My snake is almost always in his hide and whenever i want to handle him i have no choice but to remove him from his hide. Ive been told on this forum not to do this, but ive also been told that if i want him to be ok with being handled i have to do this. Now my problem is that once hes out and in my hands hes ok. Hes pretty calm slithers around for a while, smells me, gets comfortable and relaxes, but getting him out is a pain everytime. He moves away he gets in strike position, rattles his tail, and the little bum strikes at me a lot. Hes caught me twice neither hurt of course, but i want it to be something he doesnt dread being taken out. I know that after a while of being taken out he'll probably get used to it, but if theres anything else i can do i would love to know. I want him to be as comfortable with me as possible.
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removing snake from viv
- Thread starter JBLAZE725
- Start date
Personally, I think what you are doing is fine and he should eventually calm down. Not to demeanor stress, but I think a little too much emphasis is put on it at times. Heck, I dig some of mine out from under the aspen and they hate it!lol
If you want to make it easier on the snake, you can fashion a hook from a coat hanger. Sometimes the hook is less intimidating than your hand. :cheers:
If you want to make it easier on the snake, you can fashion a hook from a coat hanger. Sometimes the hook is less intimidating than your hand. :cheers:
it's important...
to handle snakes as often as possible when a) they don't have a full stomach, b) they aren't in a shed and c) they aren't ill. in order to handle them as frequently as recommended you are required at times to remove them from their hide. i do it frequently and never think twice about it. if you decide you're ready to handle him and discover that he's in a hide i would suggest that you remove the hide and give him about ten or fifteen minutes to relax, explore his home and perk up. you have to be fearless, go in, grab him, get him out. it's hard when they are coiled up so you should wait until he's...mid-slither. be as quick as you can while remaining gentle and non-aggressive. if the snake senses that you're hesitating or fearful he will strike. sometimes i open the lid and wait for the snake to poke his head out, then i carefully remove him. i have been tagged and occasionally i worry about being tagged again so i often wait a while and build up courage and then rush in, ahah. you mentioned that once the snake is out s/he's fine. they get startled and stressed easily when first being picked up, after a while the snake will get used to your scent and the general way you pick him up. it'll be fine. good luck.
to handle snakes as often as possible when a) they don't have a full stomach, b) they aren't in a shed and c) they aren't ill. in order to handle them as frequently as recommended you are required at times to remove them from their hide. i do it frequently and never think twice about it. if you decide you're ready to handle him and discover that he's in a hide i would suggest that you remove the hide and give him about ten or fifteen minutes to relax, explore his home and perk up. you have to be fearless, go in, grab him, get him out. it's hard when they are coiled up so you should wait until he's...mid-slither. be as quick as you can while remaining gentle and non-aggressive. if the snake senses that you're hesitating or fearful he will strike. sometimes i open the lid and wait for the snake to poke his head out, then i carefully remove him. i have been tagged and occasionally i worry about being tagged again so i often wait a while and build up courage and then rush in, ahah. you mentioned that once the snake is out s/he's fine. they get startled and stressed easily when first being picked up, after a while the snake will get used to your scent and the general way you pick him up. it'll be fine. good luck.
MegF.
That's for sale???
If you waited for your snake to come out of a hide, you might be waiting a while. Barring shed, having just fed, or ill as stated above, take your snake out. I take mine out from their hides, under substrate, or while they're cruising. The only way to get them used to handling is to do it.
peep_827
hehehe
Well, I actually put a paper towel tube in for a hide w/out cutting it. It was Monty's favorite hide and I'd actually tip the tube on it's side and dump him out enough to catch a coil and pull him out. Man, that would piss him off!!! Luckily someone suggested I should cut the tube in 1/2 so I could just lift it off. It worked wonders . . . but of course now under his water bowl is his favorite spot. You just never know with snakes. LOL Anyway, he's never struck at me for getting him out, I honestly just pick up the hide he's in and grab him before he has a chance to think about it. I have never had a problem doing that and he is becoming quite tame. In fact the last time I had him out he tried to go up my nose . . . and he'll even let me touch his head now with out him moving away. So I don't think I've freaked him out too bad.
I've handled my corn alot since ive had him,but not while he is in shed or just fed. I jus reach in and grab him , even if he is all coiled up i slide my hand under neath him and pick him up. I've never been bitten and am not afraid of a lil bitty nip by a hatchling, everytime i go in to get him out i just think about nike's old slogan...Jus do it lol
JTGoff69
New member
mbdorfer said:
I actually bought a small hook from www.reptilesupply.com for $7 I think. It works great, though some people don't care for hooks. :shrugs: Since right now most of mine are still relatively small and are usually coiled up, I just hook them through 2 sections at once and place them in my hand. Voila! Calm snake. Reaching in and just grabbing them mid body used to make them thrash around, and really piss them off. We have much better handling times together now, as they start off calm to begin with.
Serpwidgets
New member
Fresh hatchlings are so small that I used to be afraid of squishing them when trying to pick them up, so I just bent the end of a q-tip to make a hook.
As others have mentioned, if you wave your hand around in front of them you'll only scare them. It's a lot easier on them if you pick them up quickly, and if you reach for their mid-body, as far away from the head and tail as possible. He should get used to it long before he's big enough to actually do any damage.
As others have mentioned, if you wave your hand around in front of them you'll only scare them. It's a lot easier on them if you pick them up quickly, and if you reach for their mid-body, as far away from the head and tail as possible. He should get used to it long before he's big enough to actually do any damage.
Im not worried about getting bitten as hes done it and it can barely even be felt. I just dont wanna scare the crap outta him and make it so he doesnt want to be held. I just wanted to make sure taking him out of the hide was ok, but since you all say it is then thats that. Also i make sure i never handle him before 48 hours after a feed or while in shed which he has only been in once while ive had him. All in all i just want it to be a fun thing for both of us when i get him out.
