Boa handling frequently advice, please!

Cobe914 · 02-06-16, 12:39 AM

Hello everyone!

I got some great support and help with a boa question I had before (thanks again!) and I was hoping to reach out to everyone once again...

Long story short, I've hit something of a bump in the road in my life which put me in a less accommodating financial situation and I'm no longer living alone. Additionally, I'm pretty hard up for free time. Now, I'll clarify that I still have the time to keep my boa clean and fed. She's got her nice PVC enclosure and if she decides to be a monster boa, she will receive a bigger one. She's never missed a scheduled meal time.
HOWEVER, between having squeamish roommates who are wildly uncomfortable with a snake and little time, her handling has been harshly cut down to me taking her out every few days to do a quick visual inspection for health before she's popped back in.
I don't subscribe to the beliefs of some that snakes need/want human attention. My concern is that without consistent and frequent handling, I'll have a large, difficult snake on my hands. As I'll be on my own for her care for the foreseeable future.. Am I setting myself up for a bad situation?

Thanks again for your help!

shrek71 · 02-06-16, 12:50 AM

You are right...A snake does not want or need for human contact. I am a firm beleaver that with handling times at least 3 times a week most snakes learn to tolerate handling. Less handling makes for less tolerance.

sam · 02-06-16, 02:42 AM

I think that as long as you keep handling her a few times a week you should be okay. If anything taking her out a little less will cause less stress for her and therefor less likely to bite you in the future. As long as she knows you're not a rat you should* be fine.

**Andy_G** · 02-06-16, 08:44 AM

First and foremost, hook train that snake so that if you touch it gently on the head with a hook, itll know it's you coming in hot and not food. Secondly, handling once or twice a week should be enough to maintain an already docile snake to remain as such. More work is required if docility has not been acquired.

trailblazer295 · 02-06-16, 09:02 AM

I don't handle my snakes on a weekly basis but I also have a a baby boa and a BP. The BP is always the same laid back snake. With the boa I've already started tap training him. I pick him up with my hand but tap him a few time with the hook first. And don't touch food with my hands. I don't know if adult boas are different just my experience.

bigsnakegirl785 · 02-06-16, 03:55 PM

You...cut down to every other day? Handling 2-3 times a week is more than enough, they do not benefit from handling, so you're doing the snake no good. Handling a little bit more often is ok if the snake isn't sensitive to stress, but I'd avoid handling every day a week. Handling all the time can make the snake shy, even if it doesn't go off feed.

Snakes don't stop trusting people, and they don't become "aggressive" because you don't handle them, so you don't have to worry about that.

Cobe914 · 02-07-16, 01:04 PM

Thank you!

I was warned that if I didn't handle her for at least 10-15 minutes a week she would become less tolerant and more likely to bite or be difficult as an adult. My "handling" now consists of about ten seconds of checking her over and nothing else, once or maybe twice a week.
I know she doesn't want for human attention but I WAS worried of her going from docile to aggressive.