handling

tonyb · 04-09-05, 01:34 PM

how often do you guys handle your snakes? im handling my royal about every two weeks for about 20mins at a time. is that enough to keep him tame without stressing him or do i need to hold him more.

Ray · 04-09-05, 01:38 PM

I only handle them if nessesery.

jlax786 · 04-09-05, 04:11 PM

is it bad to handle them everyday or something??? i mean whats the point if you can't handle them

pythonmdk · 04-09-05, 04:22 PM

It really depends on the snake, I have a few that I can handle every day or 2 for a half hour or so, I have others that get a little stressed out so I only handle when I have to clean the cage out and when I am weighing(so about once a week for 10 minutes or so), I would say judge your animal apropriately and you'll have no problems. If your snake will eat the day of or befor feeding then you usually have a pretty handle friendly snake. Just don't handle the snake the day after feeding, give around 48 hours to digest to prevent regurgitation.

Spirit · 04-09-05, 06:47 PM

It definitely depends on the snake.

Mine was carried around for about 5-8 hours (at least) every day for the first 4 months of his life so when I took him home in late January (he's 6 months now), he was already very used to being handled/passed around/heavy traffic. Now I handle him for a total time of maybe 5 hours a week, but it's really the snake who should tell you... not us.

Probably the best advice I can give you (if you're trying to tame a snake) is to ALWAYS end a handling session on a good note. In other words, wait until the snake becomes calm in your hand, before putting it back in the tank. If your snake appears calm, handle it more often. If it appears stresesed, handle is less often, for shorter periods (few minutes every couple days maybe). There's no set rule... let your snake tell you.

And never handle for 2 days after a meal. I've never dealt with it myself, but I understand regurges are nasty. lol

tonyb · 04-11-05, 05:45 AM

one of the reasons i asked is because he is very scared when you handle him. he does eat the same day but he tries to crawl away when you grab hold of him and once hes in my hands he'll just stay motionless. if he does move he sometimes presses hard against my arm with his head. this is why i only handle him every couple of weeks, i wasnt sure if handling him more would make him feel more relaxed or stress him out.

smeagel · 04-11-05, 06:57 AM

He is trying to get away from you because he is a snake. Snakes do not want to be handled, but they will tolerate it. How much they tolerate it depends on the snake.

Spirit · 04-11-05, 10:38 AM

Tony: He's likely just afraid. Keep him in your hands until he starts to appear calm (ie, calmly moves around, flicks tongue, etc) before you put him back. In time he'll learn that you're not a threat. I would say to start, maybe 5-10 minutes every few days.

Another good handling technique is called "Cupping". When the snake is in your hand, take your free hand and "cup" it over the head and as much as the body as you can, creating a little hand hide). Hold your hand still and allow the snake to roam through your fingers when he's ready to come out and explore.

Good luck!

Princess Erica · 04-12-05, 02:43 AM

I handle mine every day (of course, not immediately after feeding). He seems to love it. I mean, I don't have snake telepathy, so I don't know exactly what he's thinking, but from everything I can tell he just adores being out. He practically fights when I go to put him back in the tank, like nooooo! Let me stay out and explore! you just have to learn to recognize their body language and know when enough is enough. Good luck with your little one!