Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys,

i've had my little bp for just over a week, and fed him for the first time tonite.. he ate without any problems.. i did however feed him in his main enclosure..

i don't have a problem putting him into another enclosure for feeding, but is it ok to handle him after eating, so i can put him back? how long should i wait before putting him back in the main enclosure.. .

thanks for the help..

It's very easy ...

Take the little fella out just a few minutes after he's eaten. (Wait for that post-meal yawn ... usually a good sign the meal is all the way down and he's done eating.)

Just lift him up gently and place him into his enclosure. No major handling, no flipping over, no playing ... just pick him up and put him in. Don't touch him for 2-3 days.

Have fun.
Joel
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2.5.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake
0.0.2 Crested Geckos

Awesome, thanks for the quick response...

I was very suprised at how quickly he took the meal... i dangled it in front of his hide for maybe 2 seconds before he struck and 'constricted'...

i actually got worried because he was trying to eat it rump end first.. but it didn't take him long to figure it out..

thanks again..

mike

From my (somewhat limited) experience, I have observed that baby snakes will sometimes try to (and sometimes succeed at) eating a rodent rump end first. With smaller rodents, (anything from pink mice to fuzzy rats), they can usually get it down, though sometimes with a struggle.

As they grow, and as their prey gets larger, they usually figure it out and give up the butt-first method.

Joel
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2.5.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake
0.0.2 Crested Geckos

funny, my CA Kingsnake hasn't figured it out yet and he's a year old. He still eats butt first, he doesn't care. He might figure it out eventually.

It should be OK as long as you put him back right after you pick him up from his feeding enclosure. I feed mine in a seperate enclosure as well since his tank has aspen in it. As soon as he's finished, I just very carefully and slowly pick him up (making sure he's completely done with his meal) and put him right back in his tank. I've never had any problems with mine doing that and I've had him for a year and a half now. Just make sure he has completely swallowed it before picking him back up.