Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know I'm prob going to get flamed for this being that's the way this forum goes, but I don't get why feeding on bedding is such a big deal. I mean, I can understand how it would would be if the rodent was wet and the snake rolled it around in aspen.

But in the wild, these animals don't have the liberty of finding a nice smooth clean piece of plastic to kill/eat on. So, it stands to reason, in the struggle their prey would get bits of leaves, wood, dirt, ect on it. Also, the majority of the time you feed a snake the prey item is considerably larger than the snakes head, and the prey has to squeeze down...so wouldn't it stand to reason that a good % of any bedding and such that may be stuck to the mouse would be pushed off?

I mean, I can understand being anal and over-worried about impaction issues with animals like beardies who tend to eat random things like their bedding for no apparent reason...but with a snake? It just doesn't seem very likely to me.
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Cycling: Trio Black Rat Snakes

Together: Poss Het Axanthic male Ball x Normal-no mating witnessed yet.

Chris LaViola
CMLReptiles
Website under construction
CMLReptiles@aol.com

From threads that have come up about this in the past, there are a good number of people who feed in the bedding w/o taking the snakes out. you've made good points, and there are even others why it's a good idea not to remove the snakes to feed. Two camps to set up your tent, and a lot of people are in each.
Jeremy Conrad
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

Well, people tend to get flamed here for stuff a lot less worth the arguement than this...it's just how things go.

I know there are tons of good reasons to feed in cage, but I was just focusing on the low probability of impaction due to bedding. Also, Cypruss mulch may be big and rough, but it's also less likely to just stick to the prey or end up as part of a meal. Worst thing I've had happen is one of my ball missed the mouse and got a smaller piece stuck to it's tooth which i had to remove. That's happened once.
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Cycling: Trio Black Rat Snakes

Together: Poss Het Axanthic male Ball x Normal-no mating witnessed yet.

Chris LaViola
CMLReptiles
Website under construction
CMLReptiles@aol.com

There does tend to be a lot of hot-headed people here, but I have to say, not nearly as many as are on another forum...but the helpful, knowledgeable ones here do make things so worthwhile.

Thanks to all who help out so much!

Jeremy Conrad
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

The "It happens in the wild" arguement is weak. These are captive bred snakes, and in some cases, very high dollar snakes. So ANY accidents, however remote the possibility is, should be prevented, or at least have the potential greatly limited. Can a log fall on a snake, can a rock move and crush a snake, can a sand boa ingest too much sand, can bedding do damage to the snake if ingested, can mulch cause hemipene issues...? Yes, so if you have a $10,000 snake, you minimize the risk potential, and too some, it means feeding on newspaper, keeping snakes on newspaper, keeping animals without large and heavy logs and rocks....Snakes probably die in the wild from ingesting a sharp object, but that snake was not purchased for thousands of dollars...that snake did not have a keeper, to prevent the ingestion.

Dave

ten dollars or ten thousand dollars,I would hope one would simply practice safe, proper and responsible husbandry. Personally, if I had a twenty thousand dollar snake that prefered live, that's what it would get. Ya do what works. Sorry if that rubs some the wrong way.

Quig

I agree with the sentiment that you've expressed. While part of my desire for a normal was the lower cost, the difference in cost between a normal and a morph wouldn't be that much when spread over the life that I expect from my snake. If I understand what I've read, proper care will give me a twenty-year companion. I paid $100 for my normal, but I could have paid a couple of thousand for a morph and still done fairly well if I could make it live for twenty years. The big factor now is that I have a little animal that I like, and regardless of her "market value," I want her to be healthy. I don't yet know enough to agree or disagree with the original thought expressed in this thread, but the value of proper care is about more than just dollars.

Thanks,

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

by the by, yer little buddy can be expected to live longer than twenty years if he's properly cared for. I think the record is closer to fifty . Enjoy him.

Quig

If she (I think) makes 50, she'll have to break in a new owner. I'm 42, and I can't imagine making 92. I may end up leaving my estate to a snake.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

LOL, I know the feelin', I'm 55

I think you are right, but this depends on a few factors. If you feed on something coarse and big like ceder, I would think this has a chance of causing a problem. Ceder is super rough and long cut, so I would imagine that would be open to impaction and cuts on the mouth.

Something like sani-chips or aspen should be less problematic. Much smaller in size per piece and not as rough.

I also think that the size of the snake vs. the size of the particle ingested would also factor in. Small snakes taking in large pieces of bedding would likely create problems.

I think the main reason for feeding snakes off their bedding is why risk it? I feed my BPs in their enclosure, only b/c they won't eat if I take them out. My other snakes I feed outside thier enclosure. I think it's really how much you want to risk. Impaction stories seem to be few and far between, but they are out there.
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0.0.1 Jayapura GTP
1.1 Pastel 50% het Ghost BPs
1.0 Orange Ghost
1.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Dumerils Boa
0.0.1 Cali King
0.1 Apricot Pueblan Milk
1.0 Crested Gecko

And by CEDER in my entire post I mean Cypress. It's a little late to think.
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0.0.1 Jayapura GTP
1.1 Pastel 50% het Ghost BPs
1.0 Orange Ghost
1.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Dumerils Boa
0.0.1 Cali King
0.1 Apricot Pueblan Milk
1.0 Crested Gecko

WHEW!!! I was hopin' you didn't mean cedar. Stuff's not good for reptiles

Quig