Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased my first bp yesterday, and its was fed there. i won't have to feed it again for another few days, but im unsure as to the question of should i feed it in its cage or place it else where.

any help would be appreciated.

ps if i do need to put it some where besides its cage, where would be a good place?

wow...nice name sparkster.........

I cage feed...

I use paper

if not....try..um..a plastic box....use the Martha Stewert boxes from K-Mart.....caging an animal in them seems more appropriate right about now.......
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Depends. If you're using a loose substrate than it's usually best to feed outside the cage to avoid possible digestion of the substrate and impaction. Or you might be able to lay a piece of carpet or something on top of the substrate just for feeding. Otherwise, feed in a separate container. If using carpet, astroturf, etc than you can feed in the tank. But, some snakes may be shy and prefer feeding in a smaller separate container. So if you have difficulty feeding in the tank you might try a separate container.

What substrate are you using?
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I feed mine in cardboard boxes. They are great cause if they get messy I just throw them away and get another, they are free and no clean up!!

this is an often debated question but having kept and bred bp's for over 30 years (and currently have several that are in the 35 year old range) I firmly defend the stance that it is typically much better to feed INSIDE the cage. Bp's are very prone to stress related illnesses; this type of stress can lead to many healht problems including eventual death. The problem with stress related illnesses in bp's is that many owners don't recognize when their snake is stressed until it is too late. When you take a snake like a bp outside of its cage and into a "new" environment, that already puts the snake under some sort of stress; yes, the snake may feed, but it has experienced some stress that it didn't need to. Over time, this can have a delibitating effect on a snake. Instead, feed the snake inside its own cage by offering f/t rodents via tongs/hermostats. If you keep your snake on newspaper, there is nothing to worry about. If you use a wood mulch or some sort of particulate-type of bedding, then I would recommend laying a flat piece of paper over the bedding and then feed the snake on top of that. There is the argument that a snake that is fed inside its own cage is more prone to biting its owner...that's pure BOGUS you know what. As long as you use a hook to take a snake out of its cage, you will not be bitten; it is that simple. And if you don't use a hook for a bp (which is not a necessity), just train your bp that food only comes on one side of the cage via the same door and if you are going to handle the snake, use the other sliding door.

Feeding inside the cage becomes even more important when you are working with large constrictors and venomous species like I do. Hope this helps. Rob

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation (IL)

np

np

you obviously misunderstood my intent. As an educator and curator of a wildlife center (a very successful one I might say) we are all about close up encounters. So, yes, snakes should be handled regularly AND they should be fed inside their own cage; its that simple.

I just learned something as well, thanks Rob.
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I agree that if you take precautions such as only feeding from one side, laying down paper, and only handling the food with tongs that feeding in the cage is fine. It becomes a problem if the keeper doesn't take precautions and ends up getting bit(it's their own fault though.) I understand your point, esp. with venomous snakes. In those cases I think it sounds like it is as much for the safety of the keeper as it is for the stress of the snake.

I personally feed in a seperate box. I think stress would be part of a wild animals life. That stress would trigger "flight or fight" responses. It would be integral to their survival in the wild. Feeding seperately may be stressful initially, but wouldn't the snake become more tolerant if the feeding always followed the same procedure? If you feed in the cage there is a routine-the mouse always comes in on the same side, the keeper only picks the snake up from the other side. If the same precedure is followed, just in a seperate container, the snake should become accostumed to it there, just as it would in it's cage.

If the only time you go into your snakes cage is to feed - then yes, they will most likely simply associate you with food. But I'm in the cage everyday changing water, spot cleaning and taking him out to handle. So feeding in the cage is just another reason I'm in there and that decreases the likelihood of associating me with food.
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"