Reptile & Amphibian Forums

(not sure about the term "feed box", but I mean the enclosures in which people feed their snakes, not the "home" cages).

What do they consist of? How big? My BP is still not taking f/th on a regular basis, does this change the setup? How long do you wait to introduce food after you put the bp in there? How long do you wait until you put the BP back in it's cage? A concern is moving the bP right after feeding, might it regurgitate or be more prone to striking?

OK, so that's a LOT of questions! Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance~

-Paul

I use rubbermaid tubs. Size doesn't really matter just make sure your snake has room to strike if it's eating live. For my frozen thawed eaters I just plunk them in and give them their food. For the live eaters I put the prey in first then put the snake in. When you see that the snake has moved the food down into its stomach and it starts to try to climb out of the box - it's safe to move him from the feeding box to the cage. I have in 25 years of using this technique never had a snake regurge on me. Just be gentle not too much dangling or jostling about and you shouldn't have a problem. I also have never gotten bitten either - I think the key is (like I said) to make sure your snake is done with its eating before sticking your hand in.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Thanks for the quick reply, Tosha! How big should the tub be? It sounds like you're leaving the tops off, and mice can jump pretty high.

I use 12 quart sterilites for my little ones on f/t and 14 Gal. Rubbermaids 24 x 16 x 12.5 on larger ones and those eating live. I've had hopper mice get pretty close to getting out of the 14 gal. but since I monitor live feedings I caught him on the edge (I don't usually see any of the larger mice or rats do much jumping). Most of the time they are dead within a few seconds so it's not a huge issue. I use the 22 gallon to hold mice and rats while I'm cleaning out the rat barn and nothing has escaped from those yet (knock on wood) so you might want to try that size if you are concerned. Since I line mine up on the pool table and feed I can get more fed at once with the smaller tubs.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer