Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I have a Burmese Python and I am getting conflicting advice on where is best to feed him, in or out the cage?

I know this is the Retic forum but I am curious what other "giant" snake keepers opinions on this matter are.

Thanks for any input in advance

Phil

In the cage. If you only feed in the cage, the only place the animal is going to be "expecting" food is inside his cage. You could probably get away with feeding somehere else when the retic is small but once the animal is 10, 15 or 20 feet you're not going to want to try to move it around. specially while it's in "feed mode". I've had my calmest retics nail hooks and tongs when they're in feed mode.

Buy a hook or something similar and tap the snake on the head or rub its neck the first time you go into the cage when you're about to handle it. The snake will learn that this means its handling time and not feeding time. Good luck.

This topic comes up alot with all species. Personally I think it's stupid to feed out of the cage. All you are doing is increasing your risk at being bitten or ???, stressing the animal, possably makeing the poor thing regurge, all and all it's just stupid. I don't see anyone taking their monitor lizards out of the cage to feed them! A monitor lizard is a hell of alot smarter then any snake is. Some people think snakes condition themselves to being fed inside their cage. You know most of those large snakes are ambush preditors, no matter where you feed them they will be ready and waiting! Many snakes are thought of as "mean" because of their feeding response. Take a 12ft scrub out of it's cage and try and feed it LOL even a baby is going to get you tagged many times! Doesn't matter what you are working with keeping the snake inside the cage reduces the chances of anything happening. If you think that it's "conditioning" the animal buy a hook or something to that sort. It's a fact that most reptiles are deffensive inside their cage for two reasons. One they have a feeding response, the other is it's their territory and the particular animal doesn't want you in it. Anyways sorry for rambling but these are my thoughts.

John

It's insane to think that people get their large retics and burms out every time they feed them. It's impossible and what does it help? You try relocating a 14ft 110lb retic everytime you want to feed her. It's impratical.