Feeding in her viv

[lady_bug87]

My snakes except for my gtp eat in a separate tub and today I want to feed my baby bulsnake and I don't want her stressed out my moving her ( when I had my emergency with my lacertas I had to move her out of her tote and she freaked out) so I plan on laying her food on top of her hide but she is on reptibark and I am worried about her grabbing substrate while she eats

So what do I do? Do I stress her out and move her or feed her in her tank and watch to make sure she doesn't swallow anything?

[citysnakes]

I think it will be fine if you feed her inside her enclosure. If you're really worried then put her food on a plate... ;)

[lady_bug87]

I was worried that when she coiled to constrict she would pick some up

[jarich]

Just my opinion but Id just watch to make sure it doesnt get anything stuck in its mouth. I dont see any real reason to stress her out by moving her again. I have had a BP once get a piece of bark in its mouth, but she promptly got rid of it on her own.

[lady_bug87]

Thanks I always supervise while feeding even though I feed f/t I'm just worried that she's going to drag her meal into her hide and I won be able to watch lol I'm so paranoid

[SpOoKy]

I feed all of my snakes in their enclosures. Never had a problem with impaction, they usually spit anything stuck in their mouth out on their own. For my more "messy" eaters I move the aspen away from one corner and feed in the clean corner or the cage. As long as husbandry is correct you should not have problems with swallowing some sub here and there. Removal for feeding is stressful.

[lady_bug87]

Thanks my bp has always been removed for feeding so has my boa and the tolerate it famously but I find my bull to have a more.... Excitable temperament my husbandry from what I read is correct for the first time today she started wandering around her enclosure for a brief time and drank a bunch of water so I will try and feed her thanks guys

[Gungirl]

When I first got my snakes I would use feeding tubs. Now that I have 5 snakes and I don't want to deal with the extra tubs and what not I feed everyone in there home. My snakes will sometimes get some aspen in their mouths but as they eats they spit it out for the most part.

[lady_bug87]

I thawed the rat pink and laid it on her hide she can smell it so she came out to investigate she hasn't found it yet but that tongue is flickering

[shaunyboy]

i feed all mine in their tanks,but i use newspaper as substrate to give me peace of mind

cheers shaun

[lady_bug87]

Hmm I may make the change I've been thinking about it for a while and she's promptly refused her meal she crawls around sniffs all over for it and then looses interest and goes back to hide the last time I did a temp check she was at 85 degrees on her hot side and her humidity should be between 50 and 60 since that's shat it is in my apartment I will leave my brained rat pink in there for another 45 minutes and see if she comes back out for it I think she's a shy eater so I wonder if covering her tub will be netter for her

[SpOoKy]

Being a bull snake she should have a crazy appetite. Am i correct in thinking you have recently got her? within a few days? If so I would let he be for a week. My 2 both fed the night that i got them but wouldn't eat the next week. After they got settled in I have yet to have a week where they won't eat. My sunglow is funny though, although he will eat every time I am having a hard time bumping him up from pinkies to fuzzies. Something he even seems scared of the larger food item so i feed multiple pinks. My white sided on the other hand will take anything and usually takes the extra that jaws the sunglow wont eat.

[lady_bug87]

Yep I got her Thursday I also got her to eat. She's shy so I left the food in there and covered the tank when I checked back after an hour she was sitting on the plate and the rat pink was gone. It didn't leave much of a bump though so I may try getting her on rat fuzzies the thing is they seem so big I'm going to leave her for now in a couple days I may offer her another pink or pup or what ever we're calling bald wrinkly rat babies right now she's just cruising

[shaunyboy]

Hmm I may make the change I've been thinking about it for a while and she's promptly refused her meal she crawls around sniffs all over for it and then looses interest and goes back to hide the last time I did a temp check she was at 85 degrees on her hot side and her humidity should be between 50 and 60 since that's shat it is in my apartment I will leave my brained rat pink in there for another 45 minutes and see if she comes back out for it I think she's a shy eater so I wonder if covering her tub will be netter for her

ive found newspaper great for spot cleaning and as said theres no issues with the snake swallowing substrate

you could also try laying the prey item in the tank just as you go to bed

that way the snake will have all night in the dark to consider eating

cheers shaun

[lady_bug87]

I made a stupid move as a reptile owner.

Her tub is over my lacerta tank and the lacertas can see them and they are far too interested so I figured that she could see them which is why she was hiding after I covered the tub she ate and went back to hide until I covered the side of her tub where she would be able to see the lacertas. Within 30 seconds she was out wandering and exploring I am starting to love bulls

[shaunyboy]

I made a stupid move as a reptile owner.

Her tub is over my lacerta tank and the lacertas can see them and they are far too interested so I figured that she could see them which is why she was hiding after I covered the tub she ate and went back to hide until I covered the side of her tub where she would be able to see the lacertas. Within 30 seconds she was out wandering and exploring I am starting to love bulls

at least you got to the bottom of it and now the problems solved

good going mate

cheers shaun

[lady_bug87]

Thanks Shaun it was a real facepalm moment lol but she looks happier and less stressed now

[Gungirl]

Glad you figured out the situation.

[SpOoKy]

Good stuff, I knew there had to be something simple they truly are great eaters. They are great snakes overall, I got my Jaws me sunglow first and within 2 weeks I went back to the breeder and picked up the white sided. Definitely one of my fav snakes to own :)

[lady_bug87]

Good stuff, I knew there had to be something simple they truly are great eaters. They are great snakes overall, I got my Jaws me sunglow first and within 2 weeks I went back to the breeder and picked up the white sided. Definitely one of my fav snakes to own :)

Yeav I'm starting to really fall in love with the species the place i got her has a really pretty subadult that's all white it's tempting

[SpOoKy]

Got some pics of mine for ya. White sisded is a little camera shy so it is hard to get picks of her but Jaws is always pissed off and ready for pics. Super attitude

[millertime89]

WOW he looks awesome! Bull snake too? The saddles look like a corn.

[SpOoKy]

WOW he looks awesome! Bull snake too? The saddles look like a corn.

Oh yes Bull for sure, any doubt is gone when he starts hissing and rattling his tail :)

[lady_bug87]

Very cool pics thanks. Are yours full grown? How big are their enclosures

[SpOoKy]

No mine are still young. Right now I have them in the bottom of my stacked cages with a divider between to two. The stacks are 6ft long by 3ft deep, 2ft high. white side is almost 2ft long and jaws is about 1ft. they will be put in their own stack when they get a little larger.

[shaunyboy]

Got some pics of mine for ya. White sisded is a little camera shy so it is hard to get picks of her but Jaws is always pissed off and ready for pics. Super attitude

that 2nd last picture is awsome mate

love how much of a strike positions going on there

cheers shaun

[lady_bug87]

They have the most awesome hiss very intimidating they are viv defensive at least mine was when I brought her home wit all the stress I put her through she hasn't hissed or struck at all she has been very sweet I wouldn't be surprised if I pick up one of the white juveniles

[jarich]

Used to get these guys in my back yard when I lived in Colorado. Had a few that were in the 6 ft range and super aggressive. Such cool snakes though and so fast!