Why shouldn’t you move to feed?

Feeding your snake outside of their enclosure may seem like a safe, convenient thing to do. It is even treated as an acceptable practice by various keepers and breeders and encouraged on some websites. However, the reality is that this does way more harm than good and if you have the best interest of your snake in mind, you want to feed them inside their enclosure. The harmful effects of moving to feed are outlined below:

Tank Aggression- Tank aggression is a myth in which it is believed that if you feed your snake inside their enclosure, they will associate you with food and become aggressive. In actuality, unless you have the scent of prey all over your hands, your snake is smart enough to know that your hand isn’t food. Along with temperature, scent plays an important role in finding a meal. Ball pythons will eat what’s warm and moving as long as it smells edible. If you want to make absolutely sure that a feeding bite won’t happen, simply use a scented soap or lotion on your hands before handling.

Eating Habits- In the wild, ball pythons lie in wait and ambush their prey. By taking them out of their “habitat” (as far as they are concerned) and placing them in a separate, bare enclosure, you are removing the opportunity for them to eat as they would opt to do so.

Substrate- Swallowing substrate is an understandable concern. However, if you are using the correct bedding, the substrate is very likely to pass safely without any harm to your snake. Additionally, in the wild, their prey is never squeaky clean. Wild ball pythons will swallow it, dirt and all. If you want to minimize the amount of bedding on your snake’s prey, you can put down something flat such as a plate or Tupperware lid in the enclosure and place the prey item on top of it, ensuring he/she won’t be grabbing any extra dirt with their meal.

Stress- A hiding ball python is a happy ball python. If you handle or move them before feeding them, they are aware that they are visible to you and therefore visible to any potential predators. As eating prey whole takes some effort, they could become reluctant to try in case it leaves them vulnerable.

The No Handling Rule- You’ve probably heard that you aren’t supposed to handle your snake for a while before and after feeding them. There are zero exceptions to this rule unless the reason is medically significant. Moving to feed goes directly against this rule and is not a valid exception.

Regurgitation- Perhaps the most important reason why you should not move to feed is the increased possibility of regurgitation. Handling before/after feeding  puts unnecessary stress on them and their digestion thus heightening the chance that your snake will regurgitate. Regurgitating is damaging to your snake and can become fatal if it happens too often. After each time your snake regurgitates, significant time for their digestive system to recover is required.

Resources for further reading:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?94197-Should-I-feed-my-BP-

in-a-different-tank

https://www.goherping.com/single-post/Should-You-Feed-Snakes-in-Separate-Enclosures

https://reptifiles.com/ball-python-care-guide/ball-python-feeding/

https://www.emeraldscales.com/post/why-your-ball-python-won-t-eat-feeding-picky-snakes

https://www.arbreptiles.com/lastword/snake_feeding.html

https://jkrballstreetjournal.com/2014/02/12/the-psychology-of-problem-feeders-get-your-ball-python-eating-again/

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?255497-Separate-feeding-tank

From our own sub r/ballpython:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j3Lj2WA8GXuglV1ejLHj2WleYOxN2ssvF10MAvgWdoQ/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18HBVsPHaip7LfrMuFt96MigRuMUXtrbnCiK79VuQiFk/edit