Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was just wondering if anyone in here had any 10' snakes and what you use to feed them in outside of the cage? One of my friends in using a 1000 gal aquarium to feed his 11 ft retic outside of it's normal enclosure, but I'm not really looking to spend $1000 on a feeding area, because I could always just feed her on my floor or extra bathtub (I've been using bathtub for my anaconda) What does everyone else use?

~Ben

I feed my female inside her cage. The problem you mentioned is just one of the problems that arise from "feeder" cages being used. I'm assuming that you are doing this to prevent the snake from associating your opening the regular cage with feeding. If you think this through it really doesnt make much sense. Youve merely switch the association to being made at a different cage. Plus moving a 15' conda to a place that she associates with food is not what I would recomend. Going and getting a large snake that has just eaten and putting it back into the regular cage isnt recomended either. I am in and out of my cages so often, for routine maintenance,holding the snakes,etc, that the times that they get fed are probably only 5% of the total times their cages gets opened. That means that they associate their cages being opened with a 95% chance of NOT getting fed. Being able to read the body language of your snakes is important too. This subject gets debated all the time but like i said above I would feed in the regular cage and use the feeder cage for another snake.

I always love seeing pictures of your girl cause shes so big, but do you think you could post up a recent picture of her stretch out our outta the cage? Thanks

Will do. Give me a few days.

Arik

Yes, I agree with Arik. It is not a good idea to handle a large snake right after it has fed. Plus, your snake will probably not be able to distinguish the difference between the two tanks you use. They are most likely to notice the size of the tanks, but that's it.

Hi,

I'd say several people will say forget the whole feeding out of the cage thing and do it in the cage, theres good and bad points in both methods. I could argue for feed in the cage just as well as the feed out of the cage. But feeding out of the cage for snakes over say 8ft is what has worked for ME. But thats a different post and arguement. For my 13ft retic we use a 150gal plastic washtub-like-thing (its actually made for watering cattle in, but I don't remember what there actually called). There plastic, so washing all of the rat blood out after a feeding is easy.

Thanks,
Steven

I have my anaconda and 2 redtail boas in the same cage, I take out the two boas and put them in plastic tubs when I feed them, and let the anaconda eat in the cage.
and I feed my big retic in its cage

im guna agree with arik on this one. feeding in a different cage is not a great idea. moveing a big hungry snake around just dose not seem safe to me. also if opening a cage makes a snake think its guna get feed wouldnt comeing out the cage think its going to get feed. also how often r u opening the snakes cage. im in my snakes cages a couple times a day. i have tryed feeding snakes in different cages and no good came out of it. i have not run in to any problems with feeding snakes in there cages.

CrazyCody

` I have several Boids over ten feet. With them, and with the smaller ones, I treat each snake as an individual. Some come up and take the food from my hand. Some will even wait while I feed others in their presence. Others get a careful toss from the tongs, then slam the door and count fingers.
` I haven't had a problem with either gentle feeders, or with aggressive feeders mistaking my entrance into their cage as feeding, when it's not. That may be because I try to enter each cage as often as I can, and I keep careful track of when food smells are in the air. Baby Boids, I used to feed in shopping bags. I re-used the bags, and babies got so when they were put in the bag with the food smell, they'd start striking before I put in the food. It was a good way to condition problem feeders to eat.
` That's one convenience of getting your snakes as babies. You can experiment with their feeding responses in safety. I try all sorts of feeding strategies when they're young. That practice has allowed me to pick out several hand feeders who are now large. It also gets me bit, a lot. I hardly notice it, any more. It's been a very long time since I had my skin broken by and adult Boid.
` As far as using the bathtub for anything, remember even a small amount of soap can really upset their gut.
` I sure agree with arik and Cody about moving a hungry, large constrictor who has a strong feeding response. I'd be just as nervous about moving one who had eaten in the last 48 hours.
`

` My huge male Yellow, back when he was a baby. His feeding response was very mild, as it still is. He was on adult mice, when this pic was taken.

` Now, he's on 1-1/2 pound rats.

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Don't let all the false rumors about feeding your animal in it's cage worry you. Your animal will NOT become anxious to feed every time you open the cage. This will only happen if the only time you open the animal's cage is to feed it. If this is the only time you open the animals cage, then it will expect food whenever the cage is opened. It is easier to feed your snake in it's cage or water bowl than using your bathtub. Plus, it's a lot less cleaning.

I am so funny.

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Tim W
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0.1 Dumeril Boa
0.1 Domestic Housecat