feeding

[dan2492]

Where do you guys normally feed your bp's ive tried feeding him in a seperate enclosure but it never seems to work so i place it on a clean surface in his cage so he dosent eat any substrate and that always works good. But just wondering what would be better??
Dan

[lilyskip]

I found that my snake got stressed when I moved it to a different tank, so I just feed it in its own tank. There's no specific place in his tank, just wherever it is at the moment, I hold the food right up to its face. Whatever works for you is fine...what kind of substrate do you have? Because the only thing i can think to look out for is if he eats it, but you seem to have thought about that.

[BoidKeeper]

Feed in cage. If what you're doing is working then I say stick with it. He's eating and you're taking precautions to ensure he doesn't injest any substrate. Things sound fine to me.
Cheers,
Trevor

[dan2492]

i use aspen
i was just wondering if i keep feeding in cage he might get use to my hand entering the cage as meaning food and could bite??

[Solid Snake]

i use reptile carpet. I place the rat in the warm side over night and he always takes it.

When ever i feel like it, i dangle it over his head, wiggling it lightly, and he'll lung for it. Its really exciting too. Its not the ideal way to do this but, its really fun to see.

[Linds]

I feed all but one of my snakes in their enclosure (I would feed all of them, but one of my rosies refuses to eat in anything other than a really small dark box :rolleyes: ). I at one time fed in separate enclosures. I soon realized how impractical it was, and the onyl difference between the two methods is that there is more stress involved on the snake when you are shifting him around. I don't really see much point in removing a snake that feeds fine in its enclosure. It will not have any behavioural effects on the snake- no, your snake will not develop associations with things like your hand going into the tank as food and so forth. If you have loose substrate, put either a peice of something down, or place a container in the enclosure and feed your snake that way :)

[lilyskip]

I dunno about him getting used to your hand as food. My snake was VERY hungry last night (I can't feed him since we're going to the vet today and I don't want him to regurg.), but I had to stick my hand in to fix a thermometer, and he just crawled on it, hungry as ever, but did not at all interpret the hand as food. I also feed with long tongs, so when he feeds he hardly ever sees my hand.

Someone posted earlier too about how if the feeding response to a hand in the cage was really true, then feeding the snake *out* of the cage could link a feeding response to picking it up. I agree with Linds...I think you should be fine.

[dan2492]

ok thanks alot