will getting my snake to strike its food turn it aggressive

[talc22]

recently when feeding my 2 year old snake i have been getting her to strike the mouse(F/T) by holding it up with forceps, if i continue doing this will it make her an aggressive snake which is the last thing i want as she has a great nature.

 

[Pal-O-Mine]

When I feed both my snakes, ( 8 month old Okeetee male and 2 1/2 yr old Kenyan sand boa female ) I feign life by making them twitch and getting in a little tug of war with them after they strike. I do so because I feel its a natural thing for a snake to feel its attacked and killed its prey. I do so under controlled circumstances: they only get fed in the feeding tub and I usually refrain from touching them at all immediately after feeding, while transfering them back into their tank to digest for a couple of days.( I usually just pour them back into their tank. ) I have NEVER YET had any aggression issues with handling them otherwise. My Okeetee does know what the feeding tub is for and the minute I drop him into the feeding tank he immediately starts to stalk the opening expecting that mouse. It would be VERY UNWISE to reach my hand in after depositing him into the feeding tub!

I think its important to remember not to deviate from the routine with snakes. They are smart enough creatures to know that the feeding tank is for feeding only. If you use a feeding tank and socialize them well by handling them frequently, they SHOULD NOT confuse the issue that they might get fed sometime when you reach into the tank to play with them. I could, of course, be wrong. Others here on this site may have better advise for you. ( I have just owned snakes since Dec. so my experience is still shiny and new! )

Just my humble opinion from what I have learned so far!

Devon

 

[COerriccaRN]

I also had the same ?. My snake strikes at live baby anoles, but not pinkies. Idk if it will change the snake, but I figure its natural. What could be bad about it? Although, ALWAYS feed them in a seperate container if you want them to strike.

 

[RobbiesCornField]

I don't think so. I fed live for the better part of 2 and a half years. Most of my snakes were (and still are) as calm as could be. Granted, I do have a few buttheads who like to try and take a piece out of me every now and then, but they're snakes. You're gonna have that with every species.

 

[wade]

What he said.

 

[Nanci]

I have this snake, Big Jake. He's a Florida King. He's humongous, and a teeny bit cranky. Like if he's blue, and you mess around in his viv, he's going to strike. I generally feed him in his feeding bin, like everyone else, but occasionally, he gets a little clean-up job that someone else didn't eat, and I just tong it to him in his viv. So lately he's been getting picky. He paces around in his feeding bin and won't eat. But if I hand him a mouse off the tongs when he's in his hide, he's like a moray eel. And I have noticed that now he is hyper-alert to any movement outside his viv, in hopes that it means food. And he makes me nervous about taking him out now, because he thinks every time I open his door, he's getting fed. Just like you always hear they do. And he's not like some little adult corn. So tonight he's out for relaxing time with me, not being fed, to refresh his memory that he's the pet. But I can see how you can cause a snake to associate you and your tong-like hands with food. When I feed everyone else, I put the food in the bin, and add the snake. Just my thoughts.

 

[COerriccaRN]

I think that problem would be solved if you switched feeding places from the king snakes viv to another box or container. Then he wouldn't relate movement in his viv to feeding time.

 

[Nanci]

I think that problem would be solved if you switched feeding places from the king snakes viv to another box or container. Then he wouldn't relate movement in his viv to feeding time.

Right. I was using Jake as an example that snakes can get food aggressive under some circumstances.