Handling feisty snakes - Info

[jchittenden1]

I'm just an amateur I'm afraid but I do have a varied collection and the plans always seem to go on and on (it's so addictive). Anyways, I have a baby Californian King Snake thats a little aggressive, but it's just a case of being faster than he is. I just reach in, scoop him up and then he's fine... My 8foot Coastal is a puppy dog and I open the door and HE comes out to me. I just put my hand out and up he goes. He won't come out until he's on my shoulder tho... but he's around 6 years old so I let him off... The little guy in question is my 6foot New Guinea Carpet Python. Now he can be absolutely fine and it's a case of just reach in and pick him up, however we all have our days and on these days I've had to adopt another approach. Now I was told that covering a snakes head with a towel etc was bad in the fact that it can actually stress them more and when their heads are un-covered the instant shock of light again can again stress them out... So I discovered that my python liked to read (lol) I got a DVD case and put a glove on to hold the case and then put the case in between me and the snakes head (this was probs for my benefit mainly coz who likes being bitten) I then, like said above when the snakes attention was on this reached in with my other hand a gently lifted him out, no probs... So far I haven't yet been bitten by any snake. Just a Red Ackie...

[CharliKrisBoa]

I've got a little brazilian rainbow boa. not sure on the age but a small juvenile. When we first got it it was quite nippy as you would expect. Me and my boyfriend have found that since we have been hadling it more it calms down. We started by handling him near the tank so it felt safe.

When we go to get him out it S's up but we slowly hook his mid section and the flight reaction comes in to play and we can replace the hook with a hand and bring him slowly out and its really calm and very curious. lovely lil thing. Young snakes just need to be handled slowly and carefully.

[Saber]

I dont have any really big snakes. The biggest is a five foot Japanese ratsnake and she has been feisty as a baby. But she is much calmer as an adult. I think the trick with her was handling her very regularly everyday until she was about 3 years old and then every few days. I cant say she didnt try to bite when she was little but as soon as she got used to me this behaviour stopped and she became calm with me. I have always been wary though that her species is a bit more unpredictable than a cornsnake and dont let her be handled by anyone.
She does get nervous when there is other people in the room and when there is a lot of activity going on so I tend to keep things pretty calm and quiet when I am handling her. This has worked so far.
She just doesnt like to be disturbed and if she is in a deep sleep and disturbed she can bite. So I usually put my hand over her head so she knows clearly that its me and she doesnt get agitated.I can usually tell when she is sleeping deeply after all these years of knowing her.

[Nikkeh]

Sounds pathetic but at the minute i have a very bitey snow corn. After being bitten every 3 seconds i started wearing a pair of leather gloves while getting him out and handling, after doing this a couple of times i started wearing the gloves only to take him out of the viv, now i can ALMOST always get him out no problems, with the odd occasion when he's in a bad mood lol.

[kellogg]

well my most feisty was my trinket snake, when we first got him he was very viv defensive and would inflate his throat and gape his mouth and would strike and bite anything that moved, i would just remove his favourite hide he would hide under and distract him with one hand and gently lift him up with the other, once he was out he was a totally different fella, after a few weeks he gave up and is now the tamest little fella ever

[suze62]

Have to say this is one of the most helpful threads I have read on any snake forum, bravo!

[longqi]

Most of our snakes were wild caught
They range from chondros through to medium size retics
We use exactly the same method on every one
Snakes strike only for food or fear
The hot sweaty contact of human hands/skin often freaks them out
and so they strike

Get two bags like small pillowcases
One on each hand and lower arm
The material confuses the snake because it is not alive therefore is no threat
We never try to restrain or grip the head neck of the snake as this is what predators do
Slide one hand under the body of the snake
Two hands for a big one
Lift it gently out of the viv
Do not try to touch it with any bare skin
Let it sit there and get used to you
If the snake gets agitated and tries to strike simply turn around and keep turning until it relaxes again
[I have no idea why turning works but it does]

Do this several times over the course of a week
Eventually the snake will realise you are not a threat and will investigate you all over
That can be a nervous time but just try to relax
Within two weeks most snakes will be like puppies

Every snake has its own bag that we then keep and always use when going to that snakes viv for handling demos etc

Evidence of how well this works can been on our facebook as we are one of the very few places world wide where people can play with chondros

[rmac]

I Have a male brb, born septeber 2010, feisty viv defensive little.. Wotsit, I have started always using my hand gel, semi sented so he knows it's a friendly figure, I make a fist and as I get closer I put my hand out spread my fingers so I am that close he has no room to strike, and then he's like putty in my hand, I've only recently got him about a week ago, but at first he was so snappy, bitten 9 times in one day, persisted now haven't been bitten for last 4 days, still s's up on me occassionaly tho, just no strike! Get his mrs soon, so I'll have to start all over again!

I have 2 corn snakes anery and creamsicle placid as anything no problems! Just in and pick up, out of the viv, only babys really tho!

Handled a angry 4 year old corn twice now, can only say to slowly approach and after a few strikes it always seemed to calm down incredibly, handled like a dream then, there is my take on it anyways.

Rmac

[Sucuri]

Hi,

I hope you won't mind and if you do, please tell me kindly I just thought that this thread would be the best place to ask this question and I hope its so related and usefull that it can stay here

Basically, in the four years of my keeping my 13 snakes none of them ever bit me or anybody else for that matter. They are all very placid. Nevertheless from time to time I get slightly twitchy when someone else aproaches my snakes nervously - then I remember various stories or youtube vids about snakes biting and not letting go. Id rather be safe than sorry.

My question is, (since I have never really received a fully satisfactory answer to this) how do you cope if a large snake (in my case a burm or a boa constrictor) bites and holds on? How do you get the snake let go SAFELY and ideally without causing them any damage?

How exactly do you pry the mouth open.

I know about the idea of pushing inwards, not pulling out, I have also heard stories of pouring alcohol down the snake's mouth which I don't like at all. Pouring the water/submerging the head in water is not always possible I imagine and anyway, snakes can hold their breath for a long time. I have seen the videos of grabbing the snakes lips/ under chin flap and pulling apart - knowing my snakes that seems like a difficult task.

So please, if you know the expert answers to this, I would be very grateful. As I said, it has never happened but I would rather be prepared.

Many thanks!!!!!

[l0uiswh0]

I have an extremely bitchy corn. Originally she'd rattle her tail when she was worried, but now she bites - doesn't just strike, but sinks her teeth in, wraps round my arm and settles in for the long haul.

Sounds fairly pathetic, (I mean, it's just a corn :S) but I got fed up with losing circulation in my arm every time I needed to clean her out, and have now found a way of saving my bloodflow.

I have a soft pink cat toy, and a strong, dark pillowcase. I turn the pillowcase inside out and wear it like a gauntlet, and hold the toy in the fabric at the end. I encourage her to bite the toy (she's a bit dumb, always does), then quickly pull the case right way out with my other hand. Usually if I'm quick and careful enough, I can pull her fully into the case, and then just let go of the toy and secure the end.

Problem solved, and maybe useful for newbies like me who run into trouble with the tamest of snakes