Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking for info on what to use as a feeding cage. I have a 10 ft. albino burm. and want to stop feeding in here enclosure but can't think of anything to use as a feeding cage. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Why do you want to feed outside the enclosure. The only proper method for feeding large constrictors is to feed them inside the normal enclosures. Feeding outside of its enclosure is dangerous. You might get away with it for years but all it takes is one mistake, by either you or the snake, and the results could be disasterous. When you feed outside the enclosure, you have to return the snake to its permanent enclosure after it has fed. If you do this too soon, you can stress the snake out so much that it couild regurge it's food. THis is not a situation that you will find enjoyable. Most burmese stay in feeding modelong after it is finished. Under this circumstance it is not out of the question for your snake to misidentify you as its next food source. Now i am not saying it is going to mistake you as a large rabbit, but it is very easy for it to mistake your hand as one and if this happens it will take more then you to aid you in removing the snake. Why is it you want to feed outside the enclosure. IF you are afraid of conditioning your snake that the door when the door is opened it is feeding time. There are several things you can do to minimize this to almost a non worry. First and formost regular handling will almost always reduce this risk on its own. Secondly, Develope routines such as using a hook when you are not feeding the animal. Introduce the hook and gently stroke the snake on its side by its head before you attempt to remove it. Over time the snake will learn that the hook means it is not feeding time. Lastly, if you are familiar with most large cages, either manufactured or personally built ones, they usually have two doors. I always use one of the doors strictly for feeding. One door is used for every daily activities, such as cleaning the cage and removing the snake. The second door is used only to present food to the snake. It has never taken my snakes long at all to learn which is the feed door and which is the other door, and their behaviors show drastic differences. Sorry this is so long but it is one of those things that people differ on in their opinions but honastly feeding inside of their enclosure is the ONLY way to feed large constrictors. Todd Becker

I completely agree with everything you said. I got into an argument with my boss' husband over the same topic, as self proclaimed "reptile expert". Ultimately, most will say it's a personal choice if you want to remove a snake from it's normal cage for feeding, but I don't think it's a good idea. There are too many things that could go wrong. Like you said, if the snake is conditioned with a hook from when it's young and it's regularly handled, it should never mistake your hands for prey(assuming they are clean hands.) If your dead set on feeding it in another cage, I'd reccomend using a large plastic container with a lid. So after it takes the meal you can put the lid on it, then you can wait for it to work it down and chill out before you put it back into it's normal enclosure. BTW-Why start feeding it in another cage now, or is the cage you used to feed it in too small now?

i was worried about it being conditioned to think of the door opening as being feeding time. I have a home made enclosure and it only has one door. I adopted the pandora about a year ago and after the last feeding she has acted aggressively whenever i try to take off the locks. I will try the hook idea i usually use the hook to help her get moving to get out.

I dont keep any burms currently but I had a pair awhile back and there is no way I would ever try to feed either of them (10ft male 12ft female) outside there enclosure and then attempt to move them back. The female was the worst, once she had eaten she stayed worked up for at least a day. She'd often strike at me when I walked by the cage if she had been fed.
If you end up doing it make sure you have back up and medical insurance.
IMO that whole idea of the snake thinking the door opening means food is bs. I've never had any experience to support that claim.

I have a 13 foot burm who i feed in my kitchen. Ive never fed any snakes except one in they're cage due to the aggressive behavior that comes with it. After my snake is done eating i let him wonder into the living room and direct him back into his cage. He has never struck or bitten me doin it this way.

Basing the initial argument on one specimen/pet is not really providing a "big picture" outlook on some of the absolutes of big constrictor keeping. I can assure you that having worked with literally hundreds of big constrictors, and quite a few on a long term basis, feeding inside their own cage is the ONLY method that should be used when working with big snakes. The last thing that a large constrictor (sorry, 13' is big but it's not 16' which is far different) wants to do after a large meal is move around. Trying to put a large constrictor who has fed on large prey who may either be very full (and not wanting to move), or, still be hungry, is a bad combination if its in someone's kitchen. It's great that this particular animal is the exception but in most cases, feeding this way will be a lot of undue stress on the animal (and put the keeper at harm's way).

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>I have a 13 foot burm who i feed in my kitchen. Ive never fed any snakes except one in they're cage due to the aggressive behavior that comes with it. After my snake is done eating i let him wonder into the living room and direct him back into his cage. He has never struck or bitten me doin it this way.
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Im not forcing him to move or anything, he moves at his own will. So why not have him slither to his cage instead of around the kitchen ya know.

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Frank Roberts
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John Rodriguez and Frank Roberts or vise versa

The problem with slithering back to his cage is that he is slithering back to his cage. Our iguana (yes I know there is a slight difference but bare with me), Our iguana is set in a routine where we open the cage, he goes out the door down the hall, into the bathroom and hops into the tub every single morning. It is a standard set routine. He poops and takes a bath and then when he is ready he gets back out, we towel him off and then trots back to his cage up to his basking spot and goes back to watching TV. This is the way it has been for over 6 months. Last Friday he decided to take a detour and shot down the stairs and up into the cat tree (which was occupied at the time). Between the cats freaking out and trying to get him to give up the MUCH larger TV he had now found was a nightmare and my wife and I both are now sporting matching claw marks (both cat and lizard induced) over most of our arms.

Point is 10 lb iguana or BIG Burm... do you really feel that sure that the snake is going to follow the routine every single time?

That is not a chance I would want to take!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

They most definitly DO associate the door opening with being fed... This happens ALL THE TIME.... for you to say it is BS is BS... this is why so many people get bit ... A snake that is fed when the door is opened is accustomed to eating when the door is opened.. the ounds , vibration induce a feeding response ... In virtually all my reptiles... BURMS included..

Tom
Safari Tom's Wildlife Encounters

I must have some amazing snakes then.