Greetings Fellow Snake Owners

[LowJack]

After being a bearded dragon owner, I made the jump to snakes earlier this week. It is an African egg-eating snake of 5 months. I did my research so I'm pretty zero'd in on environment and diet (although I finding it difficult when to make the call on force feeding). My big question is how often can I handle the snake. As I justified the purchase by giving it to my daughter as a birthday present, she will be helping me care for the snake and she wants to handle it all the time. What are the signs that a snake is being handled too much or incorrectly? I hate to curb her enthusiasm but she'll understand if it is for the health of the critter.

[Aaron_S]

First off, welcome to the forums!

A snake that is handled too often usually stops eating. When a snake stops eating there is something up. Sometimes it's health issues (which includes stress from overhandling) or maybe a shed cycle. To correctly handle a snake, just support it's body and don't constrict it's movement. Let it slither through your hands and as it goes forward place the hand that has the tail end in front of the other hand so it will always have somewhere to go.

[PDXErik]

Fairer to say that when a snake is stressed it will stop eating. My ball and my boas (except the one that's sick still) eat fine and get handled tons.

Outside of that, yeah, not eating is generally a sign of stress, whether it be environment, health, shed cycle or paranoia.

Just see what is making it stressed and once that is fixed and your buddy can relax and feel good in it's home, it'll feel better being handled (until it shows signs of wanting to go back home).

Welcome!!

Edit: Shedding, I would imagine, would be pretty uncomfortable, itchy, scratchy, ugh, and I imagine that causes enough stress to make them a little "off"

[aggie97]

Being in a school, my snakes get held bunches. Doesn't usually bother them. I stop it when they shed...I think you are right about it not being a comfortable experience PDXErik...cuz they start to strike. I have had them go off feed but the ones that are handled are adults and it is probably more due to light conditions and the like when that happens. I feel it is great to hold your snakes lots!...plus with constrictors they hug back!