Snake doesn't like being picked up. Calm once out of tank

[AndrewM1217]

So my spotted python, a little over a year old, has recently been quite upset whenever I go to pick him up. He tries to escape my hands and moves very fast and wildy, but goes back to being a sweetheart once I've got him out of the tank. This started about 2 weeks ago. Prior to this, he never avoided my hands when reaching for him, and was always very calm. His last shed was fine, he's been eating like a pig as usual. I did move him into a 20gal long tank a month or two ago, but he was acting as normal the first month or so and this issue only recently developed. He's also been very active lately, staying out of his hide for hours on end and cruising around from the early evening late into the night.

I'm sure its fine and that I just need to get back into the routine of handling him more frequently, since school has been keeping me quite busy this semester. Just came here for reassurance

[Mikoh4792]

I use a snake hook for all my snakes. Much less stressful when transporting out of the enclosure.

[Albert Clark]

Sounds like he's being a typical captive reptile. I wouldn't worry too much about this. Lol.

[IW17]

I second a hook. I have several snakes that I can pull right out with a hook no problem. But if I stick my hand in I'm getting bit every time.

[PsychoSnake]

Sounds normal to me. My female green anaconda is grumpy and hissy when I first disturb her, but she gets over it once she's out. My Taiwan beauty snake is flighty, and I have to use a slow scooping motion to pick her up or else she's flailing every which way. Once she's out though, she's fine.

[Sasha2]

I love my hook a very handy tool. When a snake is feeling feisty or maybe a bit peckish the hook just makes my life easier even for a small snake. They work great for getting stuff under the bed that you cant reach too.

[pinefamily]

Sounds like your spotted has reached puberty, lol. I wouldn't worry too much. This behaviour should die down soon.

[prairiepanda]

Yeah, if he was fine with the new enclosure for a month and is just now acting strange he's probably just going through a phase. Since he acts like himself outside the enclosure I wouldn't be concerned about any health issues. As others have suggested, try using a hook just to get him out. One of my new babies wants to kill me every time I open his bin but as soon as he's outside he mellows out completely, so I just hook him out and then transfer him to my hands. Sometimes I need two hooks to get him out because he tries to dash up the first hook to get at me :p

[Princess-dad]

Amazon.com: 24 Inch Small Snake Hook: Patio, Lawn & Garden . Handling Equipment - The Bean Farm <--- bought it here I bought one of those snake hooks , they are very well made and built heavy enough to lift a bigger snake than will fit in hook part . I found a long BBQ fork at my local Winco grocery store $3.00 I believe . I cut one end of the fork off at the weld straightened the other half of the fork and bent it into a hook shape , dulled the forks point and filed done the rough spots . My BCI common is now long and thick enough that he wont fit well in smaller hook . It is also short enough that if he wanted he could easily strike my hand when using it , so I made the longer one .

[IW17]

I have this same hook. Wonderful value.