Taming help (Expectations vs Reality)

[sam]

So straight to the point. Ive been testing my Carpet python yearling's temperament, Ive been trying to find his limits in regards to how shy and defensive he is. Still being pretty small I would expect him to be quite shy, and he is. Kinda. whenever I put my hand above his head he gets skittish, and he tenses up when I go to get him out, nothing out of the ordinary. Once he's out he's wonderful and he's only bitten me once (while he was getting settled into his tub) and he's come a long way around since.

First off, I get it. Snakes don't benefit from handling, He'd be a happier snake If he lived his life in his tub getting food once a week and being left alone. But bear with me.

My question is, how docile can I expect him to get? Will I ever be able to wave my hand in front of his face, touch his head, and trust that he won't strike at me? Or is it simply impossible to sway millions of years of evolution?

In other words, how do I turn my CP into a puppy dog, should I handle him daily? (what I currently do, apart from after feeding, shedding, etc. He doesn't seem overly stressed by daily handling) Or should I restrict myself? Would it be better to expose him to more people by moving his tub into the family room?

Maybe I just have to roll the genetic dice and hope I chose a docile snake?

I'm open to the truth, please be honest.

Lots of questions, I don't expect them all to get answered, but thanks for reading.

-Sam

[macandchz]

dear sam,i have thrown out all the advice i get about how much handling they should get,what room they should be in etc. i really don't know what a carpet python is but if he's healthy and happy being held, my advice is to do it. i have had mac a year . i handle him every day-except after he's eaten. he has become so tame that i can scratch behind the sides of his head, rub his neck.etc i really have my doubts if he'd be happier alone as he'll poke his head out of his hide to see whose come in. he hears all the family noises and doesn't stress.

[sam]

Thanks for the reply macandchz, It's good to hear you have a super tame snake. What kind is he?

[prairiepanda]

Some snakes will never become as tame as you are looking for, but if he does have the potential to get to that point then your current handling practices should get him there ;) As long as he's eating, shedding, pooping, and growing without issue you can keep doing what you're doing. I've encountered many carpet pythons which are not head-shy at all after being handled regularly when they were young. No guarantees that your particular individual will end up that way, but you've got a good chance with your current strategy.

[SnakeyJay]

Different things work for different snakes and different species... Some will become accustomed to handling and rarely bite (every snake will at some point, they're instinct based animals so if you mess up you'll get bitten)...

However some just will not take to handling at all. I've just had to rehome a boa to someone who is going to breed him to see if that helps settle him down. I've tried absolutely everything for nearly 2 years with no improvement and if anything he just got worse.

Once you approach him He'd bite light cages, hooks, walls, hands, faces and his own body if he saw it move....

So basically I'd just handle as you are and use your common sense to adjust your handling techniques and schedule to suit each snake... But never forget that they are not tame domestic animals, if you spook em or smell like food etc you'll pay for it :D

[macandchz]

dear sam, macandchz-aka kraft- is a one year old albino ball python that started being a college snake until my daughter found out he wasn't allowed to live in the dorm. so loving snake mom that i am, i've adopted him. she says it's until she moves out but her boyfriend isnt too fond of mac so i might have a permanent house guest if my land-lord doesn't catch me! i love him so much she'd have to fight to get him back. anyway, i've spoiled him rotten. maybe the 1st custody battle for a snake could happen!

[Klaire]

I agree with Macandchz, I did the same and threw all advice out the window, the way i saw it as long as my girl was eating,pooping,shedding etc fine and not showing signs of stress i would handle her heaps to calm her down to a certain degree. The reason behind wanting her calmer was because she is a Julatten Jungle so her kind tends to be quite nippy at a young age and i wanted her to grow out of that so i decided to handle her a lot more often than practically everyone recommended. When i first got her i would handle her every day once again providing she is doing fine and not showing signs of stress. The advice is for a new snake leave it be for 2 weeks to get used to its surroundings etc and once you can handle him/her only for 5 mins well i handled her right from the get go and her handling sessions were 15 or so mins and she turned out fine never stressed got out of her nippy stage quick etc so it comes down to what you feel is necessary for your snake and finding out yourself what is best for your individual snake and what your snake will/wont allow you to do and work around those boundaries that your snake shows you :)

[bigsnakegirl785]

I don't think it's possible to get any snake willing to put up with you waving your hand willy-nilly in front of its face, and few snakes tolerate having their heads touched.

I would advise against moving your snake to a high-traffic area, as all it will do is stress your snake out, it won't help whatsoever to getting it used to people and most likely will do the opposite.

Imo, as long as the snake isn't constantly hissing and posturing at me, or striking/biting, my snake has a good personality. As long as I don't manhandle or irritate my snakes, they're all very docile. I wouldn't describe them as puppy dog tame, and I personally wouldn't use it to describe any snake as that sets up an unrealistic expectation for the snake. No snake is puppy dog tame, all are wild animals and are not trainable, so you have to accommodate them, not expect them to accommodate you.

[sam]

Thankyou for all the replies everyone, all this information is great. I'm gonna keep handling him daily.

@bigsnakegirl785 yes you're right and I don't expect either of my herps to become actual puppy dog tame animals, It was just a term I saw thrown around a bunch on the net for docile snakes.
He only ever postures me when I pop open his tub at night and he's roaming around. I can only assume he does this because A: theres a giant flipping hand coming into his tub. or B: because he's hunting for food.
What you said about moving him into a high traffic area sounds fair, but what was going through my mind was that after he got past the stressed out stage he wouldn't mind the noise and commotion.

@Klaire I'm past the 2 week stage haha, Ive had him for over a month now and he's well settled into his new home. I think I'm just overthinking everything haha, his sub-species is apparently very docile even in the wild so the fact that I have a supposedly docile species in the first place as opposed to the Jungles. You and bigsnakegirl are right though that I should work around the boundaries/limits of my snake and not the other way round, this is very good advise. :)

@macandchz It's a shame you have to hide such a beautiful snake from the landlords haha, albinos are amazing snakes and you're super lucky to have your daughters! Don't give it back! :D

@Snakey-Jay It sucks that some snakes simply won't tolerate handling, and that was a part of my "genetic dice roll" worry. Right now my CP is curled between my feet under the quilt, so I can't smell that bad. Most of the time he just wants to find a quiet place to rest, so I sometimes feel bad taking him away from his hide. He's dealing with me a lot better than I'd probably deal with someone lifting the roof off my home and scooping me up. ;)

@prairiepanda Ive seen videos of people dangling a rat in front of a CP's face then proceeding to touch its head and the snake didn't seem to mind at all. I'd post a link but I can't seem to find the video at the moment.
My only worry is that he's been with the breeder for a year who's only really handled him for checkups and to feed him, so I hope his habits aren't engrained in his mind yet.

THANKYOU again for all the replies and I'm loving the community here, everyone is nice, honest and helpful. :)

[macandchz]

i'm sure everything will work out fine. just enjoy him.

[sam]

i'm sure everything will work out fine. just enjoy him.

thankyou :)

[Albert Clark]

Well, all snakes have their own personalities and are apt to react or respond differently to disturbances in their space. I believe the younger the reptile the easier it will be to transition it. Remember it's a process and mostly all hatchlings and juvenile reptiles will be defensive and big bluff artists. They try to make themselves look and sound bigger than they really are. Usually that fades with their tolerance and more feedings as time goes on. When handling a hatchling that is defensive or aggressive, make sure to hold him in one hand (cupped) as you cover his head and body with your opposite hand. Lightly press down on top of the snake. Do this a couple of times then place him back in the enclosure. Whenever he presents with that behavior you can respond with this approach. It's a way of showing the snake you are dominant but not a threat or something he should fear.

[sam]

Well, all snakes have their own personalities and are apt to react or respond differently to disturbances in their space. I believe the younger the reptile the easier it will be to transition it. Remember it's a process and mostly all hatchlings and juvenile reptiles will be defensive and big bluff artists. They try to make themselves look and sound bigger than they really are. Usually that fades with their tolerance and more feedings as time goes on. When handling a hatchling that is defensive or aggressive, make sure to hold him in one hand (cupped) as you cover his head and body with your opposite hand. Lightly press down on top of the snake. Do this a couple of times then place him back in the enclosure. Whenever he presents with that behavior you can respond with this approach. It's a way of showing the snake you are dominant but not a threat or something he should fear.

That's interesting advise, I'll have to try that next time he's in a pissy mood.

[Albert Clark]

That's interesting advise, I'll have to try that next time he's in a pissy mood.

Yes! It's one of several easy ways to tame down hatchlings and juvenile reptiles. Older snakes can be placed on a soft surface and after you try to get the individual into a coiled position then begin to dominate him with your hands. Use gloves to protect your hands or use a.cloth. Just be deliberate with your movements and don't antagonize the snake. Remember this is a behavioral modification session that needs to be done over time and may take repeated sessions to be effective. It does have a high degree of success. Especially when coupled with good husbandry and adequate feedings. Good luck and just take your time and don't try or expect the reptile to make a immediate turnaround. Also these sessions should only last 10 to 15 minutes at most.

[sam]

Thanks Al, I'm starting the think I won't even need to do this method as he doesn't attempt to bite even after I deliberately wave my hand in front of his face like a predator. All he seemed interested in was reaching over to anchor his head and slither on my 'predator' hand LOL.