To feed in his cage or not to feed in his cage...

[caitlinandstu]

...that is my question!!! when I got Benny the gal at the store said to take him out and have a separate little container for him to feed in so that he wouldn't (a) associate opening the cage with feeding time and therefore (b) nip at me or my husband. But I also don't want to discourage his hunting instinct by setting him in his feeding box with the food there and waiting as if he were going to a restaurant...we handle him everyday (duh) so i don't think he would put opening the cage with feeding...what does everyone else have to say?

[Lennycorn]

...that is my question!!! when I got Benny the gal at the store said to take him out and have a separate little container for him to feed in so that he wouldn't (a) associate opening the cage with feeding time and therefore (b) nip at me or my husband. But I also don't want to discourage his hunting instinct by setting him in his feeding box with the food there and waiting as if he were going to a restaurant...we handle him everyday (duh) so i don't think he would put opening the cage with feeding...what does everyone else have to say?

Well the lady at the store gave so good advice. Also there is a chance that the snake could diegest some substrate ,which is a no no. but there are others here that feed in viv by placing a plate or something like that in viv. I prefer feeding in separate container.

[SnakeLuvrs]

Well the lady at the store gave so good advice. Also there is a chance that the snake could diegest some substrate ,which is a no no. but there are others here that feed in viv by placing a plate or something like that in viv. I prefer feeding in separate container.


ditto... although i had a astubborn eater, i had some newspaper underneath the pinky and plopped it in his cage over night..


all other snakes have a "resturant"

[MegF.]

I think it's a fallacy that they'll bite if you feed in the viv. I've fed mine in the viv, and I feed my Green Tree Python in the viv always. If you did nothing but feed in the viv, then yes, it would associate the opening of the lid with food coming. But most of us handle our snakes regularly so I open the lid often without feeding them so they never know why you're there. I've yet to have one try to bite me even when I was feeding my stubborn eaters in their houses. Ingestion of substrate is another story. If you feed in the viv, you need to be on paper or carpet. No aspen or bark. Snakes never lose their hunting/feeding instincts. That's why they're called instincts. It's like saying that a horse will forget how to run if you only walk it. Doesn't work that way. If you're afraid it will only grab the food and eat it, put it in the box first and then dangle the mouse in front of it. All mine grab and constrict when I do this.

[Lennycorn]

Hey Meg,
But wouldn't it be true that most snakes behave differently, so some might associate your hand for food. I not trying to be rude. I just want to get the facts right.
Thank you

[larryg]

I think far more people have the problem 'snake won't eat', compared to the problem 'snake feeds so aggressively that it attacks my hand.' All of mine make sure of what they are about to bite before they bite it. Even the ones that attack the prey after a few seconds - well, they still wait at least a few seconds. That advice applies more to Boas, Pythons, and other types of snakes, and it can be a real problem with them. But not really with Corns. I feed all of mine in their cages and have never been struck at, not even once. On the other hand, I had to be careful with the Boa I used to have, as far as sticking the hand in the cage. Corns are usually more docile and afraid of getting eaten themselves, instead of wrecklessly attacking anything that moves.

[MegF.]

Hey Meg,
But wouldn't it be true that most snakes behave differently, so some might associate your hand for food. I not trying to be rude. I just want to get the facts right.
Thank you

Sure, it's entirely possible that you'll have one that will, but I figure that snake is going to tag you no matter what. A feeding response like striking when the cage opens in association is a learned one, not instinct. My amel is an extremely aggressive feeder and he associates the feeder box with eating. Put him in there, and dangle the mouse....do NOT put in your hand first. He WILL eat it thinking it's the mouse coming next. I've actually found the opposite behavior is true if I feed in the cage. I find my snakes come out more often when I was feeding in the viv and it improved their behavior because they didn't worry so much about being held. I might be bringing food instead :) Many of my snakes will now come out of the viv on their own if I just open the lid and wiggle a finger, but they never bite. They just know it's feeding time! My Green Tree Python is fed exclusively in her viv as they eat while on a branch. She still does not try to bite me when I open the viv because I spray water each day, or take her out to handle her, clean and change water. I think you're pretty safe overall even if you did decide to feed in the viv for a while due to a shy feeder. Even my shy ones eventually changed to the feeder box and feed fine there now. Just as Larry said. You have to be cautious about certain ones. I certainly wouldn't put my hand in the GTP's cage after dark.....during the day...O.K.

[Lennycorn]

Ok, thanks Meg and Larry, Like I said I just wanted the facts. Sometime they get foggy with other snake facts and fiction I read about.

Thanks again. :cheers: