Help with handling and keeping myself calm >_<

curious.boa.guy · 02-08-16, 05:08 PM

I was given a large BCI a couple of days ago and i am still a little nervous getting him out and handling him, he seems to be a calm and docile snake but still i am nervous when handling him as im new to owning larger snakes.

Is there any tips on ways i should handle him and get him out ?

Thanks, Scott

**Minkness** · 02-08-16, 05:23 PM

If he's calm, just be confident.

Why did you take on a snake that mskes you nervous though?

curious.boa.guy · 02-08-16, 05:27 PM

the previous owner who owned him was working nights for a long amount of time and he was being handled about once every two weeks and he had out grown his vivarium and he didnt have the space or money to get him a bigger one so he offered it to me so i gladly accepted but i just need a little more confidence with him, i still get him out either way but make sure i have another person in the room just to be on the safe side if i get into a sticky situation

**Minkness** · 02-08-16, 05:32 PM

Ah, cool.

What you can do if it really is a chill snake, is sit next to the viv and let him crawl out into your lap. The other option is to use a hook and get it on your bed and just sit by it.

Juat be confident, not too fast (or too slow), and deliberate. If you are going in to pick it up, don't make that back and forth movement with your hand because you are afraid. Just go for it at a steady, even pace.

Ypu can do this once or twice a week as feeding should be on a bi-weekly schedule.

curious.boa.guy · 02-08-16, 05:40 PM

I can get him out reasonably easy and he likes to climb up my chest then round my shoulder and i am fine with that, its just sometimes he will stretch his neck away from me and throw his head side to side but i just support him around 1/3 from his head and he calms down

**Minkness** · 02-08-16, 05:41 PM

Ah, you sound fine then. Best thing to do is some more handling just so you learn his movements. =)

curious.boa.guy · 02-08-16, 05:46 PM

thanks for the advice on this post and all of my others haha

**Minkness** · 02-08-16, 05:53 PM

Any time! There are other, more knowledgable people than me, I'm just the one reaponding the quickest lol

Tiny Boidae · 02-08-16, 05:58 PM

One thing I'd like to add:
I may not own a large snake (yet, that's being arranged currently), I have a water dragon who's not at all shy about giving you love bites and tail whips when I do something she's not comfortable with. Handling an animal gets a lot easier once you get to know what it tolerates and what it's not okay with. For her, it's being picked up, although she has no problems eating out of my hand and is sometimes okay with me stroking her gently. Once you get acquainted with the snake a little, I suspect a lot of this jittery nervousness will relax. Good luck though, he sounds like an awesome not-so-little guy!

Mad Max · 02-08-16, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curious.boa.guy

Is there any tips on ways i should handle him and get him out ?

They like to feel well supported the whole time they're off the ground. My boa doesn't seem to be afraid of anything but falling now that he's an adult.

bigsnakegirl785 · 02-08-16, 08:34 PM

How old is the boa? Chances are, if it's a larger boa (5'-6'+), feeding biweekly is going to be too often.

The only way to get confident is to handle it, that's about it. As others said, be slow, even, and deliberate in your moves otherwise you could spook it.

curious.boa.guy · 02-09-16, 06:25 AM

He is 5 1/2, he is currently eating one large rat every two weeks but i still try him on a weekly basis, he usually just leaves the rat and waits till the next week

**Minkness** · 02-09-16, 07:36 AM

Keep him on a 2 week schedule. He looks to have a healthy weight and size. =)

bigsnakegirl785 · 02-09-16, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curious.boa.guy

He is 5 1/2, he is currently eating one large rat every two weeks but i still try him on a weekly basis, he usually just leaves the rat and waits till the next week

At 5.5 years old, feeding every two weeks is waaay too often. He should be eating every 3-6 weeks. 3 weeks being the absolute most often you should be feeding your boa. I personally wouldn't go below every 4 weeks.

This is the most healthy schedule for them, and they will be able to keep a good body tone on this. Boa constrictors have incredibly slow metabolisms, and it's important to keep prey size small and feedings spaced out.

I have been feeding my male every 4 weeks since December 2014, and his last two feedings were every 5 weeks. He has also been fasted for 90 days two years in a row. This is not too little of food for them.

Here's the schedule I use for boa constrictors specifically.

Birth to 1 year: every 7-10 days

1-3 years: every 10-14 days

3+ years: every 3-6 weeks