Avoiding the bite response - conditioned feeding

Tired of opening the cage and getting nailed by a tame snake that thinks you´re food? It´s not that he´s a bad snake, it´s just that he´s an overly eager eater who doesn´t understand that today isn´t feeding time. Every time you go in to feed your reptile, do something unique. Always feed the animal from one specific location, such as the far end of the cage, or open the cage in a certain way. Don´t use this conditioned stimulus if you aren´t feeding the snake. When you go in to handle your snake, give a different stimulus. Knock three times on the cage, then reach in with a stick to gently but firmly stroke its body. The combination of the knocking and the touch stimulus should serve to alert the snake that it is to be handled, not fed, and to keep it from directing a feeding response to an inappropriate target, like your hand.