Posted by:
anuraanman
at Sat Dec 27 19:56:16 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by anuraanman ]
I agree with what was just said above.
With stubborn or very shy feeders this does not always work so well -- I have one snake that seems chronically terrified of being handled and by picking it up and moving it into a feeding container I pretty much ruin all odds of getting it to eat that day...
Anyway, since your snake ate without a problem on the first attempt I'd say this will not be a problem. As mentioned above, with separate feeding enclosures that do not have a loose substrate like soil or cypress bedding there is no risk that the snake will accidentally ingest something it is not supposed to. Additionally, by taking the snake out of its regular enclosure prior to feeding, it is much less likely to learn to associate your hand with incoming food. I've seen a couple snakes that go into feeding mode the moment a hand enters their tank and this is not something you want to have happen if you are just taking the snake out for handling.
They say not to handle the snake for a couple days but moving it back into its regular tank should not be a problem. If the snake is handled for a prolonged period of time and becomes uneasy or startled there is a chance it will regurgitate its food. Also, because the snake may still be in feeding mode right after its removed, the moment it gets comfortable in your hand it may start looking for more food -- if any part of your hand smells like it could be food, then it will be perceived as such.
One final side note -- it's probably a good idea with hatchling snakes not to over-handle them even when they have not eaten in a few days just because young snakes can stress out easily. My rule of thumb for kingsnakes under a year old is to handle them no more than every other day. It's really a rule of thumb though. If your son's snake is comfortable being handled and is calm enough so that your not constantly struggling to keep it in your hands then it's probably not stressing too much. Better safe than sorry though.
Good luck! I wish my parents were as supportive of my love for snakes when I was a kid...
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RE: New Snake Feeding Question - anuraanman, Sat Dec 27 19:56:16 2008