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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

How to Avoid Snake Bites at Feeding Time

How to Avoid Snake Bites at Feeding Time

When it comes to pet snakes, the huge majority of snake bites occur during feeding time. Many of these are the result of corrupt feeding techniques.

Among reptile geeks like myself, these are often referred to as uninteresting feeding errors or SFEs. I myself made an SFE several years ago with an otherwise docile rainbow boa, but I haven't repeated the error since then. Usually, one SFE is all it takes before a snake keeper changes their tactics!

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this. Actually, there are many solutions, but the simplest and most effective blueprint to avoid snake bites at feeding time is to consume a snake hook. The word "hook" scares some keepers away from using these products, but in truth they are completely agreeable.

If you've ever watched an episode of the mature Jeff Corwin demonstrate or something similar, you've probably seen a snake hook in action. Basically, it's like a golf club with a zigzag allotment at the ruin instead of a driver or putter. You can steal them at reptile shows, order them online from companies like Midwest Tongs, or originate your possess if you're crafty.

Another arrangement to avoid bites is to decide a pet snake that has a reputation for being docile and reluctant to strike. Corn snakes fit into this category, as do ball pythons. That's why those two species are among the most celebrated snakes in the hobby. A healthy corn snake or ball python is extremely reluctant to bite its owner, and typically will only do so if a dead feeding error takes area (glance definition of SFE above) .

A lot of keepers transfer their snakes into a separate tank or "feeding tub" at meal time. The conception is that this prevents the animal from associating the cage door opening with food, thereby reducing the likelihood that the snake will bite its owner by mistake. I personally don't employ this option, but it's worth consideration.

The key to success here is to "assume" like a snake. These animals exhaust peep, scent and (sometimes) temperature to detect their prey. So if, for example, you effect your hand into a snake's cage after handling a rodent, that snake would have three indicators that prey was nearby -- it would smell the rodent, detect the body heat from your hand, and witness the movement of your hand. These are prime conditions for a unimaginative feeding error.

The solution I propose is simple and nearly 100% effective. exercise a snake hook to initially rob the animal from its cage. bewitch it from the mid-body place to provide the well-behaved succor. Once you have lifted the snake with the hook, it will realize that it's going to be handled and not fed. Then you can simply advance in with your hand and handle the snake as normal.

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