Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am relativley new to herps. The people at the pet store have told me to feed my snake outside of its terrarium(or cage or whatever). They say that if i feed it inside its terrarium it might get the idea that when i actually reach in there to pick it up i am trying to feed it. I only have one ball python and so i have no problem with taking a few minutes to move my snake to the bathtub to feed it, the only thing holding me back is laziness. Is it a rational idea to feed my snake inside its cage, or is it going to start thinking my fingers are a snack? Thanks in advance for any opinions or info you have regarding this.

Mind you, I only have one pair myself and they've been fed in their home for 14 years now. All snakes have their own little personality quirks, but even when left to long without food Balls don't tend to be to aggressive about it. Until the food hits the cage floor LOL. I think the biggest reson for feeding outside the enclosure is concern of them ingesting substrate, which is a valid concern as impaction and/or mouth rot can come from this. Hope this helps.

Quig

Hi, I have half a dozen balls of various size and ages and so far its never been a problem, i've also kept boa's and from a very young age they did start to associate it, so started feeding them outside their tanks. If it does start to happen you should be able to judge your snakes reactions and move him accordingly.

I disagree with the feed outside the cage philosophy. When I started keeping snakes a few years ago I was told the same thing and did as I was told. What made me change my mind was when my boa started to grow. Not only her size, but also her feeding response! Imagine a full grown snake out of the cage. It has just eaten and is in full on feeding mode ready to strike at anything that moves. Have fun moving it back into its cage cause I'm not doing it.
Of course this won't really be an issue with a ball python. My advice would be to feed in the cage. If you are worried about associating door opening with feeding time, make a habit of always removing snakes with a hook. My snakes know there’s no food coming when the hook is there. If you are worried about substrate ingestion, spread newspaper first.
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mark

Snakes have very little brain and go mostly on instinct - some learn very quickly that the lift of the lid means food or escape. If you take your snake out often then there is less a chance of it associating the lifting of the lid with eating. Some are more prone to it than others - you don't necessarily need to feed your ball in the bathtub - just get a rubbermaid and set it next to the cage get him out feed him in the tub and when he's done move him back - no need to worry about unnecessary substrate ingestion and they learn to love that little feeding box - I personally think it helps them maintain a healthy feeding schedule - but that's just me - LOL.
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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 to everyone for their valued opinions.

Isn't it only stressing the balls more by removing them, as they get stressed at anything that moves most of the time, do you guys have probs with feeding responses outside of the cage or is it eaten right away.

thanks

steve