Ouch! Retic Feeding response question

[Xanafein]

So, I was Feeding The other Day and i had a friend over, My retic was still in her feed box, So i went to go and hook her out, my friend leans over while i open the box (despite countless warnings) Upon Opening the box, My 5 ft dwarf Lunges out of the box and tags her on the cheek After putting her away, I then spent an hour consoling a crying 20 year old telling her that there wouldnt be scarring and her face would stay pretty.

This brings Me to a question that I Probably should have asked a lot sooner.

since Many people Believe that feeding out of the cage for terrestrial snakes helps to improve temperament i was wondering, With a 12' Plus Snake is that even remotely possible?

P.S. I tried to get a picture of her face but she slapped me when i grabbed my camera :|

[youngster]

Don't bother feeding outside of the enclosure. Retics just have an insane feeding response I don't think there's a way to change that.

[BarelyBreathing]

Using a separate box to feed is an extremely dangerous endeavor with a reticulated python for that exact reason. You have an animal who is already in feed mode that you have to manually handle and put back in their normal enclosure. It doesn't improve temperament. That is one of the biggest myths in snake keeping. You're more likely to get bitten if you feed in a separate enclosure than if you feed in their normal enclosure.

[Squirtle]

Feeding outside the enclosure is complete BS, I used to do it with my burm and received the same results when feeding inside the cage. Now that I started to hook train him, he's getting more tame as the days go by.

[alessia55]

Everyone before me has basically covered it.

[Xanafein]

That is What i was Thinking, I feel kinda bad for my friend (although its kinda her fault i warned her repeatedly...)

She probably wont be handling snakes any time soon either, Any ideas on how to reverse that damage?

[BarelyBreathing]

The damage from the bite? Or what?

[Xanafein]

I was thinking more the psychological damage, She was cryin like a baby for almost an hour, I think it was her first time getting tagged ever, and it wasn't a pleasant one...

[youngster]

Show here your jungle Sweetheart, if she lives up to her name that could work.

[Xanafein]

Yeah sweethearts probably the WORST possible snake to introduce her to now.... her name is a bit of an oxymoron, She was one of the Meanest Carpets i ever bought, shes mellowed out a lot but I dont think she is the best choice, I will probably show her hera My sweetest carpet

[Gungirl]

Give her a while to get over the bite. Don't ask to take any more pictures and find someone with a small snake like a corn or a royal. Start there and work up.

[Freebody]

get her holding the snake right away, the longer it takes for her to drop the fear she has now established, the more it will fester, perhaps to the points where she hates snakes all together. and like everyone said, just feed in the cage.

[bushsnake]

dude your lucky she didnt get hurt worse

[Xanafein]

dude your lucky she didnt get hurt worse


That is both Obvious and not helpful

I am well aware of how nasty things could have been, But they weren't, and I am actively trying to prevent future mishaps, I would appreciate it if next time you respond, its something that can help me in the situation.

[BarelyBreathing]

I agree, get your friend holding another snake as soon as possible (if possible the same snake during a non feeding day).

[bushsnake]

That is both Obvious and not helpful

I am well aware of how nasty things could have been, But they weren't, and I am actively trying to prevent future mishaps, I would appreciate it if next time you respond, its something that can help me in the situation.
i simply made a statement and i wasnt putting you down or even judging you...im concerned about the girl not you

[RandyRhoads]

I feed my burm outside simply for the fact of the space needed for her to constrict and consume the massive rabbits. Definately not enough room in the enclosure for her to wrestle it, and the time I tried it in a seperate room inside alot of stuff got knocked over and almost broken. Not smart on my part.

[shaunyboy]

So, I was Feeding The other Day and i had a friend over, My retic was still in her feed box, So i went to go and hook her out, my friend leans over while i open the box (despite countless warnings) Upon Opening the box, My 5 ft dwarf Lunges out of the box and tags her on the cheek After putting her away, I then spent an hour consoling a crying 20 year old telling her that there wouldnt be scarring and her face would stay pretty.

This brings Me to a question that I Probably should have asked a lot sooner.

since Many people Believe that feeding out of the cage for terrestrial snakes helps to improve temperament i was wondering, With a 12' Plus Snake is that even remotely possible?

P.S. I tried to get a picture of her face but she slapped me when i grabbed my camera :|

the feed out the tank or the snake will associate the door opening with feeding,so get bitey every time the door gets opened,is crap mate

if you applied that same logic to taking out the tank,then.....

surely the snake would associate being taken out the tank with feeding,so get bitey every time it was taken out

imo,feeding in a seperate tank does NOTHING to calm a snake down or improove it's temprement

gentle regular handling,imo is the only way to calm a snake down and get it used to people

after feeding my carpets IN their tanks,i give them at least 24 hours to get out of feeding mode,before i go into the tank

i do not go in to a tank while they are in feeding mode,as i know i'll get struck at,they're snakes its what they do:yes:

your friend should have listened to you mate

bet she does from now on though:D

introduce your friend to your most calm snake,then let her build confidence with that,eventually building up to handling the retic that bit her (no where near a feeding day)

cheers shaun

[MoreliAddict]

Don't bother feeding outside of the enclosure. Retics just have an insane feeding response I don't think there's a way to change that.
^^good advice.

imo feeding inside the enclosure is the best way to keep a tame snake. My snakes associate being pulled out by a hook with handling which is a good thing. My carpet gets excited when I open his enclosure because he wants food, then if I start hooking him he gets disappointed and calms down and lets me take him out and hold him.

I wouldn't want my snake to associate leaving the enclosure with eating in the first place.

edit: what shaun said.

[millertime89]

I'm not even going to read the rest of the thread, even trying to feed a snake with the potential to hit 25 feet is just stupid. Think about it. How are you going to get a 200lb snake in feed mode BACK in its enclosure?

[Xanafein]

I'm not even going to read the rest of the thread, even trying to feed a snake with the potential to hit 25 feet is just stupid. Think about it. How are you going to get a 200lb snake in feed mode BACK in its enclosure?


Why would you even bother posting if your not going to read the thread?

had you read it you would see that I reached that conclusion thanks to the constructive feedback from others


I posted because I had a question, Your comment is not an answer, Its a rather Snarky comment

Im new to the world of Giants, and as such I have many questions. Also My retic is 66% Jampea dwarf, so 200lbs and 25 feet is highly unlikely

[millertime89]

logic, use it next time
yes it was snarky, you should have thought this out first. NOBODY is allowed to open my snake enclosures for at least 48 hours after they've been fed. I'll be blunt, this isn't the best board for monster snake keepers. There are some here, but there's way more in other places, go find them and do some research. When things like that happen with snakes in the care of "responsible" keepers, the hobby gets a bad name and its a reputation that big snake keepers don't need. We're fighting to keep our animals as it is and when someone gets bit by a 5 foot (you'd be surprised how quickly that becomes 15 feet in stories) it has the potential to put someone off keeping one of these beautiful creatures forever.
Yes I'm being a (insert male reproductive organ here), but its the truth. Go see what kind of treatment you get for what happened on one of the other boards. Ask questions and this can be avoided.

[millertime89]

also, its a jamp, so its gonna hit 12 feet and 50+ lbs, that's still a big snake.

[KORBIN5895]

I'm not even going to read the rest of the thread, even trying to feed a snake with the potential to hit 25 feet is just stupid. Think about it. How are you going to get a 200lb snake in feed mode BACK in its enclosure?

Good point Kyle why feed it?

Xanafein what are you thinking feeding your snake?

Oh and Kyle you are being a ****.

[Hillsberry]

I just say feed your Retic in it's enclosure. It will be so much safer for you. Brian from BHB Reptiles did a test to see if feeding your snake in it enclosure would make it more aggressive. He fed one snake in the enclosure and one out and after a few weeks he noticed the snake that was feeding out of the tank was acting a little more aggressive then the one that was feeding in the enclosure. Now I don't know if that was a 100% accurate what he did. But when I first began with reptiles I fed my snakes out of the enclosures, now i feed them in their enclosures and they almost seem more relaxed. They must feel more comfortable in their homes when feeding. I also find it much easier to feed them right in their tanks, but that's just my opinion. I hope your friend is okay, and that she comes around and starts enjoying the snakes again!! :)

[millertime89]

Good point Kyle why feed it?

Xanafein what are you thinking feeding your snake?

Oh and Kyle you are being a ****.

I'm on my phone and was at work when I posted that and quite obviously in a not so good mood. I know what I was being but since the board censors that particular word I chose to describe it.
Feed out of enclosure, what I think not what I type! C'mon now.

[Xanafein]

logic, use it next time
yes it was snarky, you should have thought this out first. NOBODY is allowed to open my snake enclosures for at least 48 hours after they've been fed. I'll be blunt, this isn't the best board for monster snake keepers. There are some here, but there's way more in other places, go find them and do some research. When things like that happen with snakes in the care of "responsible" keepers, the hobby gets a bad name and its a reputation that big snake keepers don't need. We're fighting to keep our animals as it is and when someone gets bit by a 5 foot (you'd be surprised how quickly that becomes 15 feet in stories) it has the potential to put someone off keeping one of these beautiful creatures forever.
Yes I'm being a (insert male reproductive organ here), but its the truth. Go see what kind of treatment you get for what happened on one of the other boards. Ask questions and this can be avoided.


Had your first post contained this much thought and emotion (not to mention information) I probably wouldn't have had a problem with it, I actually Understand Where you are coming from, with all the legal woes snake keepers in general have been having as of late i totally understand where you are coming from Also, Once she hit ten feet or so i fully intended to have a very large Enclosure constructed and i would have fed her inside that. I Was bitten by a retic when i was 14, the incident cracked a rib, and resulted in me getting 13 stitches, So I am well aware of the danger in keeping one of these snakes, My girl was a purchase tto help me get over my fear of these magnificent animals, I thought If one grow up with with me it would do wonders to erase that fear, So forgive me for grasping at straws when it comes to keeping her even tempered, I understand that I was wrong in this particular incident and I intend to do better, How about we leave it at that?

[KORBIN5895]

No it's way more entertaining if you two battle it out.

[Xanafein]

tch mind your own korbin xD


also the girl that was bitten positivly loves my carpets, Im gonna give it some more time(maybe till the bite marks on ehr face are gone) and re introduce her to my baby ama

[KORBIN5895]

I had an absolutely hilarious remark to your second paragraph but I will refrain because I might get in trouble.

[Xanafein]

-_- now i wanna hear it....

[MoreliAddict]

-_- now i wanna hear it....
pm it to us both!

[Xanafein]

I agree with the above statement :D

[hellosugaree]

I open all my burm enclosures face first--it's the only way to go.

[a153fish]

Hope all turns out ok for all involved, but this is why I stick to Colubrids!

[millertime89]

ARGH!!!!!!!!!! Stupid computers! I had a nice long post for you, but here's the short version.
I'm sorry, I was pissed because of other stupid ****, I had to be brief because I was at work. I applaud your choice and your decision to try and overcome your fear of big snakes.
^fourth attempt at this post. Dead battery (1), Timed out (2) Timed out (3) posted (4)

[Xanafein]

Lol that sucks, She shed today btw, Ill try and get some pics of her up, shes turning out to be very beautiful, also shes even more curious than my carpets wich i did not think was possible

I dont like taking pictures tho cuz my cameras are all of the cel/webcam variety and they dont do my babies justice

[Hillsberry]

Can't wait to see the pictures! I just adore Retics. Their eyes are stunning!:yes:

[stephanbakir]

I didn't get to this till now because I've been working long hours but here goes (some will be repeating what has already been stated)
Sorry this happened and there really is nothing you can do to change the past, here is what you can do to constructively move forward.

I don't know the girls name so I'll assign her the name X.
1) Sit person X down and explain what happened, make sure she understands what while it was her fault, it was a mistake and to treat it as a learning experience.
2) You need to understand that dwarves and super dwarves generally have much more explosive feeding responses then mainlands, and they are more active. They might not have the power of a mainland but they are much quicker.
3) Take a few minutes and do some research into hook training, its the one proven and true method and it will make your life much easier. (NEVER use the hook when feeding the snake, ONLY when taking the snake out or working in the cage with her)
4) Never handle food without washing up first, I personally take a shower and change first because I've forgotten hairs or somewhere they rubbed against me before and had to deal with a feed response.
5) Not sure if you own one or not, but hemostats will save your fingers for when your animal starts to put on some size.
6) I can't stress this enough, NEVER let anyone open your cages but you, and if you tell someone not to do something and they do it, regardless of the outcome you need to act pissed off even if you aren't. These animals and the safety of everyone in the room is your responsibility and if they can't respect that they don't deserve to be there.

Retics are the most rewarding species I've worked with, but a level of understanding and respect needs to be maintained or things can go bad.

[Norm66]

Great post Stephan.

[Squirtle]

Why didn't you stop your friend from looking inside the feeding container? I would never let any of my friends near either of my snake if they're in feeding mode and had the opportunity to strike at the person. My friends come over most of the times when I'm feeding my snakes and I tell them to watch from a distance if they don't want to get sniped by a hungry snake.

[Xanafein]

if you read the post in its entirety, I believe i said i was taking her out, and my friend ignored my warning, Its difficult to stop my friend from approaching, While handling a 5 foot feed mode retic

[stephanbakir]

There are very few cases where feeding in a bin is a good idea, but there are a few.

Feeding snakes who are being kept in a colony.
Feeding snakes when time is an issue and you want to get them fed while cleaning out a cage.

Generally you use a trap box when handling snakes that have just fed, but trying to handle an adult retic and move it from a bin to a cage while in feeding is idiotic, and honestly suicidal. (I'm aware that your snake is a dwarf and currently 5 foot, this was not an attack but more of a general statement towards the idea)

[shaunyboy]

if you read the post in its entirety, I believe i said i was taking her out, and my friend ignored my warning, Its difficult to stop my friend from approaching, While handling a 5 foot feed mode retic

being honest.....

if your friend was NOT going to obey your commands,then she should NOT have been in the room with you mate

i'm not having a go at you,merely pointing out,at the end of the day WE are responsible for OUR snakes actions and the peoples health we expose them to

cheers shaun

[Squirtle]

if you read the post in its entirety, I believe i said i was taking her out, and my friend ignored my warning, Its difficult to stop my friend from approaching, While handling a 5 foot feed mode retic

Then tell your friend to leave the room and then handle the retic? Simple