Tong feeding associated with aggression - thoughts?

[AggielandReptiles]

So I've kept snakes for many, many years and have also been a passive observer in the heated "best feeding methods" debates. Personally, I feed in a separate feeding container, even though I utilize multiple rack systems, as I feel that this tends to make the snakes less jumpy when going into their cage. I also start hatchlings out by offering meals on feeding tongs, dangling them to entice a feeding response, tease feeding, etc. All my snakes that will strike to take a meal I feed in this way (F/T exclusively btw, except for problem-feeding hatchlings will offer live pinkies). I recently got into a discussion with another snake keeper who vehemently claims that simply placing a food item in the feeding cage drastically reduces aggression. He made some valid points, and got me thinking....

That being said, my non-aggressive snakes know the difference between when they're being offered a food item and when its a hand, and never offer to bite. Scent recognition in snakes has always been accepted in their discernment of what is and isn't food (ball pythons anyone???). When they have food in front of them though, there isn't a milli-second of hesitation.

He got me thinking though, I wonder if this may in fact be a "better" way to feed? Any thoughts, comments, etc? Feel free to share any personal experience with this, as well as any other assessments or advice.

[bitsy]

TBH the "best" way to feed, is any way that gets the snake taking food reliably!

My habitual biter doesn't seem able to discern between food or hand. She just champs down on whatever warm article passes her face and works it out from there. It appears to be a heat-seeking thing rather than smell. I always wash my hands before going near her to get mouse aroma off me and that's never helped. She's less inclined to go for my hands when I wear gloves although I then have to watch out for her going for my nose, which she's had before!

I'd also distinguish between "aggression" and a "feeding response". Aggression would be characterised by a swift bite-and-flight - a quick nip to surprise then running away to hide, as it would with a large predator. Any bite that's sustained, sometimes with a chewing motion, is a feeding response.

[Soulwind]

Put your hand near Ori and he'll either just sit there with a "well pick me up already" look or else he'll be "nope, don't wanna be held right now" and burrow off under the substrate.

However, put him into his feeding box and bring a mouse anywhere even remotely close and he'll start tail-rattling loud enough to scare off Western Diamondbacks and then lunge from 1/2 way across his feeding box....wham! nom, nom, nom. :)

His behaviour between handling and feeding is so radically different that it's quite obvious that he knows the difference between me and food. So no, I don't believe that tong feeding has any "aggression" boosting effect over drop/leave feeding.

Mithril, on the other hand, is more reserved (almost dainty) in his feeding. He'll nose the mouse a few times, give it a few tongue-flicks, then gently take it into his mouth. Never had a problem with him taking it (although sometimes he seems to want it butt first, which makes holding it in the tongs a bit odd), but he's always so dignified about it. :)

So, two guys fed identically and yet with 100% opposite feeding behaviours....

[Susan]

IMO, it really doesn't matter where or how the food is offered. A hungry snake is going to be more aggressive than one that's so-so hungry or just plain timid about feeding. I feed in my snakes regular tubs and don't use tongs. Many will just wait for me to drop it and then eat at their leasure. Others are right on deck, coming out of their tubs as soon as I open the lid looking for their dinner, and others still are so aggressive that they will try to bite the first thing that comes close, be it my hand, their dinner or the snake bag I use to weigh them in before feeding. And what may surprise everyone is that I've had the same snake do all 3 methods, sometimes for a period of time with each, sometimes varying with each meal. A good example, my normally sweet females will either kill me to get at their meal after laying their eggs or ignore their meals until long after I've left, and vice versa during the non-breeding season.

[Naagas]

I have never seen a link between tong feeding and aggression.
They are just more aggressive when hungry.

I also haven't seen a link between aggression and feeding in the vivs as opposed to feeding in a separate container.