Handling big snakes - Page 2

hellosugaree · 04-04-12, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gungirl

You are just asking for trouble by doing that....

If you can not comfortably handle a snake alone without wrapping it around your neck then do not handle it alone.

Maybe I should explicitly state that I was entirely kidding. I thought it was too crazy for someone to take it seriously. I sure hope nobody takes that as serious advice and does it. Then again, maybe we don't need the people that would do this in our gene pool anyway? Ok that's a bit harsh.

Gungirl · 04-04-12, 03:23 PM

Lol.. well I am happy to read that you where joking.. however you need to add in things to show us that....

..

hellosugaree · 04-04-12, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gungirl

Lol.. well I am happy to read that you where joking.. however you need to add in things to show us that....

..

Thanks. I'll try to remember to add in some appropriate smileys to convey my mood. However, eventually you will just realize that 95% of what comes out of my mouth is sarcastic BS anyway. Not the mean kind though, just the fun kind.

exwizard · 04-04-12, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirtle

All of my friends who have big snakes always handle them around their neck and also using their arms.. but ever place I read says that's the wrong thing to do.

Black Betty is no giant but she is a big snake at 9 1/2' long and 26 lbs. She is very strong even if she is tame. I never let her wrap around my neck. I do on the other hand let her ride on my shoulders. It is possible to do that without her wrapping around my neck. My advice is to avoid having any big snake wrap around the neck no matter what. There was a guy is Nebraska who made the news a couple of years ago because he was killed by a Ball due to this very thing

marvelfreak · 04-04-12, 05:22 PM

You can support a big snakes weight on your shoulder just be careful not to let it wrap. I was holding a 8.5' & 16lbs female RTB when she got spooked. In under 3 seconds she tighten around my neck and was choking me out. In under 15 i was out cold and fell. Which made her tighten even more. Luckily my brother and sister in law had just show up and got her off of me. They said i had turn purple. I am a big boy and a power house so i always thought i could easily pull her off by myself. But when you can't breath you don't have half the strength you think you would. Always have some one else there just in case.

hellosugaree · 04-04-12, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

You can support a big snakes weight on your shoulder just be careful not to let it wrap. I was holding a 8.5' & 16lbs female RTB when she got spooked. In under 3 seconds she tighten around my neck and was choking me out. In under 15 i was out cold and fell. Which made her tighten even more. Luckily my brother and sister in law had just show up and got her off of me. They said i had turn purple. I am a big boy and a power house so i always thought i could easily pull her off by myself. But when you can't breath you don't have half the strength you think you would. Always have some one else there just in case.

I would believe it. 10 seconds is really all it takes. They don't even have to stop your breathing. When you cut off blood supply to the brain by pinching arteries in your neck you go pretty quickly. Ever seen someone go limp in 10s from a choke in mma? It doesn't take much. In fact, the actual pressure on the neck is very little and someone can be choked to unconsciousness and death pretty quickly and easily without even blocking their breathing.

Caylan · 04-04-12, 05:53 PM

For me it completely depends on the snake, but the most I've handled on my own so far was an 8' female guyana red tail, or a 10' female coastal carpet python. The guyana was significantly more difficult with the added weight, but far more still and kinda just clung on to my torso and rested on my shoulders, whereas controlling 10' of curiosity can be way harder... I find the larger the snake, the easier it is to mishandle too, which they usually won't tolerate and will show aggression in someway or another. Just be smart about it, and don't take unnecessary risks. Always pay attention!!

Squirtle · 04-04-12, 05:55 PM

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

Gungirl · 04-04-12, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirtle

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

Why risk it? No reason to...

exwizard · 04-04-12, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirtle

So it's fine to hold him around my shoulders, but I must have someone within yelling distance?

Oh yeah, 1 person for every 8' of snake...

Squirtle · 04-04-12, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gungirl

Why risk it? No reason to...

risk what? I don't get it..

Gungirl · 04-04-12, 06:09 PM

Risk the snake spooking and choking the crap out of you....

**millertime89** · 04-04-12, 10:37 PM

While I understand using your shoulders to support the weight of the snake, I still agree you should always have a second person around if the snake is big enough to necessitate that.

Caylan · 04-05-12, 03:07 AM

Drape the back 2/3's of the snake over your right shoulder, wrapping the tail around your left hip, supporting with your left hand(always control of the tail this way, and then you use your right arm and hand to guide the head around. You'll find once the snake gets to big for this, they won't like being supported by a single person anyway, its uncomfortable for them more then it is for you actually. This also removes the chance of carotid artery blocking, since one half of the snake is actually under your arm when it choses to constrict, and you already have its tail. Should give you a bit more time to call for help

Terranaut · 04-05-12, 04:24 AM

Well the biggest snake I have isn't the one I need to be the most cautious with so the 8' or more = 2 people rule is a bit vague but a good starting point. My 7.5' JCP is about 1/2 as strong as my 6.75' Boa. She(Eva my Boa)gets uneasy when off the ground. Her previous owner always sat on the couch with her. She is very handleable but lift her up and she holds on hard. I know I could not unwrap her from my neck alone so she is never there. But I will drape her over one shoulder. Now my JCP I let lurk all over me. If she tries to go around my neck I sometimes put my hand on my chin and let her use me to climb. This way I have an arm in there already if anything goes south and I know that arm is enough to get her off me. Now all that being said. In my house I have 3 kids who all handle all of out snakes including Eva my female Boa mentioned above. We have both of the above snakes on the "do not hold unless mom or dad is here" list and 2 others on the "do not handle without another kid here"list. The other 3 are open access. Keeps them safe and us to.
So.... I guess what I am saying is the 8' rule is a rough rule and truly depends on the breed. Just because my snakes are less than 8' doesn't make them safe to handle alone. It is a good rule for the snakes comfort level though. 8' of snake is a lot for 2 hands so it becomes crappy for the snake.
Use common sense and play safe. Besides snakes are best enjoyed when shared with others.