Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those who don't remember me, I'm the guy who had a green for a couple of years. Then one day I missed a clip on the edge of lid and she escaped ... down the toilet of the adjoining room as best I can figure. I haven't been a regular poster since then (back before the boards split up).

I've noticed NERD has a few neonates up for sale, and since I was happy with my purchase from them the last time I have been thinking about getting another. If anyone has recommendations for other reputable dealers with current neonates I'm all ears. So I'm back browsing the forum.

So to get to the point, I saw a post a little ways down the board that implied feeding in a separate enclosure was a bad practice. What is the rational behind that judgment. I've always been in the camp that feeding in an alternative enclosure reduced of a snake mistaking your hand for food as you put it in the cage. However I'm open minded and if someone has a reasonable justification then please, change my mind.

Thanks,
Wolfgang

P.S. Please don't give me a rundown on considerations before getting a conda or how hard it is to get neonates on feed, I've done all that before. Not that I don't appreciate the concern, just realise I'm not a guy with no experiance thinking about this on a snap decision.

I was speaking mostly about the placing of non-feeding neonates into separate containers to initiate their first feeding. My concern was that although this may work well for other boids, neonate greens are typically quite shy, and moving them to another unfamiliar enclosure could easily inhibit their feeding response. We have not had a lot of problems getting neonates started in their own enclosures, it just takes a little time and patience, and choosing the right food item. I've also had no problems with feeding adult greens within their own cages. Additionally, I feed only after lights out, and this probably helps condition them to not expecting food during the day. I have been able to work around them during daylight hours without incident. The problem I see with separate feeding enclosures with large boids is that you still need to remove them from the cage which also conditions them to a possible feeding event, and then you need to move a large snake containing a significant food mass, back into it's cage. I think the health concerns there are obvious. But that's just my take on it. If moving them works for the individual and his animals, then it's really a non-issue. Thanks,

Kelly

I was refering to your post, but also another post on the same subject. I totaly understand your point about non-feeding neonates. I certainly didn't start mine of in a feeding box, but shifted her there once I got her eatting consistantly. I actualy used to worry when she sometimes still seemed hungry after I fed her and had to reach into the box to get her out. The lights out suggestion is interesting as well, I hadn't considered that before.

By the way kelly, I know I could probably figure this out by going back through the forum but, you don't happen to have any neonates currently avaible do you? Like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm in the market for a female green, and I figured asking couldn't hurt.

Thanks,
Wolfgang