Snake handling pros and cons

infernalis · 10-25-10, 08:49 PM

He's a subject that gets brought up a lot in threads, So I figured let's have a good old fashion discussion/debate about what is considered acceptable or unacceptable and what is just plain common sense.

Myself, I do not do a lot of handling.. However once again my situation is unique, trying to handle a small snake that only wants to freak out and musk all over you simplifies the decision.

I don't even care to handle our bigger snakes, it's just not natural to the snake. at best I feel they tolerate us, and it's too easy to think that an animal paralyzed by fear is calm or "tame"

Think of this, if you're sitting on the sofa holding your snake, why does it keep trying to get under the cushions?

Some people want to think that their snakes love to be held...others prefer to observe them.

At the same time, a little handling is necessary if you ever plan to clean the cages or take them to a vet..

what's your take??

BlindOne · 10-25-10, 09:00 PM

I'm very content to spend most of my time watching. 90% of my handling has to do with cleaning/feeding. I don't see anything wrong with handling but I think that it more or less creates stress in the animal for no good reason.

It helps that many of my animals are so willing to bite me LOL. Got tagged by a Hondo Milk this weekend.

Bamagecko · 10-25-10, 09:01 PM

I know my snake has no attachment to me, but I do think it enjoys being able to stetch its muscles and smell some new smells but really could care less. I handle it for two reasons one, to observe it and to keep it from being aggresive.

My $0.02

DeesBalls · 10-25-10, 09:14 PM

i handle mine 2-4 times in 2 weeks...i dont handle the day of feeding, and 2 days after, but i will get them out and let them crawl around... i also get them out for pictures too

only one who doesnt like it is my snow corn, but other 3 do like it!!

infernalis · 10-25-10, 09:55 PM

I take mine out mostly for feeding or photo shoots.

During the summer I do take some of them out and let them explore the back yard for a bit, but only the bigger, slower ones.

D&J-burgos · 10-25-10, 10:28 PM

i just got a emperor scorpion and got hit (i know you started this for snakes) so i wont be holding him again any time soon. however i handle my BP ever other week or so just to do it...im sure he doesn't love it when i hold him, but i am sure he enjoys crawling around on the floors and such

TylerWortman · 10-25-10, 11:10 PM

I love handling my snakes.

Do they love it? I don't know they don't tell me.

Do they hate it? I don't know that either they don't tell me. Some may tell you, biting, musking etc but tons of snakes do not do that.

What I do believe is that they enjoy coming out of the cages to explore new environments, getting fresh air and just being out of their restricted living enclosures.

I handle my snakes for many reasons.... Mainly I hold them to show them I will never hurt them and to help with aggression. I handle them to teach others (humans) that they aren't the terrifying monsters people make them out to be. To show them they are just as important as a family's dog, maybe even more important in some cases. I handle them to clean their cages and I also handle them just because I love them and think its amazing how they move. Holding them to inspect for mites, parasites and just for the snakes health.

Things I do worry about while handling is that they can get spooked anytime. I try not to handle them when dogs are running around, people acting stupid towards it, or if they have eaten in the past couple days.

IMO I believe that there are more pros to handling snakes than cons. ALL DEPENDING ON THE SNAKE.

Feebo · 10-26-10, 03:24 AM

Scorpions shouldn`t be handled at all dude...

Snake wise, I handle when I need to. That`s when I`m cleaning the enclosure or I need to look at a problem I`ve spotted. 95% observation 5% handling when essential...... The enclosure is he closest thing they have to a natural environment, the second they are removed from that, it`s all alien. I don`t think you need to be super strict, I don`t hesitate to get a snake out (carefully chosen) to show a guest, but overall, mine aren`t ever handled for the sake of it, just as part of my husbandry routine and only when necessary...

Lankyrob · 10-26-10, 05:47 AM

When we had a couple of snakes i handled them 3 or 4 times a week, now with more snakes they get handled when fed (except the arboreals who are fed in their enclosures) and apart from that they are handled occassionally just for my pleasure. I try to rotate each snake so that none are left out but also so that one isnt handled all the time more than others. So spreading out the stress caused amongst the snakes as much as possible.

Currently i am (trying) to handle our JCP more than the others as he is the most aggressive and i am hoping to get to a point where he wont bite every time i open his viv.

Generally tho i would say that each snake (except for feeding purposes) is handled once a fortnight or so. After typing i realised we have one snake that has NEVER been handled which is the baby GTP - no handling intended for at least another year if not longer - he is just starting to show green on his scales so i think it could be the start of the "change".

Our lizards tend to get more interaction - for one they are fed more regularly. The monitor want out of his viv every time the door opens - literally if i fill his water he will just run up my arm! The Frilled dragon is more nervous but gradually coming around to being handled, she needs to be picked up rather than her coming to us but we have got to the stage where she isnt frilling up and hissing at us anymore.

kenchenzo · 10-26-10, 10:28 AM

i think some snakes liked to be handled.
my rat snake & my reduced pattern boa come out of there vivs up over my neck and go to sleep.

Will0W783 · 10-26-10, 11:14 AM

I do not handle my snakes as much as I did when I was first starting out. My arboreals get handled once every few weeks, if that. Mostly I just remove the perch and let the snake decide whether it wants to interact or not. I would never pry an arboreal off its perch. As for my terrestrial snakes, I handle them when I'm cleaning cages, or changing water dishes, and try to handle each one at least twice a month so as to keep aggression/defensiveness down. I have a few snakes that will come out of the enclosure and up onto my arms and shoulders by themselves, and others that don't seem to enjoy being handled very much, so it's kept to a minimum for them.

nanna · 10-26-10, 11:59 AM

We hold Dakota it is harder putting her back home then taking her out her comes to the top to come out and tries to come out when we try to put her back. She stays on my lap or beside me on the sofa we give her time to wonder around when the dogs and cat are locked up she also seems to be perfectly content on my shoulder when I clean exploring the smells and areas of the house she gets to go with me. Quite often when we get home she is in her hide but when we start moving around she comes out of her hide and if is not with us she is laying out to see.

infernalis · 10-26-10, 12:24 PM

I have a couple of real sweetheart snakes that really seem to get along well with handling.

The one that I find the most peculiar is this big female garter snake that I grabbed up off the ground just in time to keep her from getting run over by a mower.

She would crawl all over me all day long if I would let her. She accepts food right from my hands while I am holding her. Disclaimer to others - Do not try feeding a larger snake from your hands while holding, it's a good way to get hurt.

Whenever I put her back, she tries desperately to scoot back up my arm.

On the opposite end of that scale is my Black Racer "Toby", Toby freaks out at the slightest touch, I mean really really freaks out to the point I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself. He will bounce off the walls of his enclosure.

It makes cleaning time a nightmare.

presspirate · 10-26-10, 12:27 PM

I don't handle mine as much as I used to. I make it a point to handle them at leas once a week as stated by others, to keep them used to being handled and to observe any health issues.

marvelfreak · 10-26-10, 03:33 PM

As babies i handle about three time a week for the first couple month then as they get use to it once a week. Now that they're bigger they only get handle when cleaning and for photo shots. Once in a great while when showing people. My borneo is my mellowest snake by far, but hides 99% of the time and hardly ever moves. Only gets handle once a month. He so lazy that he will only eat once a month.