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 #2092420


Bala
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 Where should I feed my boa?

I’ve been told to not feed Bala in her cage because then she’ll associate my hand with food. This makes sense but it seems like a lot of people feed their snakes in their cages so does it really matter?
11/05/09  07:29pm

 #2092507


ReptileJay
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   Message To: Bala   In reference to Message Id: 2092420


 Where should I feed my boa?

As long as you hold your snake in between feedings, and feed with tongs, they’ll associate your hand with cleaning and handling and a rodent on tongs as food. I feed all my snakes in their enclosures and I never get tagged. The only time it becomes a problem is when you don’t hold your snakes regularly. And even then it can still come down to personality and how aggressive of a feeder they are.
11/06/09  12:04am

 #2092544


Bciaddict
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   Message To: Bala   In reference to Message Id: 2092420


 Where should I feed my boa?

This is another one of those topics that either people do or don’t.

Some people feed in the cage and swear by it. And others feed outside of the cage and swear by that method. You choose what is best for you.

I am one of those people that feeds in the cage. I started that years ago with my Peruvian boas. While they were small, I could easily pick them up, place them in a feeding enclosure, feed them, then put them back in their regular enclosure later.

But as my boas grew up they became more aggressive when it came to feeding. And the feeding response stayed with them for a long time. They associated the lifting of the feeding tub top with food.

But when they were in their cage (at the time they were housed together....not a good idea) they were sweethearts. I could blindly stick my hand in their cage without fear. They were used to me doing things other than just feeding in their cage. If my hand when in there, it could be for cleaning, changing the water, handling, whatever.

The second reason that I don’t move my boas is that the majority of my boas a Nicaraguans, many of which are farmed. They’re not really happy to be handled in the first place, and when they were moved to a separate container to eat, they were too torqued up to actually eat. And many of them are ambush attackers. They will hide in the safety of their hidebox and strike, of emerge from their hiding spot in the substrate, or attack their prey from a higher elevation.

It doesn’t hurt that I wash my hands a lot, especially before I handle any of my critters. So my hands always smell like soap...nothing that could even be remotely associated with food.

There are those that feed inside the enclosure for convenience. Take a hobbyist with 100 (or more) boas. Imagine how much longer it would take to feed them if they all had to be moved to another enclosure first.

Amie



11/06/09  06:50am

 #2092623


Fairy Frog Mother
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   Message To: Bciaddict   In reference to Message Id: 2092544


 Where should I feed my boa?

I too started out when mine were younger feeding in a seperate tank. They were also housed together, til I learned better. (You cant tell what snake has pooped, or regurged, they subtily try to dominate for heat and hides and this adds to stress- not to mention if you have a male and a female you could have unwanted pregnancies resulting in more babies than most people are ready to deal with)

My female started becomming really stressed and refusing meals, plus the whole striking when you go to take them out...my husband got tagged a couple of times.

Its just easier for me to feed in tank. I have coco hull substrate, and I dry the rats off after they are thawed with a towel, and havent had any issues with it sticking to their fur. They eat like champs.
11/06/09  12:36pm


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