Taking him out of his enclosure to not risk getting bitten is almost like saying, to avoid getting into a car accident I will never go over 40 mph, or never drive on the highway.

It's an easy way to avoid it but it is not helping you or him.

When in fact, I should just learn to drive better, take more precautions, be aware of other drivers, make sure my vehicle is cared for and functioning properly, make sure the roads aren't too treacherous... I think you get the point.

If you insist in feeding him outside, then maybe if you placed that box in the bathroom or similar with the lights on while he feeds, then when he's done, turn of the lights in there and close the door for a while.

Once he knows feeding time is over, he will calm down.
They almost always look for more immediately after eating.


One of my first snakes ever was a big burm in a glass tank, and I had similar issues.
I had a heavy chain I would use to hold the screen down, and only at feeding time, I would shake the heck out of that chain over the cage. He knew quite well when was feeding time and when wasn't.

Hope that helps. -Joe


*PS* - In your efforts to NOT condition him to be food responsive when he's in his tank, you are kind of conditioning him to be food responsive when you put him in that box!

I once had a 16 foot burmese climb out of his feed box and chase me out of the house!!!
THAT WAS NOT FUN!


8)
-----
Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

[ Hide Replies ]

• Feeding outside the enclosure - problem - adija1, Sat Oct 13 03:58:57 2007
• RE: Feeding outside the enclosure - problem - EricIvins, Sat Oct 13 05:04:46 2007
• I second that - bcijoe, Sat Oct 13 11:04:03 2007
• RE: Feeding outside the enclosure - prob - Ophidia_Junkie, Sat Oct 13 21:06:13 2007
• Just put him back in while he is . . . - skyslinger, Sat Oct 13 11:32:50 2007
• lol, almost forgot! - bcijoe, Sat Oct 13 12:52:25 2007
• RE: lol, almost forgot! - JackJebus, Sun Oct 14 13:22:04 2007
• RE: Feeding outside the enclosure - problem - wh00h0069, Sat Oct 13 16:14:57 2007
• RE: Feeding outside the enclosure - problem - Slithering_Serpents, Sat Oct 13 16:15:17 2007
• RE: Feeding outside the enclosure - problem - adija1, Sun Oct 14 01:28:26 2007
• A Different Method... - beastie, Sun Oct 14 21:06:22 2007
• RE: A Different Method... - adija1, Mon Oct 15 01:20:11 2007
• RE: A Different Method... - laurarfl, Tue Oct 16 07:40:44 2007