Looking for feedback.

Klinger · 02-28-17, 06:14 PM

This will probably sprout some negativity, but it's an honest question.

This Saturday a local indoor botanical garden has asked me to bring in my snakes to talk about them and teach people about exotic reptiles. The local news station will be there, and is very interested in covering some of this. All my papers are in order and ready to go, but my show stopper snake has been in blue since Sunday.

If his eyes don't clear by the weekend, how terrible would it be to bring him along? I KNOW it's not the best idea, but I have seen other handlers publicly show snakes while they are in blue. For the record I am leaning toward leaving him home, but does anyone on the board think it may be worth the while to bring him along?

If you don't like the idea, please don't spam the thread with hateful stuff, I just want to hear "It's not a good idea" or "It's not super stressful".

Thanks for your time!

UserNameIsValid · 02-28-17, 06:20 PM

I would think it would be pretty stressful. In blue, they can't see very well so they are on high alert. But since he knows you, he probably doesn't care about you. New people though might stress him out. Just my two cents, don't take my word for it.

afsgr88 · 02-28-17, 06:34 PM

It all depends on what kind of temperament he has. My BP didn't mind being handled (by me, at least) while he was in blue. He had exactly the same behavior as normal. If the snake trusts you, I would go for it. But I probably wouldn't let other people touch him much. Just my opinion.

sockSnek · 02-28-17, 07:36 PM

I think it really depends on the snake. Some don't seem to care and will be fine with handling or eating while blue.

SerpentineDream · 02-28-17, 07:58 PM

Think of it this way: Your snakes will be ambassadors of their species to people who don't understand them and may even be afraid of them. If your snake will be stressed out and fearful he is likely to act up and perhaps bite you or someone else... not exactly the impression you want to make. If he's not at all bothered by handling while in blue, it might be a neat opportunity to teach people about the shedding process. But FWIW I've been bitten by some normally very docile snakes for touching them when their vision was impaired so if it was me I would err on the side of caution and leave him home if his eyes are cloudy on the day of the event.

Bandit · 02-28-17, 07:58 PM

I agree with what has been said above - it depends on the individual snake. Some are far more okay with it than others. You know your snake best, so go with your judgment.

Klinger · 02-28-17, 08:01 PM

Thanks again for the input! This is my VBB, and it will eat in blue with no troubles, And I don't think I would let anyone try to handle him even in the clear. the Sinaloan milk snake is much more comfortable with other people. Like I said, it would be nice to have a larger one for the news crew to see. Once again, the snake always comes first. Years ago as a child I lost an anole due to family taking it outside in it's tank and not monitoring the little guy, and he fried in the sun.

No animal will suffer from my lack of attention, that was hard to live down.

GyGbeetle · 03-01-17, 02:03 PM

When my burm goes into blue, she hisses and doesn't want to be touched. But then my woma will be as docile as can be. I think, like everyone else says, it depends on the snake and their personality. If their eyes are clear, they still may not be feeling well because their skin is about to shed, and they may lash out at any new smells.

If you have a helper with you, you can bring her along, as a show and tell, but make sure she stays in her enclosure being watched by your helper. If she looks to be her normal self, take her out. But if not, at least she's there, and just won't be handled. I've seen a lot of educators do that.

Hope you have fun!

**Andy_G** · 03-01-17, 02:50 PM

With a species that can be nervous such as a VBB I would be hesitant...but each individual differs as mentioned.

TRD · 03-01-17, 03:04 PM

Might also be an opportunity to talk about a little more than "This is a snake" ... could be interesting for the people who have had either no contact with reptiles, no experiences with reptiles, or just generally ignorant about them, to get a word or 2 about being "in blue"

Klinger · 03-01-17, 03:49 PM

Thank you all again for the responses! I'm glad to hear the different opinions you all have, and I'm still on the fence but have a few days to figure it out. The milk snake is going in for the press meet tomorrow morning, this is going to be a very interesting weekend!

Klinger · 03-02-17, 07:26 PM

The news shoot went well today. The milk snake had no troubles, and the only sign of stress was a bit of poo from the bumpy car ride home. Disposable hand warmers in a cloth bag work very well for travelling snakes, if anyone is curious. I may post the news clip if I get a digital copy, and will try to get some footage from Saturday's event.

Klinger · 03-03-17, 09:09 AM

Update #2, the snakes eyes gave cleared. Maybe a miracle will occur and it will shed tonight. He's coming either way, but safety and health it still the top concern.

GyGbeetle · 03-03-17, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klinger

Update #2, the snakes eyes gave cleared. Maybe a miracle will occur and it will shed tonight. He's coming either way, but safety and health it still the top concern.

You should bring some sheds with you, if you save them. My husband uses the shed to make items that are traditionally made with leather. Teaching people that there are more sustainable materials that don't require skinning the snake may enlighten some people.

Klinger · 03-05-17, 10:14 AM

I did bring some shed skin, and everything went great! the snakes did very well, the crowds did very well and it was fun watching other snake owners try to guess what the VBB was.

I discussed snakes, snake keeping, exotic animal that past famous people have kept, and many other things. The snakes handled it very well, and my makeshift portable heaters worked great(Until the milksnake got water all over one and it stopped working). I'll post a few more pics as they roll in, all the advice was greatly appreciated!