# Snake Question



## Mina (Apr 11, 2006)

I would like to know how everyone feeds their snake.  We just brought ours home on Sunday (4/9).  We are happy to have him home at last.  For those of you who don't tknow, normal colored, male, ball python, about 6 months old.  We aren't going to feed him this week and hope he gets a chance to settle in.  
My question is this, do you feed in the snakes housing, or in a seperate tub?  What are the advantages and disagvantages of each way?  We are trying to decide what to do for our baby.


----------



## Gigas (Apr 11, 2006)

i have a Heterdon Nasicus and i feed him whith 28 cm froceps, a bit excessives i know. i feed him in a seperate tub because if you feed the snake in the tank they assume that every time the lid comes off food comes in, its a knee jerk response brought on by habit, by feeding them in a seperate tub can also trigger this but it is hundreds of times less likely, especially if you handle your snake regular basis, seeing as it a ball python i assume you will. No matter which way you feed your snake something will trigger him to get into a striking mood for mine its whenever he sees those forceps.


----------



## mindlessvw (Apr 11, 2006)

It kinda depends...I had a carpet python that if i moved him out of his cage he would not eat...since this is a young snake i would really try to get him used to feeding in a platic tub or something similiar...the last thing you want is a four foot snake that thinks every time that lid opens he is getting fed. Also with something like a ball python you may want to try rat pups because eventually he will be eating rats(or several mice which gets pricy) it may take you a bit to get in the grrove of what he likes...they are all different


----------



## siucfi (Apr 11, 2006)

I feed both my ball and my boa live in there enclosure.  People will argue this but I have never had a problem.


----------



## ErikH (Apr 11, 2006)

I feed in a separate tub, but that is because he was being fed that way when I got him, and I haven't yet tried to break him of this habit.  Most ball python owners recommend feeding in its enclosure, as it is less stressful to the snake.  Provided your snake is used to being handled, it shouldn't mistake your hand for food.  Just make sure you do not handle the mice/rats when when you feed or handle.  Use tongs or hemostats to handle the feeders.  Ball pythons have poor vision, but a very keen sense of smell, and they have heat sensing pits in front of their eyes.  If you have the scent on your hands, it is possible to get tagged if the snake is hungry.  Believe it or not, snakes get to know when feeding day is, once you get them in a routine, so avoid handling on those days as well.


----------



## Gigas (Apr 11, 2006)

siucfi said:
			
		

> I feed both my ball and my boa live in there enclosure.


What kind of boa , hog island?

mindlessvw have u tried using pheremones or Mouse maker to entice him?


----------



## Snipes (Apr 11, 2006)

I put mine in a rubbermain in its cage. I put the container in the cage, then the snake, and then use tongs to give them its mouse. Then it grabs it, eats it, and when its done, it can crawl out of the container and around its cage. That way i dont have to stress it by taking it out of its cage and putting it back in later.


----------



## Beardo (Apr 11, 2006)

siucfi said:
			
		

> I feed both my ball and my boa live in there enclosure.  People will argue this but I have never had a problem.


Posts like these are going to cause me to have an ulcer by the time I'm 30. :wall:


----------



## MindUtopia (Apr 11, 2006)

I feed mine outside.  It's easy enough to do and it gives me a chance to handle him regularly so he's comfortable with handling.  I've never had him once try to nip at me nor has he ever regurgitated, so it seems to work well enough for us.


----------



## Icey (Apr 11, 2006)

siucfi said:
			
		

> I feed both my ball and my boa live in there enclosure.  People will argue this but I have never had a problem.


Yes some people do have a problem with live feeding, and lets show you why
http://proexotics.com/graphics/ball_python_live_prey_1.jpg *Caution very graphic picture of what a MOUSE can do a snake*, and that was a ball python btw.  I could always show you some pictures of what rats could do to snakes, you just ask now yahear, it'll be my pleasure.

But back to the original question, I feed my rainbows out of their enclosures, prekilled mice.  They're all under 4ft and are accustomed to eating out, its especially useful when I have to tease feed any new snake I get.

The boas I feed in their enclosures, they are on paper so that ensures that they don't swallow substrate that may cause impaction and the fact that boas are more timid eaters and do not like to be looked at or they either refuse to eat or stop mid swallow when you come into the room.

Balls from what I've read are very timid and tend to go off their food often for a variety of reasons, I think it would be best if you feed it in its enclosure.  Congrats and good luck with your new pet.


----------



## Beardo (Apr 12, 2006)

When I kept snakes I always fed them in their enclosures. I simply did not have time nor the resources to take all 50+ of my snakes out of their enclosures and into seperate containers on feeding night. This was utterly unfeasible. I also never used loose substrate so I never had to worry about any of my snakes ingesting anything while eating their prey (which was always frozen/thawed by the way). 

People who propogate the idea that feeding a snake in its enclosure makes it "more aggressive" or that feeding them outside of their enclosures makes them "less likely to bite" really have absolutely no knowledge of serpentine physiology/behavior. I believe that feeding a snake outside of its enclosure has far more negative connotations than positive ones. Its an unecessary stress on the animal which in many cases will result in a non-feeding snake. This is just my opinion based on the experiences of keeping snakes for the last 10 years....nothing more, nothing less.


----------



## MicahHall (Apr 12, 2006)

I have a baby boa and she is fed inside her enclosure. No need to take her out and add stress to what should be an easy situation. At the recommendation of one of the board's mods, we use a hook to remove her from her enclosure for normal handling so there is no possibility for her misjudging ther reason for her enclosure being opened.  This has worked perfectly. I use plain unprinted newspaper for bedding, so there is no issue with the chance of her ingesting anything and getting impacted.. not to mention is wonderfully easy to clean!!  Good luck with your new baby!


----------



## mindlessvw (Apr 12, 2006)

Gigus, He is eating fine now...he was just a tiny little thing when i got him and he absalutely would not eat if i moved him...rather than force feeding i opted to feed him his fuzzy in the cage. 

The stress on the snake is minimal if it is used to being moved around. And as far as live feeding NEVER leave any snake alone with a mouse. I prefer frozen especially since everything i have now eats adults but it was difficult to get some switched over.


----------



## Gigas (Apr 12, 2006)

Its actually illegal to feed live mice to anything in the united Kingdom


----------



## BedroomEyzOfBlu (Apr 12, 2006)

*We used to have 3 corns we housed communally as we bought them fairly young and the tank had plenty of room.  When we fed them, we separated them into their own tanks just to ensure that they didn't fight over one mouse lol.  We now have a Ball Python and we just put the mouse into it's tank and let him take it at his leisure.

Good luck either way you decide to go on it.

Rosana - BedroomEyzOfBlu*


----------



## Beardo (Apr 12, 2006)

> We used to have 3 corns we housed communally as we bought them fairly young and the tank had plenty of room. When we fed them, we separated them into their own tanks just to ensure that they didn't fight over one mouse lol. We now have a Ball Python and we just put the mouse into it's tank and let him take it at his leisure.


Congratulations on being an irresponsible snake owner. Not only are you housing multiple known-to-be-cannabalistic snakes in one enclosure, you are leaving a rodent (I assume live) in with your Ball Python. Sheesh....some of you people really have no business owning animals honestly.


----------



## Gigas (Apr 12, 2006)

BedroomEyzOfBlu said:
			
		

> We used to have 3 corns we housed communally as we bought them fairly young and the tank had plenty of room.  When we fed them, we separated them into their own tanks just to ensure that they didn't fight over one mouse lol.  We now have a Ball Python and we just put the mouse into it's tank and let him take it at his leisure.
> 
> Good luck either way you decide to go on it.
> 
> Rosana - BedroomEyzOfBlu


you do realize at least one of thems gonna get eaten?


----------



## atavuss (Apr 13, 2006)

I feed my ball python in its enclosure.  most likely mine is a WC import as it will not feed during the winter months so I feed it heavily during spring/summer/fall to get enough weight on it to last through its fast.  temps are pretty much constant in my animal room year round so it must sense the ambient humidity is higher during winter months to fast.  I have had it probably 10 years or so now.  my BP will not eat prekilled, frozen/thawed, nor will it touch white or white/tan rats, they have to be white/dark multi-colored rats fed live.  I do stay next to the enclosure with a long set of tweezers in case of any problems and so far in the ten years I have never had a problem with the snake being attacked by a feeder.  I have tried stunning the rats before feeding and the BP will not show any interest.  it seems as if it has to actually see the rat move so it can hunt it or something. 
hopefully yours is a CB BP as they seem to be easier to feed from what I have read.


----------



## BedroomEyzOfBlu (Apr 13, 2006)

DavidBeard said:
			
		

> Congratulations on being an irresponsible snake owner. Not only are you housing multiple known-to-be-cannabalistic snakes in one enclosure, you are leaving a rodent (I assume live) in with your Ball Python. Sheesh....some of you people really have no business owning animals honestly.


*David you need to get a grip on urself and give it a good shake - we had our corns for 5 yrs from the time they were babies and never had ONE problem with them.  They were communal from day 1 in a 5' x 3' x 3' tank.  They had their own hides and on most days, spent the entire day/night entertwined with each other.  Just because u've had problems with ur snakes - don't insult me.  Your snakes may have been cannibals, but ours were not!  Because you assume you know EVERYTHING about corn snakes, you opened ur mouth and put both feet into it - nice job!  Ur nothing but rude and obnoxious.  I don't care if ur a breeder or not - I've had many years of experience with snakes and don't appreciate ur comments.  If you  have nothing nice to say to me in the future - keep it zipped!  And just for good measure - read my signature!

For the record, our WC BP takes both live and dead prey - without probs or hesitations, and when it receives live prey - we are never far away to ensure it's safety.  So before you go attempting to insult a total stranger - get all the facts first - it will reflect better on you.

For you Gigus, in the 5 years that we owned them - there was never even a hint of one snake trying to eat any of the others.  We've since sold them and only have the BP right now.

Rosana*


----------



## Mina (Apr 13, 2006)

Thank you all for the input.  Matthias wants to feed him in a seperate enclosure and is very adamant about it.  He is used to this and this is what has been done for him in the store we got him from.  To answer the other question, he is a captive hatched baby, is 6 to 8 months old, and is a normal colored, sexed by a breeder, male.
As far as the other stuff goes, be nice guys.  Rosana is allowed to do with her animals as she sees fit.  You can disagree, but please don't be nasty and insulting about it.  I know nothing about snakes, but I would not house any snakes of any kind together.  This is personal choice, and it is mine, and Rosana's, to make.


----------



## BedroomEyzOfBlu (Apr 13, 2006)

*Thank you Mina, I appreciate your supportive post.

Good luck with ur BP  

Rosana*


----------



## Beardo (Apr 13, 2006)

I'm sorry if my opinion offended you. Thats not my concern though. I tell it like I see it and any responsible snake owner knows that housing multiple snakes in one enclosure, especially North American colubrids which are commonly cannabalistic is not a good idea. Just because you have done it without occurences for x amount of years does not mean anything. I'm sure I could walk across the street without looking many many times without getting run over by an automobile, but does that mean I should promote the idea of doing so? Its simply not a recommended husbandry practice among those who are truly knowledgable about snake care. 



> If you have nothing nice to say to me in the future - keep it zipped!


And if you can't take the heat when you post that you are engaging in much-maligned husbandry practices in the herp community, then don't project your irresponsibility for all to see. 

You can say that I'm being "mean" or "nasty" or whatever silly epithet you'd like to apply to my rebuttal of your publicly posted negligence involving a live animal, but I have found that generally when you call someone out on subjects such as this, all they have to say in return is that the opposing party is being inexplicably negative for no reason and that "they have done blah blah for x amount of time blah blah" when anyone keeping said animals who knows their rectum from a hole in the ground knows better than to do so. 

Take my posts however you wish....but when live animals are being subjected to subpar care and you publicly flaunt it as if you have done something substantial, YOU are the one to blame for the backlash you may/probably will receive.


----------



## BedroomEyzOfBlu (Apr 13, 2006)

*Wow David, who exactly are you trying to impress here? lol certainly not me.  First off - re-read my post, it was not a SUGGESTION from me to Mina on how she should keep hers, it was a post about how we kept OUR corn snakes. 

You seem to get off on tooting your own horn as loud as possible - who am I to stop you from having fun the only way u know how.  Your opinion means diddly to me - I was merely putting you in your place for the way you went around disrespecting me in ur post.  I guess you can't handle that and need to again try to belittle me to make yourself look bigger and better - bad news, it didn't work.

If you get off on offering your so called opinion in a disrespectable manner, that's fine - just don't involve total strangers.  If you don't approve of the way someone does something - and the end result was damage or death - then I can say your post would've been more acceptable.  

However, in my particular case, you neglected to get all the facts and went off on me half-cocked - which is apparently how you handle a lot of posts in here - I just look at where the comments come from.

Your response to my initial post and subsequent post is the same as saying that all pple in a certain nationality/gender/race are wife beaters, or thieves, killers or cheat on their spouses - get the picture? Is that how you "see it"? I suggest you get glasses.  Then you offer a feeble comeback comparing what I said being equal to you promoting crossing the street blindly - what kind of childish bs is that?  Although what you say about corns may be true for the general rule - there are always exceptions to every rule - and you need to learn that.  Don't be so harsh to people - u only look like an ass.

If I thought that what I did with my MANY animals was irrisponsible in any way shape or form, why on earth would I post it for all of these members to read? Seems that you need an audience to boost your ego - I simply offered my practice with our very hand tame/captive bread corn snakes to someone who was looking for information - your way or the highway theory could've been posted in a much more polite manner than you did and u deserved everything I said to you.

I can see that you live by your quotes and are very familiar with your rectom as you have your head in so far that you can't see the light of day.

Regarding your forwarnings of backlash? lol ur the only egotistic, over opinionated person that's posted nasty comments.  Other comments by members members who didn't do things the way we did - voiced their opinions in an adult manner.  You could stand to learn a lot from others if you could only open your eyes long enough to look.

Feel free to rebutt this - or just get over it, and yourself.

Rosana *


----------



## ErikH (Apr 13, 2006)

If you want to feed in a separate enclosure, the easiest thing to do is to use one of those Glad or Ziploc hard containers.  The ones that are like little tupperware containers. Put a couple of small holes in the lid.  Put the food item in the container, followed by the snake, then put the lid on.  You can put snake, prey and container back in his enclosure, and check on him in a little while.  More than likely there will be a snake but no prey.  Depending on how good a feeder he is, you may not even need the lid.


----------



## Beardo (Apr 13, 2006)

I am done with this thread since I can see that even attempting to enlighten certain individuals to the dangers of their current husbandry practices is akin to banging my head against a proverbial wall. My comments must ring true to some extent, otherwise I doubt they would've given birth to such an immensely emotional diatribe. Whatever the case may be, when you come home one day to find one of your snakes resting peacefully in the gullet of one of its cagemates, don't come crying foul on here. One last thing.....



> I suggest you get glasses.


You're a couple of decades late on ths suggestion, but I greatly appreciate your concern for my optometrical well-being.


----------



## BedroomEyzOfBlu (Apr 13, 2006)

*Ahhhh be the "bigger" man and walk away lol - that's the first RIGHT thing you've done in this thread.  At least now we won't all have to watch you try and come off like some greater than thou individual using BIG words - as if to think we would be impressed or believe that MUST know what ur talking about with 100% of all snake species just because you are suffering from a bad case of verbal diarhea.  Unlike you, I don't need to use big words to get my point across/discuss an issue just to try to appear bigger than I am.

If you had bothered to ask, in the 5 years that we had the corns (they were later sold) they remained in good health from day 1 (as babies) to the last day in our possession (full grown males).  I'm sure u'll try to find something negative to say here too - have fun with it.  I never once claimed to be a snake expert, but merely stated our situation.

The next time you feel like bashing someone or accusing them of being irresponsible, may I suggest that you approach it more politely - especially when you don't have all the information pertaining to the subject.

I normally don't waste my time on disrespectful people like yourself, however, since you took a personal attack on me, I felt that you deserved to be set straight.  Nice attempt on trying to make me appear to be the "guilty" one with your comments "My comments must ring true to some extent, otherwise I doubt they would've given birth to such an immensely emotional diatribe" - sounds like the kettle calling itself black.  All you continue to do is voice ignorant comments that you have no personal basis to judge them on.  I'm sure that your attitude and comments will reflect very well on you here.

I trust u'll do the smart thing.

Rosana*


----------



## Gigas (Apr 13, 2006)

Bedroom stop acting like a child, i would regard his advice and take note, david sounds like he knows alot more than you about herps. you have been irresponsible with your pets do not try deny it if you had done any research into your snake you would know how often corns canabalise, and did you see that pic with the ball python that was left with a mouse?
I say do what ever you want in the end i and more than half the people on the forumn dont care but is not us who deal witht the consequences, and dont say dave started it cos im sure most snake owners would have alot worse to say to you


----------



## Mushroom Spore (Apr 13, 2006)

Gigus said:
			
		

> words


Seconding all of this.


----------



## ErikH (Apr 13, 2006)

The live prey vs. prekilled or frozen/thawed issue is as hotly debated in the reptile forums as the handle/don't handle issue is on this forum.  I have heard excellent arguments for both, and I think it really boils down to which one you are more comfortable with, and convienience.  For me personally, frozen/thawed is the way to go, because I have no intention or interest in raising feeder mice or rats, and it is much easier to keep a couple dozen in the freezer than to run out every week and buy a mouse or two.  I do know that most of those who advocate feeding live will tell you to keep an eye on the snake until it takes the prey to avoid winding up with a chewed up snake.  I know of some very reputable ball python breeders who feed live without problems, so I know it can be done, it just isn't for me.


----------



## Beardo (Apr 13, 2006)

I said I was done with this thread, but since it seems to have established some semblance of civility, I suppose I can rejoin the discussion.

You see....one of the main promises of many live-prey advocates is that they "supervise" their feedings....they "keep a close eye" on them....anyone who claims to do this has never had a snake bitten or injured by a live rodent (yet), otherwise they would realise how silly the assumption that one could intervene quickly enough should a live feeding go awry actually is. 

When I first started keeping snakes I fed live rodents (I didn't know any better and this was before I became privvy to the internet forum world)....after a few "successful" feedings one of the mice decided to latch onto the head of one of my Ball Pythons, leaving the snake bloodied and scarred for the rest of its life. My immediate reaction was to feed only pre-killed prey items, shortly followed by the switch to frozen/thawed. _TRUST ME_.....no matter how good you think your reflexes are, there is not a human being on this planet capable of successfully stopping a rodent from biting a snake if it decides to/has the opportunity to do so. A snake strike happens in the blink of an eye, and a rodent faced with the choice of biting or death will do what it can to survive. The only safe rodent is a dead rodent, and there is no way around this fact. Live rodents have the potential to injure or kill a snake and 99% of the time are an unecessary method of feeding a snake.

If you think you can safely "supervise" a live feeding, you are very gullible and the only way you will learn the error of such thinking is when one of your snakes suffers at the hand of your negligence. Thats the thing about these message boards.....the knowledge of the dangers of feeding live rodents is out there for all to see, yet many people continue to do so with little reason other than personal preference. We are entrusted with the well-being of our captives and this includes eliminating any and all potential hazards to their health that are within our power. Nobody _has_ to feed live....they _choose_ to. Every choice has consequences...our animals cannot choose, yet they are the ones who ultimately reap the brunt of the results of their owner's negligence.


----------



## YouLosePayUp (Apr 14, 2006)

DavidBeard said:
			
		

> I said I was done with this thread, but since it seems to have established some semblance of civility, I suppose I can rejoin the discussion.
> 
> You see....one of the main promises of many live-prey advocates is that they "supervise" their feedings....they "keep a close eye" on them....anyone who claims to do this has never had a snake bitten or injured by a live rodent (yet), otherwise they would realise how silly the assumption that one could intervene quickly enough should a live feeding go awry actually is.
> 
> ...



Now that I am off work it's my turn.  I feel I should step in on this subject as I am the one if any to blame as I do the feeding of the snakes in the household.  Rosana doesn't have the heart to see "little cute fuzzies" get eaten.  With the corns when we purchased them (from a breeder not a pet store)  We had asked if they could be kept in the same tank.  The words spoken from this breeder we're kings are cannibalistic, corns are not.  Therefore we set them up in a nice display tank in our living room and nothing ever happened.  By the way the corns were always always always fed pre-killed mice.  The reasoning for me to go ahead and risk my Ball was that we bought it from a petstore with this phrase attached "It won't eat for us and we don't know how long it's been without food therefore no guarantee"  I left the Ball alone for a week and then put in a pre-killed mouse overnight.  The mouse was still there the next day.  Chances are that this thing may have never had a rodent before and didn't have a clue what was sitting infront of him.  My common knowledge and experience has shown me that if the snake is hungry and there is something warm and moving infront of him its gonna get eaten.  This is the only reason I tried live prey.  In the month we've had him he's eaten 4 times 2 live in the first two weeks and now 2 pre-killed.  It was more feeding live out of necessity than choosing/prefering to feed live.


----------



## Mina (Apr 14, 2006)

We got a little off subject, but since no one asked, I'll tell you.  I'm going to be feeding him frozen thawed prey.  He will be eating rat pups.  He was feed frozen thawed and in a seperate container while he was in the pet store and Matthias is insistent that we continue the practice.  
I wouldn't feed live prey, period.  Unless the snake would eat no other way.  I waited this long to get a snake partly because I was uncomfortable with the idea of the prey.  I have had pet rats for many years.  I won't feed live because of the danger to the snake, as far as the rest of the moral implacations go, I pass.
By the way, I was not trying to start WWIII here.  I asked a simple question about how to care for my snake from people who would know, and have more herp experience than myself.  Things seem to have gotten a bit......heated.  That was not my intention.


----------



## YouLosePayUp (Apr 14, 2006)

There are always a few things that attract attention. Live food for snakes, and handling for T's.  Just check any post stating Handling pic and there will be about 10 pages of discussion whether or not to do it.


----------



## ErikH (Apr 14, 2006)

YouLosePayUp said:
			
		

> I left the Ball alone for a week and then put in a pre-killed mouse overnight.  The mouse was still there the next day.  Chances are that this thing may have never had a rodent before and didn't have a clue what was sitting infront of him.  My common knowledge and experience has shown me that if the snake is hungry and there is something warm and moving infront of him its gonna get eaten.  This is the only reason I tried live prey.  In the month we've had him he's eaten 4 times 2 live in the first two weeks and now 2 pre-killed.  It was more feeding live out of necessity than choosing/prefering to feed live.


Like I said, I have heard convincing arguments both for and against live feeding.  I don't do it, but I won't tell you it's wrong.  I will tell you something about ball pythons, though.  They have a tendancy to "imprint" on prey items.  It could very well be that your Ball never had a mouse before, but perhaps rat-pups instead.  Once a ball python settles on a type of prey, it is not always easy to get him to switch to another type.  Now that you have him eating mice, and he has taken pre-killed, he should be able to eat frozen/thawed too.


----------



## Gigas (Apr 14, 2006)

if the snake only eats warm stuff, try defrosting the pinkys in a sandwich bag in a cup of hot water, thats what i do and youlosepayup, slap that dealer upside the head


----------



## ErikH (Apr 14, 2006)

Oh yeah, I forgot about the baggie part, thanks.  Don't get 'em wet, it takes the scent off of them.


----------



## Beardo (Apr 14, 2006)

> With the corns when we purchased them (from a breeder not a pet store) We had asked if they could be kept in the same tank. The words spoken from this breeder we're kings are cannibalistic, corns are not.


Well, quite frankly, that "breeder" is an idiot. Cornsnakes, especially young ones are definitely known to be cannabilistic.



> Don't get 'em wet, it takes the scent off of them.


lol...Nope.  If anything it makes the scent _stronger_. I (and just about every other f/t feeder I know of) always thawed my rodents in warm/hot water.....the results almost never varied. The only snake I ever had that wouldn't eat them wet was a finicky sub-adult Jungle Carpet Python who was also a pain to switch over to rats (which I was told could not be done with this specific snake). Thawing them in water is alot faster and more practical IMO.


----------



## ErikH (Apr 14, 2006)

I do thaw in water, I just bag them first.  My BP won't take them wet.  My son's Sonoran gopher on the other hand, would probably take them still frozen


----------



## atavuss (Apr 14, 2006)

DavidBeard said:
			
		

> I said I was done with this thread, but since it seems to have established some semblance of civility, I suppose I can rejoin the discussion.
> 
> You see....one of the main promises of many live-prey advocates is that they "supervise" their feedings....they "keep a close eye" on them....anyone who claims to do this has never had a snake bitten or injured by a live rodent (yet), otherwise they would realise how silly the assumption that one could intervene quickly enough should a live feeding go awry actually is.
> 
> ...


so........it seems like it is your way or the highway?  I have had an adult male ball python for around 10 years and all this time I have tried every trick that I have heard/read about to get it to feed on frozen/thawed/pre-killed and it just won't take anything unless it is alive and moving.  
I do have to hand it to you........you seem to have a knack for beating a subject to death.  
and unlike you, this is all I will respond to on this subject


----------



## Beardo (Apr 15, 2006)

atavuss said:
			
		

> so........it seems like it is your way or the highway?  I have had an adult male ball python for around 10 years and all this time I have tried every trick that I have heard/read about to get it to feed on frozen/thawed/pre-killed and it just won't take anything unless it is alive and moving.
> I do have to hand it to you........you seem to have a knack for beating a subject to death.
> and unlike you, this is all I will respond to on this subject


If I had a quarter for every time I heard this from someone that I got a snake from and then soon afterwards got said snake to take a f/t rat, I'd be richer than the Hiltons.  My way works.....yours is apparently lacking in some shape  or form since you have to feed your snake live. I've worked with species that are notoriously difficult feeders (wild caught baby Ball Pythons, _Candoia_, neonate Grey-Banded Kingsnakes, etc) and I have never failed in getting a snake to take f/t prey. Maybe I'm just "lucky" but I doubt it. :?


----------



## thisgal (May 7, 2006)

Hmm...so are there little freezers hidden in tree trunks in the wild? Mother Nature doesn't pre-kill meals for anything, and in case you didn't notice, snakes are pretty good at surviving on their own in the wild.


----------



## Mushroom Spore (May 7, 2006)

thisgal said:
			
		

> Hmm...so are there little freezers hidden in tree trunks in the wild? Mother Nature doesn't pre-kill meals for anything, and in case you didn't notice, snakes are pretty good at surviving on their own in the wild.


As a species, yes. Individuals die *all the time* and often well before their maximum lifespan, or get scarred up, permanently damaged, diseased or suffering from internal or external parasites...I should think we owe it to a captive animal to give it something better than that.


----------



## Hedorah99 (May 7, 2006)

Mina. In answer to your question, feeding in the same enclosure is a perfectly fine practice. If it does not stress the individual snake, so soes moving them. Snakes are like people and some are calmer than others. I have a few carpet pythons that are VERY cage aggressive. Every time the top opens, they expect food. Once they are out of the cage, they are very calm. WQhen I tried feeding them in a seperate container, it simply made them aggresive all the time. 

This is a heated debate. The fact of the matter is that there is no one way to feed them. ball pythons are incredibly fussy. I have had friends who would only eat live prey. So what do you do. Allow the snake to starve on principal. No. I have had the same issue with horned frogs who would only eat live mice. He would only eat live and I was pretty much called a monster for doing that to the frog and the mouse. 

Well Mina, hopefully i helped a little. enjoy the little one. Its a shame you asked a simple question and your thread became a warzone.


----------

