Opinions on handling

[Azrt]

just curious what pattern others follow. Here is how I deal with new snakes and I have had everything from a Rosey boa to retics and burms.

I receive snake and put in enclosure ( if its a retic I offer food lol) I wait about a week and don't bother but do check temps and spot clean. I try to feed one week later and if it eats, a few days later begin to handle and have the snake get used to me. If it doesn't eat I try and repeat though they have all eaten, except this current burm.

I have no been told by several breeders of burms and retics saying I shuld begin to handle them withing a day or two of arriving so they can get used to interaction, being held etc and that in no way will have any effect on the snake eating or not eating.


Thoughts?

[bigsnakegirl785]

It's best to wait. Waiting a week isn't going to make a snake unhandleable, and they can still smell you, and that will go a long way to getting them used to you. Even if it's a species known for its appetite, it's still best practice to wait to feed, and then wait to handle until the snake has 1-2 meals, or 2-3 if they refuse their first meal. The more they refuse, the more meals in a row they should have before handling begins, and some may turn out to be completely hands-off.

[regi375]

I always wait at least two weeks and two successful feedings until I handle any of mine. It gives them a good acclimation period in my opinion.

[dannybgoode]

I don't handle most of my snakes unless absolutely necessary. They get nothing from it...

[trailblazer295]

I wait until a new snake has a few meals into them with me before I start handling. They were handled by the breeder most likely and you handled them moving them into their new home. I let them get settled before taking them out for my enjoyment.

My only other pattern is give them 2 days after feeding. Beyond that I might not hold one for a week or more.

[Azrt]

Ok so I seem to follow what everyone else does and will stick with that

[EL Ziggy]

Same here. I don't handle new arrivals until they've eaten at least twice.

[jjhill001]

I don't handle most of my snakes unless absolutely necessary. They get nothing from it...

I handle them just enough to keep them from being jerks about being picked up. Nothing more annoying than wanting to do a quick clean and having to deal with a pissed off snake.

[Magdalen]

I waited about 3 months to first handle. Not because he wasn't eating (he ate every week) I waited mostly so he could get a little bigger. He's a smaller snake anyway, won't get much bigger than 2 feet when full grown.
If I do handle him it will not be the day before he eats, the day he does eat, and two days after. So he gets a 4 day break from me other than changing water and getting poop out.

I've handled him a few times now, probably no more than 5 minutes each time. Maybe less if he was being squirmy. But mostly like jjhill001 mentioned I'd like to keep him from being a jerk if I do need to handle him haha.

[dannybgoode]

None of my snakes are jerks through lack of handling - pretty much all handle really well. The olives are jerks but they're young and calming down nicely and the C hortulanus can be a bit strike happy but that goes with the territory.

Handing just stresses them and if a snake is going to be a jerk it'll be even more so when stressed. Further I don't believe handling calms snakes down much and it's more a function of age which just coincides with people's handling.

I have not seen any research on the subject but as I say none of my snakes are handled very often at all and all except those 3 mentioned don't even get in defensive postures much less strike.

I fully expect the scrubs to be jerks and I'll never trust them but again the nature off the species is no appoint of handling will 'tame' a grumpy scrub.

[jjhill001]

None of my snakes are jerks through lack of handling - pretty much all handle really well. The olives are jerks but they're young and calming down nicely and the C hortulanus can be a bit strike happy but that goes with the territory.

Handing just stresses them and if a snake is going to be a jerk it'll be even more so when stressed. Further I don't believe handling calms snakes down much and it's more a function of age which just coincides with people's handling.

I have not seen any research on the subject but as I say none of my snakes are handled very often at all and all except those 3 mentioned don't even get in defensive postures much less strike.

I fully expect the scrubs to be jerks and I'll never trust them but again the nature off the species is no appoint of handling will 'tame' a grumpy scrub.

Hmm, that's an interesting theory Danny. It isn't void of logic either. I think we all know that babies are more defensive and adults are much more bold so maybe that does have something to do with it. I've never been a "lets hold a snake just to hold it" type of person myself, probably a holdover from when I used to keep mostly amphibians which are basically hands off types of animals. I do take them outside in the natural light to show them off. They are beautiful snakes and I think people like to see them.

[Tiny Boidae]

Hmm, that's an interesting theory Danny. It isn't void of logic either. I think we all know that babies are more defensive and adults are much more bold so maybe that does have something to do with it. I've never been a "lets hold a snake just to hold it" type of person myself, probably a holdover from when I used to keep mostly amphibians which are basically hands off types of animals. I do take them outside in the natural light to show them off. They are beautiful snakes and I think people like to see them.

I love to see them! Your girl is awesome. Was hoping my P. bairdi would come out looking more like her but he had different plans in mind lol

But as far as the subject goes, I normally wait a few feedings before I handle them. I do take them out after the first one to do more of an inspection of the animal, but that might last a minute if even that. Afterwards, I don't really handle mine much at all. The sand boas get left alone except I might take them out once a month to look them over and weigh them, but that's the extent of it. The rat snake is the only exception, and even then I'm not really handling him. I take him out in the backyard once or twice a week to let him get some natural UVB and explore, which he usually handles fairly well. So while he's outside of his enclosure, I'm not really handling him.

[bigsnakegirl785]

As long as handling is kept to a minimum, it shouldn't stress them out too much. At least not long-term. I handle mine for enjoyment, but I also don't handle them that much because I'm so busy with work and sleep. I'm lucky if I take one snake out every few weeks on average, but I do take 2-3 out in a day when I do take any of them out.

As with danny, I have noticed improvements in my snakes' attitudes even without handling them all that much, usually within a few months of receiving them. I've only had 3 or 4 bitey/defensive snakes, though, and they are still more sensitive to manhandling than my naturally docile snakes are. As long as I make sure to handle them in a way they don't mind, they're fine.