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Feeding routines

A

AmelEP

New member
I kept seeing people say to put corns in a different place other than the vivarium while feeding to avoid confusing for the snakes so that it wouldn't end up biting the owners' fingers in the future thinking that it's food. Something just doesn't quite click there. How would a snake confuse a human finger with a mice? I've seen an article on some baby corn who refuse to touch pinkies but instead prefer frogs or lizards and the article suggested rubbing a frog/lizard on a pinkie to trick the baby corn into eating it. So apparently they mainly rely on the scent to distinguish what's edible and what's not . In that case, how is it possible for a corn to all the sudden one day decide to include human fingers in its diet?
The reason why I'm asking is because the last few times I tried putting my corns in small containers when it was feeding time they got extremely nervous. One of them looked like he thought the pinkie was a time bomb and the other one acted as if she all the sudden became blind. He would move to the opposite corner wherever I tried to place the pinkie and she just curled up in a corner and refused to move, I even tried placing the pinkie right on top of her head. So in the end I put them back to their vivarium where they finally had their meals.
If it really is crucial to feed them in a designated area outside of their vivarium, please teach me how to correct this. Thank you.
 
Unless you are using newspaper or paper towel for a substrate, and you feed your snake in the viv there is a chance he will inest substrate. This could lead to an impaction. As for finger biting that is a definate they can confuse your finger for a mouse. If they are hatchlings they you can feed them in a deli cup. Yes they act scared or whatever, but is easier on them too in a deli cup they are not able to avoid the mouse. I put the pinkie in aim the snake toward the pinkie most of the time they strike immediatly. Sometimes they will try to pull the pinkie out but dont let them. They settle in with the mouse and its easier on them. If you are up to two pinks put them both in the cup. It is common for them to act afraid even as adults or cruise around and ignore mouse. If that is the case dangle mouse with tongs and then they strike. While their bite wouldn't hurt they will
 
Feeding in a separate container gives you a chance to take out the water bowl and clean and refill it and spot clean and pick out the poos while the snake is busy eating.

Snakes sure can mistake human fingers/hands for prey. It's because they count on scent a lot to determine if something is edible. If you don't scrub your hands before picking up your snake after thawing prey, your snake might bite. (I only have one of seven that does this, but I don't linger with them on the way to the feeding bin, either.)

At the Tampa show Saturday, I was talking to a guy that was selling milks/kings. He'd been handling snakes, obviously, and got out a king to show off, and the snake was feeding-response biting all over his hands! (It wanted a meal of snake, I guess!)

Nanci
 
I did use the deli cups the first time around, that's where the pet store originally kept them. I guess maybe it reminds them of the bad memories of being shaked by small children day and night(?). Anyhow, I tried putting them into the tub today for feeding. One of them was totally fine this time around, she even chased the pinkie around like a puppy. She's a bit of a weirdo, likes to nibble on the pinkies before she eats so when I was dangling the pinkie she put her nose right up on it and followed it wherever it went. But the other one was still skittish, he'd turn the opposite way from the pinkie. I've also tried leaving him alone with the pinkie, two hours later he was curled up on the opposite end of the tub from the pinkie. So I ended up feeding him in his vivarium again. Anyone got any idea how to fix this problem??
 
Try leaving them overnight. They're most active during the evening, so pehaps put the Corn in the feeding tub beforee you go to bed, then check the next morning. Some prefer eating in the dark and some awkward customers won't eat when someone is looking.
 
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