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ThatGuyAdam

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I'm planning on building my lil guy a new enclosure.
Basically I have read that you should not feed a snake in its enclosure so I was thinking about building a feeding box at one end. I open the door only when I'm going to feed him, he goes in and eats then leaves when he is ready.
Has anyone had this idea and it turned out not so good? Lol
Can anyone tell me if this is even a good idea?

All replies appreciated!
thanx![emoji3]
 
ive always fed in the enclosure never had a problem. out of 8 snakes only ones cage defensive and thats a jungle carpet and hes mainly all bluff but ive also only recently got him. All the others you can put your hand straight in and get them out.
Would you take the snake out and put him in the separate the box or would he have to go in there himself as it might take a while for him to get in there. But still sounds like a good idea it sounds similar to my jungles enclosure but he just gos in there to cool off.
 
ive always fed in the enclosure never had a problem. out of 8 snakes only ones cage defensive and thats a jungle carpet and hes mainly all bluff but ive also only recently got him. All the others you can put your hand straight in and get them out.
Would you take the snake out and put him in the separate the box or would he have to go in there himself as it might take a while for him to get in there. But still sounds like a good idea it sounds similar to my jungles enclosure but he just gos in there to cool off.


Honestly I have only READ that lol. I'm very new to this world[emoji3] (got my first snake 4 days ago).
I would probably feed in a separate enclosure or tub to minimize the chance of being or becoming cage defensive as his only a juvi and I'm a noob haha!

I also READ (lol) that people have taught their snakes to feed at one end of the tank and be picked up from the other. I was thinking something similar to that - in the box = food


I've been throw some ideas around in my head and just wanted to see what was possible. I know the basics but not much more than that.
 
If you handle your snake regularly, it shouldn't be a problem. A couple of ours are fine with us putting our hands in their enclosures, but "defensive/reluctant" to come out of their tanks. And we feed all of ours in their enclosures.
 
I've found that feeding in enclosures only becomes a problem when:

a) feeding is regimented (e.g. every Friday at 7pm) so your snake expects food when you open the enclosure
b) substrate sticks to food item and cannot be digested

I prefer to keep things more natural and feed at random times which also stops them from expecting food when the tank gets opened.
 
I understand your thinking however I have always fed in the cage with nil issues whatsoever. Feeding in a separate tub means you have to then move a snake in feeding mode and with a fresh rat in its guts. It may latch on or even regurgitate it's food.
 
[MENTION=37197]Riffherper[/MENTION] speaks the truth... Try moving a woma who continues the feeding frenzy mood for at least a day after being fed! I took pics the last time I tried it... He stayed latched onto and coiled around my tshirt for hours after being put back into his enclosure!

IMG_5639.jpg
 
@ Lawra - I was going to feed as you were saying (same time/same day each time) but I won't now lol. I didn't even think about that - rookie move
[MENTION=37197]Riffherper[/MENTION] I did wonder how that works. If Ur not supposed to handle a snake after feeding in case it causes regurgitation, that's why I thought of making the attached feeding box it can freely move out of once happy to do so
 
[MENTION=40758]ThatGuyAdam[/MENTION] you're a quick learner!

Just remember, don't over complicate things. Find the simplest way that works for you and your pet :)
 
[MENTION=37955]Lawra[/MENTION] I like to think so too haha. I just want the best for my lil guy, its not his fault I'm a noob so I want as much info as I can to prevent my noobness affecting him

K.I.S.S technique is always the best! (Keep It Simple Stupid)
 
[MENTION=40758]ThatGuyAdam[/MENTION] your little guy will be just fine :) I was an idiot n00b and my first python Steve (woma pictured above) is still going strong!
 
[MENTION=37955]Lawra[/MENTION] thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm sure he will be fine but I want to make sure I know as much as possible
 
[MENTION=40758]ThatGuyAdam[/MENTION] knowledge = power! With great power comes great responsibility :p lol
 
Mate from hatchies I just open the lid of the plastic tub holding the feed item with my hand and they feed. In bigger cages as they grow I use tweezers or BBQ tongs. Snakes rely a lot on smell not just sight. In my experience snappy snakes are not snappy due to a feeding response but an aggressive/fear driven response. Building a specific feed section is really not required.
 
[MENTION=37197]Riffherper[/MENTION] So you basically open the lid and the snake takes the feed item out of the tub. That's a good idea to prevent substrate ingestion. I know a feeding box is not a requirement but is it possible to train it to feed from there? If it is possible to train this behaviour would it tend to go near or into the feed box when hungry?
 
I use paper towel for hatchies and newspaper for adults so substrate getting in their gut isn't an issue for me. I used to use breeders choice paper pellets. I would put down newspaper before I fed however more often than not the snake would play around and move the food collecting pellets - this obviously has the potential to lead to them being eaten. What I meant with feeding hatchies is that I open my lid, wiggle the rat, snake takes the rat (inside tub), and I close the lid. It will not be required to train a snake to eat at a specific place. The snake will feed wherever you put the food item. It's to the point with my full grown Bhp's where I put their food in a plastic tub and put it in their cage. They will seek it out and eat it. Depending on the snake also it will always be hungry haha especially womas and blackheads. They will eat themselves to death. It's just about knowing how much to feed your snake. I think I remember you saying yours was 7 months. I get onto rats as soon as I can and feed an appropriate sized rat (prob around a fuzzy for you at the moment) which will leave a bump in the belly every 5 days until the 12-18 month stage.
 
[MENTION=37197]Riffherper[/MENTION]

Mine is already in a big enclosure (not overly big and has HEAPS of hides) and he is on hardwood mulch (I'm a landscaper so its easy for me to get) but will probably be reverting to paper before his first feed.
Yeah he is roughly 7 months. The place I bought it from said he was only eating pink rats so that's what I have, also have pinky mice because I planned on a getting a smaller species then a Coastal.
If I was to feed say 2 pinky mice would that be equivalent to 1 fuzzy rat? Or should I just get fuzzy and try that.
 
I would evently like to put him on a substrate that mimics his natural environment and that's why I was thinking of the feeding box idea
 
Yeh there's plenty of different substrate options out there - mine just suits me due to ease price and availability. Breeders/per shops will generally feed smaller items less often as every feed is a loss to them. Finish the pinkies up and if you think that it doesn't leave a bulge or the snake is still 'hunting' after being fed up the size when you next get rats. Pinky rats don't offer much in terms of nutrition as they are mostly water. Once you start to get into fuzzys and bigger the snakes start to benefit from digesting harder bones, nail and fur.
 
[MENTION=37197]Riffherper[/MENTION]

Thanks for the help! I bought mine from a petshop (wont br doing that again) I didn't take into consideration that it is a cost to them to feed. Honestly thought that because they sell live mice they basically have an unlimited supply of babies lol. I also didn't realise that the large had more nutritional value. I thought it was just more meat then a pinky but it makes sense they benefit as you have mentioned.
 
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