will work just as good.

I must admit I do have one snake that I use my hands to feed. But in the 3 years I've had her, she has never snatched her food. The mouth opens and goes over the rat then she does her constricting but never had a problem with her snatching. But in saying this, handfeeding is still taking a big risk. She is near 8foot long now, and in perfect health which makes her just as capable as any other, of striking at the food, missing and grabbing me instead.

 

[reptilerob]

We just use a pair of kitchen tongs to feed our bredli. Either that or my wife will hold the rat by its tail. Bugger that i reckon.....tongs all the way for me. If he doesnt take the rat, we leave it in the cage overnight. If its still there in the morning, we throw the rat out and try again 4 or 5 days later.

Oh, and by the way.....we have two sets of tongs. One set for the kitchen, and the other set for the snake enclosure!!!LOL we dont share!!!

 

[Joemal]

Hold the rat by the tip of the tail .If your not confident in doing that then use the tweezer method

 

[mysnakesau]

......Oh, and by the way.....we have two sets of tongs. One set for the kitchen, and the other set for the snake enclosure!!!LOL we dont share!!!

Awww why not?

:lol: haha, I use kitchen tong, too. I don't share either...

 

[kensai]

I just use a long set of kitchen tongs, both with the pythons and the vens

 

[patonthego]

With my 3yr old coastal I hold the rat by it's tail and hold it just above her and she has always opened her mouth slowly and actually checks it out before slamming it.I feed her in her enclosure and every other time I use a garden glove so she knows I'm picking her up. I can't remember if I ever used tongs when I first got her. With my 10mth MD I just put the rat in front of his hide and he comes out to eat it.

 

[Garenio]

Typically, it's a rat held by its tail using tongs or my fingers. Sometimes I'll just put the food item in the enclosure depending on how feeding is going.
I find my spotted will strike the food if I'm holding with my fingers, but won't if I'm using tongs!

 

[azn4114]

- tweezers -

 

[user 18163]

I use long forceps, which I got cheap (new), off eBay

 

[redbellybite]

hands or tongs ...depends on who I am feeding

 

[Chris1]

ive been hand feeding mine so far, they are all pretty good, or so i thought,....

last night i decided to try feeding the jungles in their new enclosures for the first time ever, both of them lined me up instead of the mouse, the girl got so close sher teeth skimmed my finger and she ended up getting the mouses tail,...bitch,..they boy tried so hard to get me he almost fell off his perch,...TWICE!! Till it ended up in his mouth be default, lol,...they were so good in their click clacks, theyd get the head everytime!! (guess i'll be feeding these ones in their old click clacks from now on,...