New to site & snakes.

spyderman · 06-21-03, 01:30 PM

Hi.

I'm Wayne. I have just bought my first snake, a Bull snake named ekans. He is a rescue snake & was rarely handled. I just tried to touch him & got hisssssed at.

Can anyone out there give me tips on how to win ekans over & help me tame him, please.

yankeefoxtrot · 06-21-03, 01:32 PM

Welcome!

Lucas

JoeBradley · 06-21-03, 01:35 PM

Welcome. Give him time to adjust to his new setting before trying to handle him too much. Slow and easy is the key. He will come around.

Matt_K · 06-21-03, 03:05 PM

welcome to the site!!

stretch · 06-21-03, 04:49 PM

You can put one of your old shirts inside of his tank so he could get used to your smell. Thats usually what people do when they want to tame down a wild snake. So when they smell you they think of home. Good luck.

Edwin · 06-21-03, 06:21 PM

Welcome, spyderman! Ekans is a pretty creative name (snake spelt backwards). Like what stretch mentioned, I do put a facecloth where I have wiped my clean hands on in my snake's hide. Don't know if it really helps with reptiles, but it doesn't hurt.

Hope this helps.

Dark_Angel_x322 · 06-21-03, 06:29 PM

Just wanted to say welcome! Sorry I don't have any tips for you but I am just starting out in the herp world too.

Good Luck!

SCReptiles · 06-21-03, 06:49 PM

Welcome, that type of snake is known for hissing. They try to mimic a venomous snakes. Normally they do not strike, only blow and hiss. Pick him up slowly from underneath and he should settle down. How big is he? For the most part these snakes lack the jaw strength to do any real damage even if they do strike.

spyderman · 06-22-03, 05:58 AM

its a bull snake called ekans we think its a male.....thanks to everyone who replied and gave me advice, As I only got him yesterday I'm only a beginner, with a lot to learn.
Ekans is about 4-4 1/2 foot long we were told by the people who had him before to feed him one fuzzy once a week.winter time once a fortnight, is this ok for him or does he need something bigger.

doenoe · 06-22-03, 06:07 AM

I havent got any tips for handling Ekans neither, but.........Welcome to SsnakesS

SCReptiles · 06-22-03, 07:47 AM

Yes, and 4.5 foot bull snake would by all means need something bigger. I would guess small rats. Look at his widest girth, and offer prey only slightly larger then that. You should see a small bulge in the snake after he eaten. Once every 10 days should be fine. You want slow steady growth to insure good health and long life for the snake. You can pump him and he will add weight and grow faster, however, that shortens the life span.

spyderman · 06-22-03, 02:20 PM

Thanks SCReptiles. When I fed him (I was told that he IS a HE by the shape of his long tappered tail) Is this true? He swallowed the small fuzzie in one & then went searching round & looked out at us as if to say "Well, Thats starters, where's the main course." I did give him a second mouse a little while after, which he also ate down & seemed a little more content.

If the people who fed him b4 me only offered him one small mouse once a week. Would this have stunted his growth, or, with proper feeding, will he still be a normal sized snake? I understand that they average 7-9ft.

I know I shouldn't have, really because I was told he might become agressive just after eating, But I have, on several occassions today, been able to put my hand in his viv' & he let me touch him without being hissed at or showing any aggression at all.

SCReptiles · 06-22-03, 02:49 PM

No, I don’t think is would have stunted his growth, but also don’t think 7 to 9 feet is an average. That would be a very large bull. 6 is probably the average. Looking at the tail is a good way to determine gender, but its not failsafe, I would guess its accurate about 80% of the time. The only way to know for sure is to probe him.

spyderman · 06-22-03, 06:44 PM

I am going to take himto the vet in the week & have him probed & checked over properly. I was put in-touch with a local who has a few snakes & he suggested I tryto pickup & gently hold him by the tail. I did this several times tonight

spyderman · 06-22-03, 06:49 PM

I am going to take himto the vet in the week & have him probed & checked over properly. I was put in-touch with a local who has a few snakes & he suggested I tryto pickup & gently hold him by the tail. I did this several times tonight & everything went fine. I am going to try to go a little further tomorrow & actually try to get him out... Wish me luck. He actually climbedup onmy hand & was well behaved. I think it was mewho was more nervous because I was told of his temperament,but he actually seems to love attention. A friend of a friend who keeps snakes is gonna come over to look at him for me on Wednesday.