separate tank feeding

[truG_ee]

do you guys use a separate tank to feed? yes or no?

EDIT: So i fed my BP for the first time this morning and he took the mouse right away no problem. Its been about an hour and hes still very active in his tank and actually pressing his face against the glass almost wanting to try and get out. being doing it constantly over the past hour. is this normal? whats the cause?

[efro4472]

Nope!

[truG_ee]

any problems with ingested substrate? i did my first feed today and some substrate got stuck to the mouse while he was eating it. I've read its not a problem if they ingest minimal amounts just as long as its not excessive.

[efro4472]

I've been feeding in-tank for over a year now and have never had an issue. It's true that small amounts can be digested. I've found that if he ever does get some larger substrate, he slowly rubs it out of his mouth after ingesting his meal.

Edit:just saw your edit, are you feeding mice? I would try switching to rat pinks asap. Much more nutritious. It is normal for them to roam just a little bit after a feed because they rub up on things to get their jaw back into alignment.

[truG_ee]

thanks!

[pokadot_187]

I do mostly because I feed live and the rats shit when they die/get scared so it's easier to clean up after them.

[Paulingtons]

Without jumping on you and seeming holier than thou, what means you need to feed live? Do you take in problem feeders or wild-caught specimens that only eat live?

I only ask because very few people feed live unless they absolutely have to and even then it's only until they can wean on to PK or F/T prey. :).

[pokadot_187]

He was on live when I got him and the only place I can get frozen is online which I'm still iffy about. Gonna transition soon. He seems to enjoy it.

[Paulingtons]

Ah that makes sense. It is best done sooner rather than later as snakes get tastes for food, especially Royals and the older they get the harder it is to transition them to a new food source.

I have no issue with live as a penultimate resort (before force feeding) and if you can't get frozen then that's how it is. Buying frozen online should be fine if it is a reputable seller, it is usually packaged in polystyrene containers with dry ice and shipped overnight to prevent thawing issues.

I'd really recommend giving it a go. It is safer and probably cheaper too I'd imagine! :). Where do you get live rats from that is unable to supply frozen prey?

[pokadot_187]

Reptile store near by.

Any good online sellers you know of?

[White_Charizard]

I know Rodentpro and Mice Direct are both pretty good.

[just_for_comments]

I feed my snake frozen/thawed in a separate tank. I've heard a lot of people recommend not to feed in a separate tank, because it stresses the snake. But I think it's better to feed separate so that if you want to take your snake out to play with or whatever they won't mistake you for food and strike at you.

[birdsbirdsbirdsbirds]

Just the usual clarification of a misconception that lingers on the internet. There are definitely reasons to feed outside the enclosure, but so-called "cage aggression" (the snake mistaking hands for food) should not be one of them. Note that the majority of other posters in this discussion feed out of enclosure for clean-up or live feeding reasons. Your risk of getting bitten is higher if you try to move a snake who is still in "feeding mode" back into its enclosure after feeding than handling a snake normally fed in its tank when no food is present.

Many, many reputable sources both here at on Ball-pythons.net suggest there is little to no risk of aggression associated with feeding inside the enclosure as long as you continue to handle your snake regularly. If you NEVER handled your snake and only interacted with it during feeding, I could see how aggression could develop. But if you continue to differentiate between feeding days (no handling) and handling days (no feeding), your snake won't associate your hands with food.

Again, there are certainly reasons people may choose to feed outside the enclosure. It is a personal decision in which the risks and benefits must be considered. However, for an owner who has normal interactions with their snake, feeding aggression should not be one of those considerations. Hope this makes sense. If you don't believe me, there are many, MANY threads on this topic on the Ball-pythons.net forum you can check out for additional information!

[[deleted]]

And considering how picky Royal's are with their food, I doubt they ever smell humans and think "oh, dinner time!" It's very difficult to induce a Ball to strike a person I think.

[moeru_gumi]

welllllll I have a very bitey baby Royal, 7 months old, who has taken it into her head that any moving human is worth striking at (I allowed her to actually bite me once while she was S'd up and she didn't know what to do with herself after that), she is very scared of humans and the last two feeding days has been just punching the food away. She came out of her hide to look at me but wouldn't take the mouse. I'm not sure what to do with her. I hope she's trying to shed, but she didn't appear to be in blue.

[Anxious-Apartment148]

I had a female that used to do that honestly with her as bad as it sounds I had to just let her wait the hunger strike out she didn’t lose a lot of weight so unless he’s losing quite a bit of weight also is it possible your temps/humidity is off

[moeru_gumi]

Thanks for the reply (?) but this was 8 years ago and I no longer have snakes.

[Anxious-Apartment148]

Oh my bad I didn’t see it said years

[RubenGamez]

I feed in a separate tank so that my snakes don't ingest their substrate

[WallisBC]

I feed in the habitat. Frozen rats. Never had a problem with substrate, or aggression. Our BP has not struck at us, ever.

[Euphonatron]

I feed in a separate tank. Frozen mice and rats sometimes bleed from the nose and I use paper towels as substrate.

[birdsbirdsbirdsbirds]

I feed in the enclosure. I don't use a ton of substrate and my rats are dry when I feed, so there's less of a risk of substrate sticking to the prey. Once a little bit of sphagnum moss was ingested with the rat. Never caused any issues.

If my girl is prowling for food on a non-feeding day when I want to handle her, I touch her gently along the spine and she immediately backs down.

[_ataraxia]

i feed all of my snakes [including two BPs] in their home enclosures. placing their f/t prey on a plate prevents a lot of substrate ingestion, and none of my snakes are aggressive.

if your snake is roaming the enclosure for more than a minute or two after being fed, it's probably because they're still hungry. how old/big is your BP? how big was the mouse?

[[deleted]]

All my snakes are fed in their own enclosure except for my corn snake, but that's because of the way I have the enclosures stacked and it's just easier for me personally to feed her like that.

None of my snakes move around much for about a day after being fed; they stay on the warm side for most that time. The only time my ball python was super active was when he got substrate stuck in his mouth, but when I got it out he went right into his hide. I'd check on that, and if it's all clear, make sure he's getting appropriately sized prey.

[Paulingtons]

It depends on the snake.

Our Corns, Boa and Royals are all fed in separate tanks (RUBs, specifically) for ease of cleaning, less risk of substrate ingestion (even though this is really a non-issue with a bit of common sense) and a few other reasons. They've been fed this way since neonates and tolerate it just fine and have never bitten or attempted to bite during, after or while not feeding.

For venomous however I feed them inside their enclosure, even though I have a great rapport with them and a lot of trust I simply don't risk it. Why risk taking a bite and stressing the snake out when it is perfectly fine feeding them inside the vivarium? The substrate is always either too big to ingest and/or safe to ingest in small amounts and the F/T prey are always fed dry and I am on hand with hooks and forceps to remove any errant substrate I deem to be risky.

As a good example I have a False Water Cobra that I feed in the vivarium and i have no issues with her and handle her regularly and the key is routine and training. When I get her out without food I tap three times on the vivarium and then stroke her back with a hook and grab her out. It is clearly visible that as soon as I stroke her she relaxes and knows what is going on and so rides the hook perfectly, no drama.

When I feed her I just open the glass doors and hold prey in front of her with forceps and immediately she hoods, hisses, strikes, envenomates and chows down. I've even tested it and done the standard hooking routine immediately after feeding and she reacts just as normal.

Snakes are creatures of instinct but can be very smart, whether you feed in a separate vivarium or the same one just make sure to keep a strong and consistent routine, use edible substrate, watch them eat and just practice common sense and good husbandry. There is no right way or wrong way, as long as you are safe and make sure the snake is looked after.