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SJ126
Joined: 20 Nov 2007
Posts: 112
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 Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:13 pm Post subject: Feeding in tank. |
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Hi all! Well i've been thinking about this on and off ever since i got Perritas... Is it okay to feed inside their tank? I've had her about 6 months and i've always fed her ijnside her tank. She's never bitten me when i go to get her out and she eats every week without a problem. It's not a big deal i just want your opinion guys if you would please!  Thanks and bye!
Perritas and SJ
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Buck_99
Moderator
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1358
Location: Midlothian, VA
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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There are lots of threads on this topic on this forum. Opinions differ, try the search feature to locate the threads and read what people said pro and con.
I feed in their tanks, no problems.
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PyMama
Joined: 10 Oct 2006
Posts: 1646
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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I also feed in their tank or enclosures with no problemo.
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kasandrich
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 99
Location: Essex UK
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:47 am Post subject: |
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Mum feeds Prince out of vivarium, purely because she uses bark substrate, and wants to avoid him ingesting the bark, but she has had a feeding bite.
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Buck_99
Moderator
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1358
Location: Midlothian, VA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| kasandrich wrote: | | Mum feeds Prince out of vivarium, purely because she uses bark substrate, and wants to avoid him ingesting the bark, but she has had a feeding bite. |
...and feeding bites can occur in vivaria too, so that shouldn't deter anyone from using Mum's out of vivaria approach. The only ways to completely avoid accidental feeding bites and other strikes are (1) to develop lightning-quick reflexes, or (2) never interact with the snake.
kasandrich articulates one of the best reasons people feed out of the snake's cage, which is to help the snake avoid ingesting substrate. The risk is prolapse. Ingesting substrate (such as aspen bark) along with the prey probably happens quite a bit and may not always cause problems, but it does increase the risk of prolapse, with larger pieces supposedly being more dangerous (Source: something I read somewhere once...how's that for documentation?!).
The downside is you have to move them back from one container to another after feeding time is over.
I've noticed that aspen sticks to wet prey more than it does to dry prey. Sometimes the prey is wet because I feed F/T and when I thaw the prey in hot water, sometimes the bag springs a leak. In these cases I try to dry off the prey a bit first, then dangle the prey over the snake's water dish. Usually I can get them to take it down in the water instead of on the bark. Also, the larger the prey, the more they have to stretch the mouth to get it in, and the tighter the fit, so often the aspen will peel off the side as the prey goes in. I've never seen aspen actually go in any of my snakes, but then again, I don't watch most feedings anymore. Once the strike occurs I leave them alone and check back in half an hour, unless I intend to give seconds.
I'm rambling. Perritas and SJ, I think you can safely choose either approach. I've used both techniques with no problems, but once I got up to three snakes, moving them around became an inconvenience so I chose in-cage feeding.
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kasandrich
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 99
Location: Essex UK
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| Buck_99 wrote: | | kasandrich wrote: | | Mum feeds Prince out of vivarium, purely because she uses bark substrate, and wants to avoid him ingesting the bark, but she has had a feeding bite. |
...and feeding bites can occur in vivaria too, so that shouldn't deter anyone from using Mum's out of vivaria approach. |
I fully agree, I was trying to demonstrate that feeding out of Vivarium does not eliminate feeding bites.
On the ingesting substrate subject Prince has actually got a split piece of bark stuck in the side of his mouth on one occassion.
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