Handling feisty snakes - Info

[cycad]

I had a 1.5 m african rock python many years ago that was the most stressed out snake I have ever seen. It never calmed down stiking at every opportunity, at the glass, whilst being held... its the only snake thats bit me in the face. I used to wear leather gloves for handling but it just wouldn't calm down. I had other African rocks that were a joy to own. I always remember the monster specimens they used to have at London Zoo, unbelieveable girth.

[king snake daz]

We got a ghost corn snake about 4 weeks ago and We were told he bite's coz they never handled him so for the first 2 weeks we just put our hand's in and petted him showing him some love feeding him in a feeding tub and now we can walk to the shop with him around our neck's people in the street and our family can hold him pet him it's just a matter of showing the snake yeah you can bite if you want but i don't care your coming out anyway just don't be scared to jump in and put it up



daz

[Medusa666]

Originally Posted by king snake daz

We got a ghost corn snake about 4 weeks ago and We were told he bite's coz they never handled him so for the first 2 weeks we just put our hand's in and petted him showing him some love feeding him in a feeding tub and now we can walk to the shop with him around our neck's people in the street and our family can hold him pet him it's just a matter of showing the snake yeah you can bite if you want but i don't care your coming out anyway just don't be scared to jump in and put it up

image

daz

agreed he is now such a good boy

[Tish]

While I was in college I was taught a couple of restraint techniques which i've found fairly useful.
The first is mainly used to pin them to pin them to the table. Place you thumb and middle finger on the sides of their head and index finger on the top. Be firm but very gentle as pushing hard on the back of a snakes head is the easiest way to kill them.
Alternatively you can simply place your thumb and index finger on their side of their head.
The last one is technically a venomous snake restraint but I find it easiest to use. you simply place you thumb on top of their head and index finger on the under side. Again remember to be firm enough to hold them in pace but not so hard it hurts them.

When it comes to picking up snake I simply say be confident and don't think about getting bitten. Don't hesitate and flap about of they'll get stressed out and strike. Simply put your hand into the vivarium and pick them up in one fluid movement. but don't sneak up on them!


And when it comes to more aggressive snakes I always use a snake hook!

[karlh]

i once had a red blood python which was very unpredictable. and would 'puch out' without any warning both in and out the viv. for him i used a hook to get him out his viv and handled him with slowly without any sudden moves.

my friend had an aru scrub python which was around 7/8 feet in lenth. very flighty! and with the agility of a tree python he could be handling it then suddenly whip past your ear, fortunately he was fairly placid as long as not handled for to long.

kenyan sand boas! i use to hate handling these as they could be anywhere under the sand. i was almost tagged many of times. i used to 'comb' the surface of the sand to uncover the snakes and use the hook to gently lift them out, once again i find these snakes unpredictable will strike without any warning at lightning speed.

[Freakinfreak]

This might sound a bit stupid but i've recently got my fist 2 snakes which are both corns.
Yes, they're in seperate tubs and yes the temps are fine and i've had the first, an anery called Koda who is 2 months old ish for about 5 days and just got another today which is an upperkey called Ozzy who is 1 month old ish. Both are males and really cute

I wont be handling until about the 1st of september ish, i had to pick up Koda today to move him into a different rub, when i put my hand in to pick him up he sorta slid around the rub trying to get away from my hand and i take it he was scared? I picked him up and he wasnt very calm really, i must've held him for about 4 seconds and then gently put him into the other rub but i felt quite bad because he seemed really scared.
I don't want to be chasing him around the rub everytime i wanna pic him up because i think this will stress him more. I'm a bit scared to pick him or Ozzy up because 1) my first snakes and i've only ever held an adult royal on my shoulders lol, 2) not 100% on how much pressure is too much so i dont want to hurt them.

Can anyone advise anything? I know that you have to pretty much hold 1/3rd away from their head and 1/3rd away from the end of their tail to keep them supported but it's the initial picking them up that i'm worried about. Holding them should be fine i think but anything that helps on the ease of holding them.

Thanks

p.s i feel stupid so don't mock me!

[StumpyFingers]

Originally Posted by Freakinfreak

This might sound a bit stupid but i've recently got my fist 2 snakes which are both corns.
Yes, they're in seperate tubs and yes the temps are fine and i've had the first, an anery called Koda who is 2 months old ish for about 5 days and just got another today which is an upperkey called Ozzy who is 1 month old ish. Both are males and really cute

I wont be handling until about the 1st of september ish, i had to pick up Koda today to move him into a different rub, when i put my hand in to pick him up he sorta slid around the rub trying to get away from my hand and i take it he was scared? I picked him up and he wasnt very calm really, i must've held him for about 4 seconds and then gently put him into the other rub but i felt quite bad because he seemed really scared.
I don't want to be chasing him around the rub everytime i wanna pic him up because i think this will stress him more. I'm a bit scared to pick him or Ozzy up because 1) my first snakes and i've only ever held an adult royal on my shoulders lol, 2) not 100% on how much pressure is too much so i dont want to hurt them.

Can anyone advise anything? I know that you have to pretty much hold 1/3rd away from their head and 1/3rd away from the end of their tail to keep them supported but it's the initial picking them up that i'm worried about. Holding them should be fine i think but anything that helps on the ease of holding them.

Thanks

p.s i feel stupid so don't mock me!

Because they have just been moved they are stressed.
If you just change the water daily they should get used to you approaching the Rub.
Reptiles are not happy with big things coming down from above, it is a natural defence from predators.
Once they get used to you it should just be a case of wait until they come out to give you the once over.

[eerievonlee]

I just got a pretty nippy 6 foot boa the other day, s/he's around 6 foot and quite aggro.

I'm taking the bite me all you want approach, I have a worn t-shirt in the viv so it gets used to my scent, and I've handled twice since getting it.

and once when viewing, when viewing it was ok, but twice handled in my hose I've been tagged, once on the arm and then today on my hand.

The bites don't really hurt, and I found today that stickin the old leather jacket on protects the arms.

apart from that I think perseverance is gonna be key, just gonna haveta take the blows for the next few weeks and hope my new pal calms down enough to hold.

[midnite3006]

Originally Posted by eerievonlee

I just got a pretty nippy 6 foot boa the other day, s/he's around 6 foot and quite aggro.

I'm taking the bite me all you want approach, I have a worn t-shirt in the viv so it gets used to my scent, and I've handled twice since getting it.

and once when viewing, when viewing it was ok, but twice handled in my hose I've been tagged, once on the arm and then today on my hand.

The bites don't really hurt, and I found today that stickin the old leather jacket on protects the arms.

apart from that I think perseverance is gonna be key, just gonna haveta take the blows for the next few weeks and hope my new pal calms down enough to hold.

I've been trying the "bite me if you want" approach with my royal ever since I got her in May, it doesn't seem to be working though. she's still extemely aggressive

[eerievonlee]

lol sopme snakes just never learn, well lets hope my boa does because I'd like to get it relatively tamed down just to prove that though they are huge they ain't monsters.