How not to feed a Green Tree Python
Like 4 Dislike 0 Published on 13 May 2011
She's a sweety. I just taste good.
Please read before commenting!
I chose to feed my green trees by hand and not use tongs as an experiment. I do not suggest others do nor would I hand feed any burm, retic, rock, etc species that gets large enough to pose a threat should an accident like this occur. I started trying hand feeding them after one, who had not missed a meal her entire life, hit the tongs a few times, snapped out of feeding mode, and refused to eat. I tried feeding from my hand and it went well. I always had and still use tongs, just not for a few months.
I mainly tried as an experiment. Several people I know were saying they hand fed and had never ran into issues. Some other people were saying this would make them more prone to bite all the time. I disagree with both ideas. So, I hand fed two of my green tree pythons over the course of 5 or so months and recorded it every time because I knew I would eventually get bit good. I finally did and this is the video of it that also shows what to do if bitten so that you don't injure the snake (it would be VERY bad for the snake if you jerked away). Both snakes are just as calm and tame as ever after the few months of hand feeding.
Most GTPs are more keen on striking movement and heat vs most terrestrial species who use scent more when hunting. Therefore, associating human scent with feeding has not, in my experience, caused any problems while handling. The girl in this video is EXTREMELY well behaved and handles great! I use her to show kids. Despite her killer feeding response, which I love to see in any snake, she has never so much as even hissed in aggression, even when handled by excited kindergarteners. I accept all risks to myself should there be an accident. I am prepared. And, as you can see, remain very calm, don't jerk away, or anything else to cause injury to her.
I HIGHLY suggest people use tongs. When I didn't, I knew I would not panic or jerk away. I knew I would remain calm as I did in this video. Should you choose to feed by hand, get nipped, and jerk back you will most likely cause a serious injury to your animal. Thank you for viewing and reading!