How often do you handle your Boa?

[Niten]

As simple as that.

[Moreau]

Whenever I feel like it. Maybe once every week to two weeks. Either I take her out to have a roam around the living room, or to let the kids play with her, or just chill out with me. Not as often as most I'm sure.

[TurboChris]

3-4 times a week on average I'd say. Maybe 1-1.5 hours per handling.
I find it very relaxing chilling with her, but she is still around 3ft or a little over only so far.

[Niten]

Oook I guess I'm not asking anymore, just sharing our love with you. <3
I do it every day to get her used to it, for short periods (20 min) but many times as I was told that she must get used to being put in and out too, not just to staying out. I'm sure she's not stressed at all, she's always curious and won't ever move away from me, I become the HQ from where she can start her explorations but won't leave me for any reason in the world. Here she is, hanhing out in da hood.
It looks like I'm quite talented in building a relationship with her. Let's just hope it ends better than it usually does with human women...

[Minkness]

I know you're Italian and all...but some of the things you say about your snake kinda gives me the willies....just sayin'....

[Niten]

Are you a human woman, minkness...?

[wrecker45]

I received a female boa. The guy who owned her was scared of her. I took her out of the bag on the bed. She came out hissing and striking at me. Put her in the enclosuer spent 1 1/2 hrs. hissing and striking the glass. I handle her a couple of times a week. She is starting to tame down. 30475

30476 :D

[Minkness]

Why does my species and gender matter?

And Wreker, I know exactly how that goes! At my first repticon I was holding a snake and this random woman came up o me excited to show me what she just bought. It was a good sized columbian red tail. (Had to weigh about 30 pounds and its head was almost the size of my hand). Well she proceeded to tell me that she was scared of snakes but felt this one was so beautiful so figured shed just get a really huge tank and set it up so that she never had to handle it. Baffling yeah? Well, me being an excitable idiot asked to see it. (She was carrying it around in a big pillowcase). So, we find an empty table and put her down and as SOON as that pillowcase opened...I had a huge snake attached to my hand! Lucky for both of them I am otherwise experienced with handling snakes and lack a fear of them, so i knew not to pull back but boy was my hand bloody when the poor thing let go...the woman was totally freaked out....I told her it was ok, nothing really hurt, showed her the littoe holes, and educated her about snake bites. Why and how and what to do ect. She was a nice enough lady, but I felt bad that someone that afraid of a snake got a massive, stressed out columbian as their first x.x

I still think about it sometimes and hope the best for woman and snake, and think to myself what vender would be so pow as to sell an honestly freaked out person a HUGE snake like that? I know the point is to make a sale...but sell something smaller to a beginner x.x even if it's just a baby columbian.

Anyway, sorry for the little story, but reading your post made me think of that whole situation again.

[ManSlaughter33]

I'm a little afraid of snakes, well was, I have a 1 year old boa, we're both getting used to each other but she hasnt hissed or struck at me yet so I'll take it as a good thing :)
I try to get her out at least 2x a week at the minimum, for about 20 minutes each handling. Our home is new to her still and a new enclosure so I'm giving her time. She eats very well though, no hunger strikes yet!

[Cmwells90]

Honestly, I handle my boa about once every two or three weeks. Sometimes longer. But when I do handle her she's still very sweet which is funny because she has a very aggressive feeding response.

[bigsnakegirl785]

It really depends. I'm usually gone during the weekend, so if I'm doing other stuff I'll handle him the other 4 days, barring any feeds or sheds. He only eats every 4-5 weeks, though, so he's usually free to be handled while it feels like I rarely get to handle the others. -.-

[Niten]

Nothing Minkness, I was just wondering about what I could have written to make you "have the willies" (it took me an entire day to understand this idiomatic expression... -.-)

Woah wrecker that's her sister for sure!!!!!! The bad one, she's so kind... :) Really, she's a gentlewoman, I didn't think I could get this attached to a deadly predator, mouse killer and etc!
My method is working really well anyway, she doesn't even turn her head anymore to see what's going on when I take her, she just waits to be lifted and then finds a comfortable position on my hand. It has become a routine, I don't need to touch her to see how she reacts or to clarify I'm not food and alll those cautions I saw people using on the net.

[wrecker45]

Yesterday I handled her without welding gloves with no problem.

[millertime89]

Weekly usually. Sometimes more. Mostly just when I'm cleaning as I set out food the day after so they start to smell it and get antsy and they're usually in feed mode for 2-4 days after so that's 4-5 days out of the week right there.

[MDT]

Replace the word boa with pythons.....as little as I need to. Unless an animal comes to me with purpose and wags a tail or purrs, it doesn't need me to jack with it.

YMMV.

[D Grade]

Replace the word boa with pythons.....as little as I need to. Unless an animal comes to me with purpose and wags a tail or purrs, it doesn't need me to jack with it.

YMMV.

Don't take this the wrong way or being rude, but why have a snake if you don't handle it? I think thats the most appealing and rewarding part of owning a snake. Just curious. :)

[Cmwells90]

Don't take this the wrong way or being rude, but why have a snake if you don't handle it? I think thats the most appealing and rewarding part of owning a snake. Just curious. :)

I keep snakes because they're fasinating, I love to watch them live in their larger homes I provide and climb and "hunt". This alone is enough for me. If I want an animal I can cuddle with or handle all the time, I'd get a mammal, because they actually can benefit from being handled. My boa doesn't seem phased by the fact that I hardly handle her, and when I do get her out, she's still very sweet.

[D Grade]

Understandable now, just thought Id ask. I guess Im in it for the hands on experience and trying to cuddle with something that doesnt want to be cuddled, lol. :)

[Minkness]

I'm with you D lol

If anything I'm trying to rationalize a second snake so I don't over handle the one I have now lol

[MDT]

Don't take this the wrong way or being rude, but why have a snake if you don't handle it? I think thats the most appealing and rewarding part of owning a snake. Just curious. :)

No worries...no offense taken...I just look at snakes (reptiles) differently. One, they're ectothermic. You are taking them out of what should be a pretty decent habitat and most likely subjecting them to a very cool home. I'm my case, retics and carpets. I know that for short duration it prob doesn't matter that much....but, I just try to limit the fluctuations. Secondly, and this has been beat to death on this forum. Snakes don't like us. My snakes don't recognize me, they don't love me, they tolerate me. Like I said above, if it wags a tail, purrs, or moves toward me with purpose...I'll scratch it behind its ears.

I love reptiles. I've kept snakes for over 30 some years. I have wrapped more than a few around my neck in my younger days and chilled out or gone for walks. I just look at things differently now. I am more of an "observer" hobbyist....I am not judging nor condemning if you enjoy holding your animals. Just do it responsibly.

[Aaron_S]

Weekly usually. Sometimes more. Mostly just when I'm cleaning as I set out food the day after so they start to smell it and get antsy and they're usually in feed mode for 2-4 days after so that's 4-5 days out of the week right there.

Honest question Kyle, does that even constitute handling? I do the same thing so don't think I'm criticizing you. I don't really consider it handling at all.

[Aaron_S]

Don't take this the wrong way or being rude, but why have a snake if you don't handle it? I think thats the most appealing and rewarding part of owning a snake. Just curious. :)

I'm not MDT but I have a similar mindset to him so I thought I would answer.

I keep many snakes and I handle none on a regular basis. I enjoy keeping snakes because I've been fascinated by them since I was 2. (Or so the stories my parents tell me go) Everything about them. However, in my hobby, I enjoy observing the species. As MDT responded, they don't need us and aslong as I have their habitat set up properly they don't care for me. I enjoy seeing them grow/thrive and reproduce. That's my enjoyment.

We all share the same passion though and I'm always happy and excited seeing others share and show their passion. As long as the animal isn't any worse for it I have zero issue with people's preferences to think snakes "like or love" them.

[D Grade]

I'm with you D lol

If anything I'm trying to rationalize a second snake so I don't over handle the one I have now lol

I hear ya and I know Ill be sharing that same mindset when we get our lil guy/gal. :)

No worries...no offense taken...I just look at snakes (reptiles) differently. One, they're ectothermic. You are taking them out of what should be a pretty decent habitat and most likely subjecting them to a very cool home. I'm my case, retics and carpets. I know that for short duration it prob doesn't matter that much....but, I just try to limit the fluctuations. Secondly, and this has been beat to death on this forum. Snakes don't like us. My snakes don't recognize me, they don't love me, they tolerate me. Like I said above, if it wags a tail, purrs, or moves toward me with purpose...I'll scratch it behind its ears.

I love reptiles. I've kept snakes for over 30 some years. I have wrapped more than a few around my neck in my younger days and chilled out or gone for walks. I just look at things differently now. I am more of an "observer" hobbyist....I am not judging nor condemning if you enjoy holding your animals. Just do it responsibly.

I completely understand your view and Aaron's view. I was actually thinking that must have been the reason. I respect that approach and you've certainly had your hands on time so I think you got that out of your system a while ago anyways. I guess a newer owner like me is is naturally going to want to handle more than an experienced owner. Luckily Im getting a docile species first (King). I guess that'll be the one that gets all the handling, hopefully it doesnt mind. :)

[Minkness]

So far my girl doesn't mind, but it is a serious struggle not to over handle her because of my excitement. Especially with her still being so young lol. I handled her alot the first week I got her. But, since starting her feeding regime I have been handling her less because I have to give her at least 2 days after to digest. And since she's fed every 3-4 days (soon to up it to 4-5) that only leaves a day or two that I can safely handle her. And now she's in blue and I read I shouldn't handle her much then either as it can inhibit the shed process. Soooo...until she sheds, she is handled only when feeding because for now, I choose to remove her from her tank to do so.

[millertime89]

Honest question Kyle, does that even constitute handling? I do the same thing so don't think I'm criticizing you. I don't really consider it handling at all.

Nah it's cool man. I get where you're coming from. It's probably an "eye of the beholder" thing. I do more than just move them when I take them out for cleaning. I'll usually interact with them when I move them for cleaning too. I'll let them explore, take pictures of them, etc. at the same time.

[Mikoh4792]

I enjoy my snakes as a snake keeper the way fish keepers enjoy their fish. Setup a suitable habitat, feed them, clean them, and watch them from behind the glass. They don't need much, and I don't need much from them.

[shaunyboy]

Replace the word boa with pythons.....as little as I need to. Unless an animal comes to me with purpose and wags a tail or purrs, it doesn't need me to jack with it.

YMMV.

^^^^^
agree with the above.....

i only handle my Carpets when it's 100% necessary


for example my 6 year old female Diamond who ive had since 6 months old,has only been handled 3 or 4 times,my 2 Diamond males ive had since 4 months old,are now just over 3 years old and been handled twice each


cheers shaun

[BCISi]

I try to handle my snakes daily, and get them out in the Sunshine whenever possible.

[Jacktar]

daily for about an hour at a time, sometimes longer. I leave him alone for 2 days while he's digesting

[bruteusmaximus]

I just got my first sake about a month ago, after wanting one for about 15 years. That being sad, I usually hold him about every other day/daily unless he's in shed or has just eaten, in which case I wait 2 days to let him digest. Holding him involves him making his way into my hair where he'll stay until I have to wrangle him out to put back into his enclosure.

[serpentgirl123]

The way I feel about handling is: I want to give them as much of a “stress” free existence as I can and I don't think me going into THEIR territory, pulling them out from basking, sleeping, or whatever, so I can “play” with them, really qualifies as being “stress free."

But that is just me.

I don’t own snakes so I can “play” and “cuddle” up with them---I’d get a dog for that. I have them because they are fascinating creatures---the "look, don’t touch" mentality. The ones that I haven’t handled much have still grown “docile” over time (especially the babies who are especially defensive since they are tiny compared to a human) and eat like champs.

[trailblazer295]

Are you a human woman, minkness...?

I have heard rumors on strong authority with 95% certainty that it is in fact not alien and probably human. Keep it hush hush though