Snakes are predatory, which means their digestive system is built to eat less frequently. They have evolved to eat when they can, as live food items are less available to them than say grass and plants are to herbivorous animals.  So going days without food is normal for snakes and other predatory animals. The common and best practice for keepers trying to best maintain the animals well being and health as well as providing as near natural a diet as possible is to feed snakes once a week. This provides enough frequency to maintain weight on the animal while not feeding them so often that health issues arise.

When feeding it is best to remove the snake from their habitat, this is done for a few reasons. The first and most prominent reason is so the snake doesn’t think that food is coming every time a hand is placed into their cage. If the animal is fed in it’s home it is very possible for the snake to start striking at hands, not out of meanness or aggression, but naturally because it thinks it’s dinner time. The second reason, is so that any mess made by the actual process of eating will not soil the substrate (bedding.) Thirdly, the snake will not ingest any possibly harmful bedding while eating.

To do this is very simple, a spare aquarium or Rubbermaid bin with a few small holes in it will do very well. Place a few paper towels in the bottom or newspaper. Place the food in the feeding tank/bin then put the snake in. If feeding frozen thawed food make sure the item is very well thawed all the way through then place the snake in the tank/bin and use tongs to offer the item.

The best rule to follow when it comes to feeding is not to give the snake anything that is larger in girth than the widest part of the snake. When making the transition with a growing snake to a different sized food items it is best to start feeding two items of what the snake is currently eating, then move up to the next size after the snake has grown some. This is healthier for the snake than to jump it up to the next size right away.

A good practice with young snakes is to occasionally offer it a mouse of a color other than white. Some snakes grow up refusing darker colored rats when they have been raised solely on white mice.

Once the snake has fed, you can place the animal back in his cage and give him a day or two to digest it’s meal in peace.

If you found this guide helpful, please click Yes - thanks Harold and Martha