Handling big snakes

[Squirtle]

How do you guys handle your big snakes? What's the appropriate way? I started handling my burm today instead of the usual cage interactions I did with him and I can safely say he is NOT aggressive anymore :) I want to start taking him outside now that summer's near and the weathers getting warmer but want to know the safest way to hold him.

[BarelyBreathing]

-Always have a spotter who knows that the best way to unwrap a large snake is to start at the tail.
-Never let your snake wrap around your neck.
-Never make any sudden movements.
-Always make sure your snake is not in feeding mode before you handle it.
-Hook train it.

[mykee]

"How do you guys handle your big snakes?"

With a second person.

[exwizard]

A good rule of thumb is a minimum of 1 person per 8' of snake

[millertime89]

-Always have a spotter who knows that the best way to unwrap a large snake is to start at the tail.
-Never let your snake wrap around your neck.
-Never make any sudden movements.
-Always make sure your snake is not in feeding mode before you handle it.
-Hook train it.

With a second person.

A good rule of thumb is a minimum of 1 person per 8' of snake

These are all excellent suggestions that you will most likely hear in one form or another on the big snake boards. The size recomendation ranges from 6 to 10 feet, my best advice is go with what you're comfortable with, then subtract a foot or two in case the snake surprises you. Hook training and be cautious of feed mode are imo two of the biggies.

[krippler]

when i first got my burm he was really annoyed not use to being handled and i guess never been near a hook ever so with was fun taming down a 6 foot burm and getting it use to a hook at the same time, but i did tame him quickly but he did bit me once but was my own fault for picking him up after i was warming his rat up, lucky he knew it was my hand he bit cause he only put 1 tooth mark on me and moved back instantly. but i always had my brother around incase he did try something.

[cenecker]

My 35 lb 7 ft P.Curtus is the largest snake I've ever owned. Not exactly a giant. While she's not aggressive I had the pleasure of giving her oral meds for a couple weeks.

I was completely unprepared for how powerfully she became when she didn't want meds. I am a big strong guy (6'2, 210 lbs) and I had serious problems holding her down. I even had my wrist sprained by her twisting to get away from me.

The point of my self-indulgent story - NEVER underestimate the power of a big snake. I'd recommend having the help of someone experienced.

[Norm66]

I think, depending on your size and the girth of the snake that 7' to 8' is a good cutoff for one person handling a snake. 95% of the time when our burm is out (he's a little over 7') there are two of us here. My wife never handles him alone. A friend of ours who is a lot more experienced than we are even has her 6' boa on the two-person list (it's a real list in her reptile room) along with her burms.

I looked for a picture of my preferred method but couldn't find out handy so I'll try to describe it. I try to get their front section in one of my hands and run the body back across one of my shoulders. From there I try to get them to go across my back and down to my waist. It seems to me like I have a way out if something goes wrong that way.

I've only gotten into trouble once and honestly it was a) not that bad, and b) entirely my own stupid fault. I was trying to show Malaki off to my dad via Skype and he decided he wanted to climb on my big aquarium which is right next to my computer. He wound up around my neck with a good grip because he was extending himself over to the aquarium. I was never choked but it was obviously a dumb position to be in. I could have gotten him off myself but my wife came to my "rescue" anyway so she could make fun of me to my dad. ;)

The moral of the story is to pay 100% attention to what's going on with big snakes.

[millertime89]

The moral of the story is to pay 100% attention to what's going on with big snakes.

best. advice. ever.

[hellosugaree]

Learn how to handle somebody else's big snake before you get one of your own. That's probably the safest bet, but maybe it's too late?

[Lankyrob]

NEVER underestimate the power, we have a 6foot SD retic that when we want to put him back into his viv he will squeeze the arm that he is on to stop him being put away - he regularly squeezes enough to leave bruises/welts on my arms - imagine that squeeze around the neck or chest - then upscale the snake to something the size of a burm.............. :(

[Squirtle]

Learn how to handle somebody else's big snake before you get one of your own. That's probably the safest bet, but maybe it's too late?

All of my friends who have big snakes always handle them around their neck and also using their arms.. but ever place I read says that's the wrong thing to do.

[Lankyrob]

Only ever let a snake near your neck if you fancy ending up unconscious or dead :no:

[hellosugaree]

Only ever let a snake near your neck if you fancy ending up unconscious or dead :no:

I handle all burms and retics with my neck. They are too long to hold otherwise, so I just wrap them around.

[Gungirl]

I handle all burms and retics with my neck. They are too long to hold otherwise, so I just wrap them around.

You are just asking for trouble by doing that.... :confused::no: If you can not comfortably handle a snake alone without wrapping it around your neck then do not handle it alone.

[hellosugaree]

You are just asking for trouble by doing that.... :confused::no: If you can not comfortably handle a snake alone without wrapping it around your neck then do not handle it alone.

Maybe I should explicitly state that I was entirely kidding. I thought it was too crazy for someone to take it seriously. I sure hope nobody takes that as serious advice and does it. Then again, maybe we don't need the people that would do this in our gene pool anyway? Ok that's a bit harsh. :eek:

[Gungirl]

Lol.. well I am happy to read that you where joking.. however you need to add in things to show us that.... :wacky::3eyes::Wow:.. :p

[hellosugaree]

Lol.. well I am happy to read that you where joking.. however you need to add in things to show us that.... :wacky::3eyes::Wow:.. :p

Thanks. I'll try to remember to add in some appropriate smileys to convey my mood. However, eventually you will just realize that 95% of what comes out of my mouth is sarcastic BS anyway. Not the mean kind though, just the fun kind. ;):cool:

[exwizard]

All of my friends who have big snakes always handle them around their neck and also using their arms.. but ever place I read says that's the wrong thing to do.

Black Betty is no giant but she is a big snake at 9 1/2' long and 26 lbs. She is very strong even if she is tame. I never let her wrap around my neck. I do on the other hand let her ride on my shoulders. It is possible to do that without her wrapping around my neck. My advice is to avoid having any big snake wrap around the neck no matter what. There was a guy is Nebraska who made the news a couple of years ago because he was killed by a Ball due to this very thing

[marvelfreak]

You can support a big snakes weight on your shoulder just be careful not to let it wrap. I was holding a 8.5' & 16lbs female RTB when she got spooked. In under 3 seconds she tighten around my neck and was choking me out. In under 15 i was out cold and fell. Which made her tighten even more. Luckily my brother and sister in law had just show up and got her off of me. They said i had turn purple. I am a big boy and a power house so i always thought i could easily pull her off by myself. But when you can't breath you don't have half the strength you think you would. Always have some one else there just in case.

[hellosugaree]

You can support a big snakes weight on your shoulder just be careful not to let it wrap. I was holding a 8.5' & 16lbs female RTB when she got spooked. In under 3 seconds she tighten around my neck and was choking me out. In under 15 i was out cold and fell. Which made her tighten even more. Luckily my brother and sister in law had just show up and got her off of me. They said i had turn purple. I am a big boy and a power house so i always thought i could easily pull her off by myself. But when you can't breath you don't have half the strength you think you would. Always have some one else there just in case.

I would believe it. 10 seconds is really all it takes. They don't even have to stop your breathing. When you cut off blood supply to the brain by pinching arteries in your neck you go pretty quickly. Ever seen someone go limp in 10s from a choke in mma? It doesn't take much. In fact, the actual pressure on the neck is very little and someone can be choked to unconsciousness and death pretty quickly and easily without even blocking their breathing.

[Caylan]

For me it completely depends on the snake, but the most I've handled on my own so far was an 8' female guyana red tail, or a 10' female coastal carpet python. The guyana was significantly more difficult with the added weight, but far more still and kinda just clung on to my torso and rested on my shoulders, whereas controlling 10' of curiosity can be way harder... I find the larger the snake, the easier it is to mishandle too, which they usually won't tolerate and will show aggression in someway or another. Just be smart about it, and don't take unnecessary risks. Always pay attention!!

[Squirtle]

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

[Gungirl]

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

Why risk it? No reason to...

[exwizard]

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

Oh yeah, 1 person for every 8' of snake...

[Squirtle]

Why risk it? No reason to...

risk what? I don't get it..

[Gungirl]

Risk the snake spooking and choking the crap out of you....

[millertime89]

While I understand using your shoulders to support the weight of the snake, I still agree you should always have a second person around if the snake is big enough to necessitate that.

[Caylan]

Drape the back 2/3's of the snake over your right shoulder, wrapping the tail around your left hip, supporting with your left hand(always control of the tail this way, and then you use your right arm and hand to guide the head around. You'll find once the snake gets to big for this, they won't like being supported by a single person anyway, its uncomfortable for them more then it is for you actually. This also removes the chance of carotid artery blocking, since one half of the snake is actually under your arm when it choses to constrict, and you already have its tail. Should give you a bit more time to call for help :D

[Terranaut]

Well the biggest snake I have isn't the one I need to be the most cautious with so the 8' or more = 2 people rule is a bit vague but a good starting point. My 7.5' JCP is about 1/2 as strong as my 6.75' Boa. She(Eva my Boa)gets uneasy when off the ground. Her previous owner always sat on the couch with her. She is very handleable but lift her up and she holds on hard. I know I could not unwrap her from my neck alone so she is never there. But I will drape her over one shoulder. Now my JCP I let lurk all over me. If she tries to go around my neck I sometimes put my hand on my chin and let her use me to climb. This way I have an arm in there already if anything goes south and I know that arm is enough to get her off me. Now all that being said. In my house I have 3 kids who all handle all of out snakes including Eva my female Boa mentioned above. We have both of the above snakes on the "do not hold unless mom or dad is here" list and 2 others on the "do not handle without another kid here"list. The other 3 are open access. Keeps them safe and us to.
So.... I guess what I am saying is the 8' rule is a rough rule and truly depends on the breed. Just because my snakes are less than 8' doesn't make them safe to handle alone. It is a good rule for the snakes comfort level though. 8' of snake is a lot for 2 hands so it becomes crappy for the snake.
Use common sense and play safe. Besides snakes are best enjoyed when shared with others.

[Lankyrob]

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?


You cant yell when you are unconscious or being choked :)

[shaunyboy]

it only takes 5 to 10 seconds and your completely unconcious,as rob said you will NOT get the chance to shout out,should your snake decide to constrict yourt neck

i always follow the rule of 1 person,for every 6ft of snake

cheers shaun

[zaroba]

A 5ft retic or burm will be much stronger then a 5ft corn snake simply because its a heavier bodied species of snake.
For holding alone, I wouldn't even say 7ft is ok. Maybe not even 6ft when it comes to them as heavy bodied snakes are *very* strong.

When it comes to handling alone, think of this:
How much can you do with 1 hand?

Snake length and weight is something to consider, but so is the size of its mouth. What if a 6ft retic or burmese mistakes your hand for food, grabs your wrist and wraps starts wrapping your hand? Are you going to be able to unwrap the snake and pull its mouth open with just one hand? Likely not, it will be one or the other and the snake will be fighting you the whole time.
Well, of course you could wait it out and the snake will eventually tire enough for you to remove with one hand, but I mean doing it immediately, not standing there with a 6ft snake hanging off your arm while your watching a 2 hour movie and waiting for it to tire and let go.

I'd say for safeties sake, anything up to 5ft and under 2" girth , solo. This would be Colubrids, smaller python species, garters, etc.
Anything over 2" girth OR over 5ft, *not* solo. Definitely have somebody else that can come to your aid if needed. Bloods, Retics, Burms, Anacondas, etc. Large, heavy bodied species. Snakes that are large enough to render you one handed if they decide to bite.
If over 8ft, make sure your not alone when opening the cage and handling. Meaning, you have somebody there in the room with you at the time. Somebody that can immediately see if you need help without you needing to call for it.

[millertime89]

A 5ft retic or burm will be much stronger then a 5ft corn snake simply because its a heavier bodied species of snake.
For holding alone, I wouldn't even say 7ft is ok. Maybe not even 6ft when it comes to them as heavy bodied snakes are *very* strong.

When it comes to handling alone, think of this:
How much can you do with 1 hand?

Snake length and weight is something to consider, but so is the size of its mouth. What if a 6ft retic or burmese mistakes your hand for food, grabs your wrist and wraps starts wrapping your hand? Are you going to be able to unwrap the snake and pull its mouth open with just one hand? Likely not, it will be one or the other and the snake will be fighting you the whole time.
Well, of course you could wait it out and the snake will eventually tire enough for you to remove with one hand, but I mean doing it immediately, not standing there with a 6ft snake hanging off your arm while your watching a 2 hour movie and waiting for it to tire and let go.

A 5 ft retic had better not be a heavy bodied snake.
I can hold a lot with one hand, probably not the best litmus test.
A 5 footer's mouth isn't going to be THAT big. Can it get a good hold on you? Yeah, but so can a 3.5 foot ball python. Its gonna be different for everyone. Just do what you're comfortable with, 5-8 ft is a good range, everyone needs to do what they're comfortable with from there.

[zaroba]

When I said 'heavier bodied snake' I was only referring to the snakes girth.
A 5ft retic wont be as slender as a 5ft corn, it has more girth.

In my opinion, comfort should have very little to do with it. Comfort and Safe are 2 different things. When one is comfortable doing something, they do it often and their comfort will grow. As their comfort grows, they become complacent and that's when the more serious accidents happen. I'm sure most situations where people have been killed by pet snakes happened because the person was comfortable and didn't think anything bad would happen, otherwise they wouldn't have done the action in the first place. Cannot take for granted the power of a large snake just because you are comfortable handling it. They still have their wild instincts and must be treated with respect.

Yea, smaller snake can still get hold of you. Even a 2ft kingsnake, the difference is that smaller snakes can be easily removed with one hand and the risk of serious injury (to you or the snake) or fatality is much smaller. Their teeth are smaller, so usually not much work is needed to open their mouth and get the snake off, where-as the 1/4" long teeth of an 8ft burm do not come out of your skin easily (and I am speaking from experience).

[Terranaut]

The last few posts are exactly what I was talking about. It's tough to use snake length,breed ,girth, mouthsize or any of that as your guide to what is ok. Unfortunately the only true way to know if you can pull off your snake during an incident is to have one. So we guess. "Sure I am ok" and you probably are but be sure and always better to have a friend you didn't need there instead of need a friend who isn't there.

[stephanbakir]

Most of what needs to be said has been said, so I'll just add one side factor.

I could have 15 people in the room with me, and not be comfortable taking out a 10-15 foot snake. It depends on the people and I'll explain why.

When it hits the fan, most people will freak out, freeze, and look for someone who is willing to help instead of helping me personally. Unless I trust and know at least 1 person for every 8 feet of heavy bodied snake I won't be taking him/her out of the cage.

[Lankyrob]

^^^^^ True dat ^^^^^

[Robyn@SYR]

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

The danger of a snake around your neck isn't that it goes postal and starts squeezing the snot out of you to kill you. That is when you would "yell". I guess.

What happens is folks put a large (or even medium) snake around their neck, and the snake has to try and remain stable, with a slow, moderately strong grip. Folks think "no danger there".

But let the snake hit just the right spots, with just a bit of pressure, and 1, 2, 3, zzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Out you go.

Just like a BJJ blood choke, you will be out before you even know it. You'll be fine, then for split second you'll think "why is my vision blurry" and then you won't think at all, just sleep. A human could put you to sleep in 6 seconds with a rear choke, it happens very quickly.

Startle the snake as you fall, and it cinches tighter for its own security, and then it is good night forever.

The danger isn't really with the aggressive snake, just the normal snake, around your neck, and their maneuvering to try and stay stable.

A guy in Denver died a few years ago because of this. Put in the media as "strangled to death by his Burm" but in reality he was just hanging out with his snake, got passed out, startled the snake, and was found dead hours later. Snake was killed. Ignorance sucks.

[Lankyrob]

I can attest to the above tho six seconds would be when you a totally aware and fighting back. When i was training mma my sensei had a policy that you had to experience being put out to be aware of the signs, we had to all sit in a circle facing inward with our eyes closed and he would creep around the circle putting people out, i never even felt him touch me but recall waking up to him stood over me, he could do it in under a second imo.

Now i am not saying all our snakes are secret ninjas here, but if you arent expecting it and the snake catches the right pressure point there will be zero reaction/fighting back time, just you hitting the floor like a sack of spuds :)

[Burmjunkie]

It seems that no one who has posted is actually a large snake owner. So I thought I would give my input.

1) HOOK TRAIN you snake, this can't be stressed enough. Conditioning your snake to "understand" that it is feeding vs non feeding time is a must.
2) If you don't feel comfortable holding a large snake DON'T OWN ONE. Large constrictors are VERY intelligent animals and are not just a throw in a cage and stare at type of animal to brag to all your friend with "look what I have". Proper exercise for these animals is key to keeping them lean and healthy. Those who seem against holding your large snakes seem to have a phobia or bad experience vs actually knowing and understanding about the animal, which is sad.
3) NEVER let the snake start to wrap around the front side of the neck near your trachea. Applying pressure at this point can cause either asphyxiation or possible breaking of the spinal column. Avoid wrapping on both sides of your neck as well. With enough pressure same thing can happen here as well.
5) Different people have different rules when it comes to the amount of feet per how many people. Telling a person to have 2 people in the room with a 8+ foot snake is ridiculous to say the least. It all has to do with the species your dealing with. I don't need 2 people to hold my 8 foot blue beauty. For bums I would say 10' is a good place to start with having 2 people in the room but it really depends on the girth and weight of the animal as well. Assuming we are talking a healthy animal 9' to 10' is a good place to start thinking about having a secondary person around. Also experience plays a role in this as well. Since the OP is new having someone in the room with you would help and keep you calmer.
6) Holding the snake on your shoulders, traps, and back of your neck is perfectly fine. Avoid the "classic draping techique. Normally used by inexperienced people who are overwhelmed with the snakes weight. Like Robyn said most of the squeezing people feel is from them being unstable and not balanced, due to improper handling to begin with. If your handling properly and giving it enough support and balance you can avoid this.

Examples of holding a large constrictor:
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding2.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding3.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding5.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding6.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding7.jpg

As you can see in all the pics the snake is NOT touching both sides of the neck at once. Only the rear and a side so squeezing would not effect the holder. ALL of these are NON snake owners holding my personal pet coached by me on how to properly hold him. The body is fully supported as to make the snake feel secure and stable.

I hope this sheds some light some light for the OP, that you CAN handle your snake safely, just be smart about it. No need for neglect b/c it gets big. Big snakes need some loving too! =)

Burmese in picture is 8-9 feet long and around 25-30 lbs.

[exwizard]

It seems that no one who has posted is actually a large snake owner. So I thought I would give my input.

1) HOOK TRAIN you snake, this can't be stressed enough. Conditioning your snake to "understand" that it is feeding vs non feeding time is a must.
2) If you don't feel comfortable holding a large snake DON'T OWN ONE. Large constrictors are VERY intelligent animals and are not just a throw in a cage and stare at type of animal to brag to all your friend with "look what I have". Proper exercise for these animals is key to keeping them lean and healthy. Those who seem against holding your large snakes seem to have a phobia or bad experience vs actually knowing and understanding about the animal, which is sad.
3) NEVER let the snake start to wrap around the front side of the neck near your trachea. Applying pressure at this point can cause either asphyxiation or possible breaking of the spinal column. Avoid wrapping on both sides of your neck as well. With enough pressure same thing can happen here as well.
5) Different people have different rules when it comes to the amount of feet per how many people. Telling a person to have 2 people in the room with a 8+ foot snake is ridiculous to say the least. It all has to do with the species your dealing with. I don't need 2 people to hold my 8 foot blue beauty. For bums I would say 10' is a good place to start with having 2 people in the room but it really depends on the girth and weight of the animal as well. Assuming we are talking a healthy animal 9' to 10' is a good place to start thinking about having a secondary person around. Also experience plays a role in this as well. Since the OP is new having someone in the room with you would help and keep you calmer.
6) Holding the snake on your shoulders, traps, and back of your neck is perfectly fine. Avoid the "classic draping techique. Normally used by inexperienced people who are overwhelmed with the snakes weight. Like Robyn said most of the squeezing people feel is from them being unstable and not balanced, due to improper handling to begin with. If your handling properly and giving it enough support and balance you can avoid this.

Examples of holding a large constrictor:
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding2.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding3.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding5.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding6.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding7.jpg

As you can see in all the pics the snake is NOT touching both sides of the neck at once. Only the rear and a side so squeezing would not effect the holder. ALL of these are NON snake owners holding my personal pet coached by me on how to properly hold him. The body is fully supported as to make the snake feel secure and stable.

I hope this sheds some light some light for the OP, that you CAN handle your snake safely, just be smart about it. No need for neglect b/c it gets big. Big snakes need some loving too! =)

Burmese in picture is 8-9 feet long and around 25-30 lbs.

Ok I understand your points and agree with all of it but there is one point I want to bring to your attention. Dont assume none of us are big snake owners. We may well be but you dont know about it. I for one do own a big snake. She may only be a Dum and not a Burm or Annie but she is 9 1/2' long and 26 lbs. I have to have a "big snake" permit to even legally have her. Other than that one point, all of your advice is spot on. :)

[Lankyrob]

And those of us that dont/cant own them are around them a lot too :) - whenever i visit my reptile shop i normally have "cuddles" with their larger specimens :)

[millertime89]

And those of us that dont/cant own them are around them a lot too :) - whenever i visit my reptile shop i normally have "cuddles" with their larger specimens :)

bingo, statements like the one you made are just asinine.

[Burmjunkie]

I merely made my observation based on the largest snakes people where comparing to the large constrictors were carpets, SD retics, or boas. Also alot of the advice being given for the most part seemed to be fearful or handling. People who have worked with large snakes can understand there is a world of difference between a carpet and a large burm, retic or anaconda.
I am glad that the large snake owners did decide to pop up and agree with me. Ain't nothing better than the big boys! =)

[Squirtle]

It seems that no one who has posted is actually a large snake owner. So I thought I would give my input.

1) HOOK TRAIN you snake, this can't be stressed enough. Conditioning your snake to "understand" that it is feeding vs non feeding time is a must.
2) If you don't feel comfortable holding a large snake DON'T OWN ONE. Large constrictors are VERY intelligent animals and are not just a throw in a cage and stare at type of animal to brag to all your friend with "look what I have". Proper exercise for these animals is key to keeping them lean and healthy. Those who seem against holding your large snakes seem to have a phobia or bad experience vs actually knowing and understanding about the animal, which is sad.
3) NEVER let the snake start to wrap around the front side of the neck near your trachea. Applying pressure at this point can cause either asphyxiation or possible breaking of the spinal column. Avoid wrapping on both sides of your neck as well. With enough pressure same thing can happen here as well.
5) Different people have different rules when it comes to the amount of feet per how many people. Telling a person to have 2 people in the room with a 8+ foot snake is ridiculous to say the least. It all has to do with the species your dealing with. I don't need 2 people to hold my 8 foot blue beauty. For bums I would say 10' is a good place to start with having 2 people in the room but it really depends on the girth and weight of the animal as well. Assuming we are talking a healthy animal 9' to 10' is a good place to start thinking about having a secondary person around. Also experience plays a role in this as well. Since the OP is new having someone in the room with you would help and keep you calmer.
6) Holding the snake on your shoulders, traps, and back of your neck is perfectly fine. Avoid the "classic draping techique. Normally used by inexperienced people who are overwhelmed with the snakes weight. Like Robyn said most of the squeezing people feel is from them being unstable and not balanced, due to improper handling to begin with. If your handling properly and giving it enough support and balance you can avoid this.

Examples of holding a large constrictor:
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding2.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding3.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding5.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding6.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding7.jpg

As you can see in all the pics the snake is NOT touching both sides of the neck at once. Only the rear and a side so squeezing would not effect the holder. ALL of these are NON snake owners holding my personal pet coached by me on how to properly hold him. The body is fully supported as to make the snake feel secure and stable.

I hope this sheds some light some light for the OP, that you CAN handle your snake safely, just be smart about it. No need for neglect b/c it gets big. Big snakes need some loving too! =)

Burmese in picture is 8-9 feet long and around 25-30 lbs.
Thanks for your post man, very informative and you seem to know what you're talking about. I've been handling my burm around my neck by letting him rap his tail first around my wrist/arm and letting him move his head around, is that good? I've also been doing what's shown in your pictures.

Is this guy handling his burm correctly? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJZnRKs41WE

Link seems to not be working, if infernalis can please fix the link for me it'll be appreciated :)

[exwizard]

I merely made my observation based on the largest snakes people where comparing to the large constrictors were carpets, SD retics, or boas. Also alot of the advice being given for the most part seemed to be fearful or handling. People who have worked with large snakes can understand there is a world of difference between a carpet and a large burm, retic or anaconda.
I am glad that the large snake owners did decide to pop up and agree with me. Ain't nothing better than the big boys! =)

You have a friend here. :)

[zaroba]

It seems that no one who has posted is actually a large snake owner.

<--the pic in my avatar is this guy:

http://lntravelinrep.com/picsshow/ghostkids.jpg

This is a pic from a 2009 reptile show we did, he was around 8ft & 30lb then.
A male Albino Granite Burmese Python, currently over 10ft, haven't weighed him recently.
Hope to get new pics of him tomorrow so will weigh him then as well.

[Terranaut]

I'm considering a burm. Have been for a while. Depends on how my reptile room turns out.
I know my boas will both grow quite a bit more so that is a strike against as well. I want to keep my feeding bill just in the " thats not so bad" zone and not the " are you freakin serious" area. I'll be into rabbits this summer. 4 a month is a lot less than 6. But I love burms. Man Iam so on the fence here. Time will tell I guess.

[millertime89]

I'm on my phone, but I've got a thread on here showing me working with some bigger ones. I would own one but my roommates would kill me. Almost bought a pair anyways...

[emmabee]

It seems that no one who has posted is actually a large snake owner. So I thought I would give my input.

1) HOOK TRAIN you snake, this can't be stressed enough. Conditioning your snake to "understand" that it is feeding vs non feeding time is a must.
2) If you don't feel comfortable holding a large snake DON'T OWN ONE. Large constrictors are VERY intelligent animals and are not just a throw in a cage and stare at type of animal to brag to all your friend with "look what I have". Proper exercise for these animals is key to keeping them lean and healthy. Those who seem against holding your large snakes seem to have a phobia or bad experience vs actually knowing and understanding about the animal, which is sad.
3) NEVER let the snake start to wrap around the front side of the neck near your trachea. Applying pressure at this point can cause either asphyxiation or possible breaking of the spinal column. Avoid wrapping on both sides of your neck as well. With enough pressure same thing can happen here as well.
5) Different people have different rules when it comes to the amount of feet per how many people. Telling a person to have 2 people in the room with a 8+ foot snake is ridiculous to say the least. It all has to do with the species your dealing with. I don't need 2 people to hold my 8 foot blue beauty. For bums I would say 10' is a good place to start with having 2 people in the room but it really depends on the girth and weight of the animal as well. Assuming we are talking a healthy animal 9' to 10' is a good place to start thinking about having a secondary person around. Also experience plays a role in this as well. Since the OP is new having someone in the room with you would help and keep you calmer.
6) Holding the snake on your shoulders, traps, and back of your neck is perfectly fine. Avoid the "classic draping techique. Normally used by inexperienced people who are overwhelmed with the snakes weight. Like Robyn said most of the squeezing people feel is from them being unstable and not balanced, due to improper handling to begin with. If your handling properly and giving it enough support and balance you can avoid this.

Examples of holding a large constrictor:
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding2.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding3.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding5.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding6.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k569/Mitsumike89/burmholding7.jpg

As you can see in all the pics the snake is NOT touching both sides of the neck at once. Only the rear and a side so squeezing would not effect the holder. ALL of these are NON snake owners holding my personal pet coached by me on how to properly hold him. The body is fully supported as to make the snake feel secure and stable.

I hope this sheds some light some light for the OP, that you CAN handle your snake safely, just be smart about it. No need for neglect b/c it gets big. Big snakes need some loving too! =)

Burmese in picture is 8-9 feet long and around 25-30 lbs.

hiya! new mew member here but i keep "biggies". i do snake education talks and take a selection of species with me, the biggest a 14ft burm. i totally agree that you can handle these animals easily and safely if you are confident in knowing what you are doing. the problem i find is people (dont know about over in the us so please dont shoot me!) get these animals as status snakes and dont respect whet they can do!
i am a 5"4 female around the 140lb (not good with conversion!) and keep and deal with big snakes. every one is delt with in a different manner to suit the snakes temprement. at this size i am not able to physically hold my 14ft burm on my own but neede to move him....answer, he goes into a quilt! im not idiot emough to think i can deal with him even in a good mood!

when we take our animals to talks and people want to hold them its fine, we let them have pics of the snake over their shoulder, what people dont realisie is myself and the other half are stood just out of shot and can "read" our animals safely and know how each one can be got off.....we also explain to the people at out talk that these are wild animals and are not predictable. i will hunt out some pics of our talks because the expression on peoples faces with the big snakes is amazing.