"tap training" snakes

[**louise**]

Originally Posted by Ailsa McVicar

I do this with my hatchie, she's a funny little thing cause she's obviously interested in the food following it, loads of tongue flicking and she looks at me as if to say nah am no hungry lol but just a few little taps and bang she changes and is right on the food and scoffing it down

Oop just read your post again and it's not about feeding at all, sorry.

Need one of those face palm pics me thinks!!



Thanks for that guide. Again, not something I had ever heard of until it came up a few weeks ago. Very helpful. May have to try this on one of my boas. Got one who really doesn't like being taken out her tub. She's fine once out, be she does all the hissing and striking while I'm trying to pick her up! She's only small right now but it would be good if I can get her out the habbit before she gets big

[Scimthar]

Originally Posted by Ailsa McVicar

I do this with my hatchie, she's a funny little thing cause she's obviously interested in the food following it, loads of tongue flicking and she looks at me as if to say nah am no hungry lol but just a few little taps and bang she changes and is right on the food and scoffing it down

Oop just read your post again and it's not about feeding at all, sorry.

Wait a second, I thought you were supposed to tap the snake to tell them they're not being fed? I am quite confused as it seems you mean the opposite?

[AilsaM]

Originally Posted by Scimthar

Wait a second, I thought you were supposed to tape the snake to tell them they're not being fed? I am quite confused as it seems you mean the opposite?

Sorry that was me not reading post properly, sorry, ignore my reply.

[violentchopper]

Thanx for posting this. Should of done this to my corn. He went mental this season and tried to get past his food to get me. Tried to bite me all the time. Pretty ungrateful considering I let him mate. He has calmed down now. Might not pet him breed next year and see how he is

[MagicSqueak]

Great post Ian! Started doing this to my female woma and it was starting to work...I believe the tap training has continued and she's almost handleable now

[Becky]

Our burm is tap trained, works very well If we're doing any tank maintenance or getting him out he gets stroked on the head.. if its feeding time, the doors are opened and food is thrown in. Simples

[steve25]

Cant remember where i read it but what i read was that snakes can recognise shapes. If you show them Tongs then feed them they will associate the tongs with food. If you show them a hook before handling they will associate the hook with being handled therefore minimising strikes when entering the viv. i havent tried it myself as i dont have tongs or a hook! I do fancy trying it out though.
If anyone has more info or has tried it i would like to hear about it.

Oh and theres an article about tap training in the current issue of practical reptile keeping. Could easily read it while the o/h is shopping in tesco's. thats what i do!

[sender]

I'm using a hook to get my scrub Kammo out, for two reasons, 1 you go in there with your hand and she'll be attached to it lol and two cause the viv she is in is three foot deep and she's tiny lol

it's working really well, we're also working on viv side association, only feeding her from the left hand side of the viv and getting her out from the right hand side, going to see how this works out

[violentchopper]

Originally Posted by sender

I'm using a hook to get my scrub Kammo out, for two reasons, 1 you go in there with your hand and she'll be attached to it lol and two cause the viv she is in is three foot deep and she's tiny lol

it's working really well, we're also working on viv side association, only feeding her from the left hand side of the viv and getting her out from the right hand side, going to see how this works out

Let us know how it works out. Sound like an interesting theory.

[jay1122]

i use this with my burm she some small anger issues in the viv lol but once she out she is very calm. works well