Finally! Meet Mortarion! - Page 3

Magdalen · 08-24-16, 11:18 AM

Ah yes! Mink said exactly what my foggy brain couldn't process this morning. The other forum (and I wouldn't name names) they are all dead set about the separate container feeding. That the snakes know and that it is unclean to feed in the viv. Something about feeder guts spilling out. But I feel with my hognose he's a shy eater. If I took him out he wouldn't eat. But I feed my Kenyan Sand Boa in a separate container with no issues.

**Minkness** · 08-24-16, 11:30 AM

Yup. Again, pros and cons to each atyle. Feeding in a separate container is indeed 'cleaner' and allows you to ensure no substrate gets caught or digested, and you get a front row view of the whole feeding process.

Feeding in the enclosure is faster and 'usually' promotes a better feeding response. The guts spilling out may make things messy, but hellooooo...they poo and pee in their substrate....I should hope that gets cleaned up. Spilled entrails would be no different.

**Andy_G** · 08-24-16, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

Feeding in the enclosure is faster and 'usually' promotes a better feeding response. The guts spilling out may make things messy, but hellooooo...they poo and pee in their substrate....I should hope that gets cleaned up. Spilled entrails would be no different.

Exactly. We are talking about animals that will eat dead and rotting prey items or even their own kind if hungry enough to in the wild. To propose that they have a preference of cleanliness when it comes to a messy meal is quite frankly something that wasn't completely thought out. Everyone has opinions..but the facts remain that a feeding tub causes unnecessary stress and unwanted interaction with a snake that has full belly that if fed in their own enclosure would be left in peace to digest. To each their own, though.

Kanadi · 08-24-16, 01:15 PM

Thanks for the input, guys. Since Mortarion tried to bite me the first day, I really don't want to stick ANY food in his enclosure when it's feeding time, only cause I AM afraid he may very well think my thumb is a mouse when I try and change his water/play with him/etc. He's definitely no nervous snake-- handled regularly at the viv before I got him and would even be pulled out during feeding time to show the curious kids how he eats and stuff. So yeah, I don't think him moving in and out of his enclosure will be a bad thing, but I'll definitely keep an eye on it in case he starts becoming stressed or what have you.

dannybgoode · 08-24-16, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanadi

Thanks for the input, guys. Since Mortarion tried to bite me the first day, I really don't want to stick ANY food in his enclosure when it's feeding time, only cause I AM afraid he may very well think my thumb is a mouse when I try and change his water/play with him/etc. He's definitely no nervous snake-- handled regularly at the viv before I got him and would even be pulled out during feeding time to show the curious kids how he eats and stuff. So yeah, I don't think him moving in and out of his enclosure will be a bad thing, but I'll definitely keep an eye on it in case he starts becoming stressed or what have you.

Just use long feeding tweezers. Won't get anywhere near your fingers. Each to their own but unless there was a very specific reason to feed in a different container I would not do so.

**Minkness** · 08-24-16, 02:31 PM

Opinions and facts have been stated on this discussion. Lets leave it up to Kanadi do do what they feel works best for them and their snake. They have all the info they need to make an informed decision of their own.

=)

Also, that is very cool that you got such a voracious little feeder. Really makes me think of my females. The one you see me hand feeding is my albino girl. =)

Kanadi · 08-24-16, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

Also, that is very cool that you got such a voracious little feeder. Really makes me think of my females. The one you see me hand feeding is my albino girl. =)

I SAW! Your girl is BEAUTIFUL!!! I could have waited and gotten myself an albino (REALLy wanted one) but I couldn't resist how sweet and chill my guy was. So there we go. Maybe in the not-so-distant future I can get myself an albino female (or any pink/coral morph-- I know I will pay a pretty penny for one) and maybe, should I be brave/patient enough, try and breed the two. XD But that's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY down the line. I would really love a pink/coral female though. That would be amazing.

**Minkness** · 08-24-16, 08:11 PM

My extreme red male after being lost for a few hours....

No joke, he is my Houdini snake. Escaped 3 separate times! I was frantically looking for him during this scene here and when Ifound him he was just quietly laughing at me from the milk crate he was in, head poked out and watching me freak out AGAIN.

Took the pinky no prob lol. Jerk.... He is now stuffed away in a locking tub...no more jail breaks for this little snot lol.

chairman · 08-25-16, 05:52 AM

If you're looking for a best of both worlds solution, use a separate feeding container that fits inside the enclosure. That way you don't need to handle him after the feeding, just remove the lid from the feeding container and let him wander out on his own.

BTW, has anyone actually had a snake that managed to burst their prey and make a mess? My most aggressive eater ever only managed to pop a mouse eye out of the socket on one mouse out of the hundreds she ate.

**Minkness** · 08-25-16, 06:51 AM

Chairman, I have had several feeders burst. It's more from the thawing and that the flesh of the abdomen is weak than the power of the snake and usually happens to the less furry sizes (pinks and fuzzies). I have had it happen with rats and mice. It's gross....but the snakes don't seem to mind XD

Kanadi · 08-25-16, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

My extreme red male after being lost for a few hours....

No joke, he is my Houdini snake. Escaped 3 separate times! I was frantically looking for him during this scene here and when Ifound him he was just quietly laughing at me from the milk crate he was in, head poked out and watching me freak out AGAIN.

Took the pinky no prob lol. Jerk.... He is now stuffed away in a locking tub...no more jail breaks for this little snot lol.

He's so cute! What a brat. XD That's my fear with my dude is that he escapes and bites one of my dogs, or one of my dogs eats him. >_> I've locked down his enclosure hella well. His front door is locked with a mini lock and the top of his enclosure is clamped down. I've tested them myself-- ain't no way he's escaping. lol!

I am not looking forward to having any food burst on me. XD

Magdalen · 08-25-16, 11:57 AM

haha Mink, your hogs crack me up. Just taking food like that from your hand.

I've only had one escape, my sand boa, and she had help with that. My ex-room mate's awful cat kept sitting on the her screen top until he eventually caved it in with his weight. Found the snake really fast in my closet.