Quote:
Originally Posted by Saika
Thank you so much for your advice guys!!! I really appreciate it! I fed him and he ate like a champ and even went to ask for more. But now I have a new problem.... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. He's very skittish which is to be expected but he runs from me at the sight. If I open the terrarium, he seems to borderline panic (unless there's food). I thought maybe I could play with the substrate and get him used to my scent a little. He stayed still but then I lightly touched him and he rattled his tail and quickly tried running to the other side of the tank. I feel awful that I stressed him out. This was approximately 35 hours after he ate. I only touched him. Seeing him panic like that and rubbing his nose against the glass to get away makes me kind of scared for when I have to handle him. And he's really fast too! How do I do this? Should I not touch him like that? What did I do wrong? How can I handle him in the future and actually pick him up if he's speeding away with just a touch? I'm sorry guys...
I change his water daily. Will it stress him out for me to do that or should I wait 2 days?
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Even my sluggish sand boas will get all worked up and try and dig away when they see me coming, and it's something all of my snakes do when I initially go in after them. My Baird's Rat Snake, for example, I've had him for about two months and while he got over his musking phase after a few weeks, he'll still speed off in a hurry and entangle himself in the nearest wire, and when I go to touch him his tail starts buzzing, but after I get him out he's as sweet as can be and oh so calm. Snakes don't work quite the same as you and I, and you have to be patient and understanding with them or else you'll never have a proper relationship with the animal. Just work with him at his pace and I'm sure you'll have a sweet snake for a long time!
But as for your questions, my snakes will pause for a few seconds and "s" up, flicking their tongues and try to figure out what's going on. I'll just slowly and gently pick them up from underneath, scooping them up, although sometimes they still panic and flee to the other side of the cage. Don't chase them with your hand, but don't let them have the final say either. Just wait for them to get over themselves and then go in and quickly, but gently, pick them up. I know they're pretty quick in their enclosures, but they don't ever stay that way in your hands. Also, what I do with my water dishes is just fill a cup up and pour it into their cage. I clean the water dishes once a week, unless of course someone soils it or pushes a glob of dirt in. You should put his needs before his comfort. If the water needs to be refilled, try to do so in a way that minimizes stress, but don't put it off completely.
I got him out of his enclosure once successfully and he calmed down. Then he tried crawling into my sleeve haha! My friend who has kept snakes before (news to me), picked him up before he knew what was happening but he didn't bite, musk or anything. Thanks for your response, it really does help for me to know that sometimes they're just like that. He always gets dirt in his waterbowl somehow so I always clean it out.
He actually left me a big present this morning hahahaha!! In a few days I will feed him again. I'll wait longer next time to handle him, thank you!
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