grotesqueer
12-10-18, 03:19 PM
I have a 8 years old black king snake, who thinks my hands are food. I know it's because I haven't handled him enough. (When I got him a few years ago, he was perfectly handleable, but then slowly started to get more and more interested in my hands.)
So I know he would get used to handling again, and I know I have to start handling him daily to get him used to it. But there's a few details I don't know how to deal with:
1. While handling, should I keep his head away from my hands with a hook, until they seem not to interest him anymore? Or should I just allow him to bite and try to eat my hand?
2. If I should allow him to bite me (or if he manages to do so despite of my efforts not to allow him), should I just wait until he gives up, or can I/should I spray a bit of vodka on his snout to make him retreat immediately? (vodka is the only trick that makes him release his bite.)
3. If I should wait first, how long should I wait until using the vodka, in case he's not giving up?
4. After he stops biting me, should I put him back to his enclosure, or should I still keep handling him for some time? If I should still handle him, then for how long? Or should I keep an eye on for specific behavior before putting him back, like him losing interest in my hands or something?
5. When I'm handling him, should I start by just merely holding him until he gets used to it, and only then bit by bit increase the movement of my hands and how much I move and touch him? That is, should I avoid petting/touching him on too many spots at first, and rather just have my hand as a support for his body? Or should I just start handling him the way I eventually would right at the beginning, meaning moving around, petting /stroking him and guiding his body to certain directions or positions? (He doesn't really try to slither away, instead he just tries to get his head close to the hand that's holding his body so that he could bite it (while the other hand holds the hook), so if I wanted I could just hold him without changing the position or moving the hand that holds his body.)
So I know he would get used to handling again, and I know I have to start handling him daily to get him used to it. But there's a few details I don't know how to deal with:
1. While handling, should I keep his head away from my hands with a hook, until they seem not to interest him anymore? Or should I just allow him to bite and try to eat my hand?
2. If I should allow him to bite me (or if he manages to do so despite of my efforts not to allow him), should I just wait until he gives up, or can I/should I spray a bit of vodka on his snout to make him retreat immediately? (vodka is the only trick that makes him release his bite.)
3. If I should wait first, how long should I wait until using the vodka, in case he's not giving up?
4. After he stops biting me, should I put him back to his enclosure, or should I still keep handling him for some time? If I should still handle him, then for how long? Or should I keep an eye on for specific behavior before putting him back, like him losing interest in my hands or something?
5. When I'm handling him, should I start by just merely holding him until he gets used to it, and only then bit by bit increase the movement of my hands and how much I move and touch him? That is, should I avoid petting/touching him on too many spots at first, and rather just have my hand as a support for his body? Or should I just start handling him the way I eventually would right at the beginning, meaning moving around, petting /stroking him and guiding his body to certain directions or positions? (He doesn't really try to slither away, instead he just tries to get his head close to the hand that's holding his body so that he could bite it (while the other hand holds the hook), so if I wanted I could just hold him without changing the position or moving the hand that holds his body.)