feeding snake in enclosure or outside?

[Reptilez123]

Hey i have been reading about feeding in the enclosure will make the snake aggressive when it comes to handling the python is that true? Please tell me your opinions or experiences thanks

 

[Hazordous-Herps]

Different people have different views on this topic, if you want my view. Start a regular pattern when feeding the snake, like feeding it every Saturday at night time.So it can knows feeding at night, handling in the day. Also you may set up a routine that when you go to handle him, no matter how tame the snake is you take it out of the enclosure with a snake hook (so it doesn’t mistake your hand for food) I have also heard that if you tap it a couple of times with the snake hook, when you want to handle it, the snake gets to know that whenever it is taped it is going to be taken out of the enclosure and it is not feeding time.

 

[hnn17]

the location where you feed it doesn't matter, if the snake smell a rat it will strike it/you.

 

[Sleazy.P.Martini]

If you get an animal used to taking it out of its enclosure before feeding it will still associate being handled with food. When I handle I use a hook to "wake" the animal then remove it from enclosure. When I feed its door open, food on tongs in face. And any way IMO there's not a lot of "training" as such with snakes. If they think you're food they'll bite. Plus handling a snake to return it after feeding can be stressful.

 

[miss_mosher]

Yeh this subject seems to always start massive arguments.
I personally take mine out when feeding because I like to do a really proper clean of their enclosure while they're eating. Each to their own I guess.

 

[PigFeet]

I feed all mine in there cages, i figure if you get them out to feed then everytime you get them out to handle theyl be looking for food, but as said above if they can smell food look out.

 

[dannydee]

It does not make them aggressive by feeding them in the cage. I do however, tap train my snakes. Works a treat! Even if they are in feeding mode, a small tap on the head and then they realise it's time to be handled, not time to hunt.

 

[BIGBANG]

my diamond wont feed from tongs or if she is disturbed, i just sit the mouse on a log in her cage and she finds it when she is out cruising at night, i dont put it in there till she is out moving around so its not sitting there for too long

 

[shabbyy]

I feed mine in the cage, don't use a hook, and feed by hand...Yet he is not aggresive or defensive at all, not even any defensive postions like he is going to strike at me.

 

[Joemal]

All mine get fed both in and out of their enclosures and i have never had any dramas with doing it plus i hand feed from the 14 ft scrub right down to the 3ft spotted with no problems either . Up to he individual as to how they feed .

 

[dannydee]

All mine get fed both in and out of their enclosures and i have never had any dramas with doing it plus i hand feed from the 14 ft scrub right down to the 3ft spotted with no problems either . Up to he individual as to how they feed .

What do you mean exactly when you say you hand feed your 14 ft scrub python? Do you quickly open the door and throw the food item in and stand back of actually hold onto it until the scrub has a hold???

 

[thomasssss]

I feed all mine in there cages, i figure if you get them out to feed then everytime you get them out to handle theyl be looking for food, but as said above if they can smell food look out.

not looking for an argument at all , just sharing my experience

ive been feeding my male woma in a seperate feed tub ever since i got him that was last december , as you probably know womas wiggle their tail and bob their heads when their excited about getting a feed or some think its a hunting thing

in probably the past 5 months or so he has begun to do the full on tail wiggle and head bobbing from the moment he his put into that feed tub , although i can handle him with out there being the slightest bit of food orientated behaviour its never ever happened outside the feed tub and he never does it in his enclosure , only starts the second his in that bare tub and i actually still haven't coped a bite from this little guy and its nearing on a year

also ill add i dont feed in a feed tub for aggression reasons , i started doing it because i wanted to keep them on a loose sub straight and wanted to avoid any problems that may come of them ingesting any also for the same reasons as miss mosher i like to clean whilst they eat

 

[notechistiger]

Snakes are also a creature of habit. If you ONLY feed in a certain tub, then of course they're going to eventually connect the two together (I did say eventually). In saying this, we are not ALWAYS feeding them when we open their enclosures. Some snakes learn to have a smell and work out what's happening, others hope they are going to get fed. If you open the catch door with the smell of food hanging around, of course the snake is going to think it's being fed.

What works for some might not work for others. I personally dislike feeding snakes outside of their enclosures because it causes unnecessary stress and I simply have too many to be taking them out all the time to feed outside. However, to be suggesting feeding outside of enclosures is "essential" in any way or stops a snake from being defensive is just ridiculous and I really wish people would stop throwing it out there like it works for everyone like it does them (if at all :lol.

 

[Twitch_80]

I feed in enclosures-never had a problem. I know it works for some people but personally I dont like moving snakes around after they have eaten.

 

[Joemal]

What do you mean exactly when you say you hand feed your 14 ft scrub python? Do you quickly open the door and throw the food item in and stand back of actually hold onto it until the scrub has a hold???

Hand feed as in hold the rat by the tail and dangle it infront of the snake .

 

[damian83]

nah joe feeds his scrubbie his hand :lol:

i have to leave the mouse in the enclosure for my coastal, wont eat from me

 

[jezflyer7]

I feed my bub in her enclosure at different times and she never strikes anything but her food.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Well with my three snakes, I feed them all when they are hungry, as all are different.
My BHP, she is dead quiet, never even tried to strike at me, she loves to come out and explore, even though she has a 6ft enclosure, anyway I feed her once every 5 - 6 days as she is still growing, she lets me know she is hungry by wiggling her tail violently.

My Spotted, is more of a hunter, she gets fed every 10 - 14 days as she is an adult, she flickers her tongue at you and stretches right out then lurches back into the "S" position. I then know, she is hungry, also sometimes she looks at my hand as food :lol:

My Bredli, is actually both of my snakes combined, strangely enough (but she has a seperate personality), she eats ever 3 - 4 days as she is still a baby and is still growing. She lets me know she is hungry by wiggling her tail, staying in the "S" position and she just waits.

All are fed in the enclosure, I have never been tagged by any of them, except my Spotted, but that was my fault, newbie, start of brumation snake = hand tagged. I feed them all at either late afternoon(dusk) - 10:00 at night and have never had a problem.

 

[thomasssss]

Snakes are also a creature of habit. If you ONLY feed in a certain tub, then of course they're going to eventually connect the two together (I did say eventually). In saying this, we are not ALWAYS feeding them when we open their enclosures. Some snakes learn to have a smell and work out what's happening, others hope they are going to get fed. If you open the catch door with the smell of food hanging around, of course the snake is going to think it's being fed.

What works for some might not work for others. I personally dislike feeding snakes outside of their enclosures because it causes unnecessary stress and I simply have too many to be taking them out all the time to feed outside. However, to be suggesting feeding outside of enclosures is "essential" in any way or stops a snake from being defensive is just ridiculous and I really wish people would stop throwing it out there like it works for everyone like it does them (if at all :lol.

if that was directed at my post i think you missed my point , i wasnt saying that his connected the 2 although it kinda looks like he does , i was just saying that ive been doing it for as long as i have and im yet to have any of my snakes associate handling with feeding but it does appear that they associate the tub with feeding as their both in enclosures now so it is a bit of an environment change