my children's python feeding response

hello everybody hope you're all having a great day/night :D!!

just wanted to come on here for some advice, i am a new keeper, i have a children's python who i've had for about a year now. he is about 1 1/2 years old and doing great! :D he is very active and makes great use of the enclosure i gave him and takes every opportunity to climb.

as much as i enjoy watching an active and healthy snake in his enclosure, i would like to be able to handle him from time to time. he is still growing but is around ~2ft right now and he is very little. that being said, he has a VERY strong feeding response and will never not readily take food (unless he is shedding). i cannot attempt to pick him up without him striking and wrapping around my hand, sometimes i can take him out for a few minutes but eventually he will end up biting my hand and coiling around it again, which is no fun for the both of us. i try my best to remain calm in these situations because i dont want to stress him out anymore. i was able to successfully handle him once without being bit, however i was wearing gloves at the time.

what should i do to help calm this feeding response? will it go away as he ages? i don't think most of his strikes are defensive, just thinks im food :P i love the little guy nonetheless.

i provide him with plenty of places to hide and i upkeep his husbandry every day, so i dont think that is the problem, but feel free to give any advice.

also, if a snake bites and coils around you, how do you guys personally go about removing them from you? i havent had problems with what ive done so far but i wonder if there might be another way thats easier :gj:

happy (almost) 4th of july :salute:

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Originally Posted by blisterbeetle

what should i do to help calm this feeding response? will it go away as he ages? also, if a snake bites and coils around you, how do you guys personally go about removing them from you?

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Wear gloves. I haven't had a problem being bitten while handling. My problem was being bitten during water changes. As a result, I've made it my habit to wear gloves whenever I reach into his enclosure. I think yours will calm down with age and continued handling. I like nitrile gloves for handling. They're more dexterous than work gloves and allow for more sensitive handling.

As for how to remove a wrapped snake, the one time my Children's wrapped me, I just waited for him to figure it out. Personally, I found the bite only mildly irritating and, frankly, a bit humorous. I can imagine that I would feed differently if it kept happening, however.

I'm so glad to hear the Antaresia army has a new recruit. Don't be shy. Post pics. Start a progression thread. I'd love to hear all about your little monster's adventures.

Hook train. With my bigger snakes (retic and burmese) I rub the hook with a drop of lemon or fresh/astringent scent hand sanitizer or white vinegar. Rub some on your own hands and arms as well. Snakes are very smell-oriented and once they smell the hand sanitizer or vinegar they want nothing to do with eating you.

Like BCR229's post above, I would also suggest washing your hands well, then "scenting them" with something distasteful but harmless, like vinegar or lemon, or even rub in some isopropyl alcohol (so your hand is damp, not wet). IF you use a hook to train him, put a rubber stopper or cork on the end of it with the "scent of the day" ;) because these little guys could hurt their mouth if they bite the hook, & from what you've said, yours probably will.

If you just go about wearing gloves, as Homebody mentioned, you lose a lot of sensitivity in handling & that's important too. Then when you finally take off the gloves, your hands are still that warm & wiggling "possibility" to such a determined little snake. :rofl: Hang in there, at least he's small, & most snakes do learn that we're not edible. "Most"-:rolleyes: Remember it's not just the scent with this kind of snake, but your hand's nice big heat signature. :snake: And snakes are optimists when it comes to size- :D

I've never had this problem with my similar/slightly larger Aussie Spotted python, by the way. She's a strong feeder too but she doesn't seem to think I'm edible- go figure? Maybe I taste bad?

Oh, about getting a wrapped & biting snake off your hand- try not to wiggle your hand, as most constrictors hold tighter thinking the prey might get away- easier said than done, eh? But seriously, try a quick plunge into a deep bowl of cold water- your snake will hopefully let go. (Put the bowl IN the enclosure first if it's not already there, otherwise you may have a loose snake & another "rodeo" as he streaks away, lol.)

DO NOT pull your snake off forcefully or you'll be hurting his mouth (you could even break his neck very easily) & you'll be breaking his teeth, some of which may remain embedded in your hand as both a potential medical issue (snake teeth make hard-to-see slivers, hard to remove) & "keepsake" for you.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

As for how to remove a wrapped snake, the one time my Children's wrapped me, I just waited for him to figure it out. Personally, I found the bite only mildly irritating and, frankly, a bit humorous. I can imagine that I would feed differently if it kept happening, however.

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:P i know- its pretty funny due to his small size, but hes determined to eat me :rolleyes: i have to use measures to remove him otherwise he'll start trying to swallow my finger/hand and i wouldnt like to see how long it takes him to figure it out :P i have the opposite problem- i don't have a problem spot cleaning or changing water, just when i take him out to handle.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Like BCR229's post above, I would also suggest washing your hands well, then "scenting them" with something distasteful but harmless, like vinegar or lemon, or even rub in some isopropyl alcohol (so your hand is damp, not wet). IF you use a hook to train him, put a rubber stopper or cork on the end of it with the "scent of the day" ;) because these little guys could hurt their mouth if they bite the hook, & from what you've said, yours probably will.

If you just go about wearing gloves, as Homebody mentioned, you lose a lot of sensitivity in handling & that's important too. Then when you finally take off the gloves, your hands are still that warm & wiggling "possibility" to such a determined little snake. :rofl: Hang in there, at least he's small, & most snakes do learn that we're not edible. "Most"-:rolleyes: Remember it's not just the scent with this kind of snake, but your hand's nice big heat signature. :snake: And snakes are optimists when it comes to size- :D

I've never had this problem with my similar/slightly larger Aussie Spotted python, by the way. She's a strong feeder too but she doesn't seem to think I'm edible- go figure? Maybe I taste bad?

Oh, about getting a wrapped & biting snake off your hand- try not to wiggle your hand, as most constrictors hold tighter thinking the prey might get away- easier said than done, eh? But seriously, try a quick plunge into a deep bowl of cold water- your snake will hopefully let go. (Put the bowl IN the enclosure first if it's not already there, otherwise you may have a loose snake & another "rodeo" as he streaks away, lol.)

DO NOT pull your snake off forcefully or you'll be hurting his mouth (you could even break his neck very easily) & you'll be breaking his teeth, some of which may remain embedded in your hand as both a potential medical issue (snake teeth make hard-to-see slivers, hard to remove) & "keepsake" for you.

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i figured as i handle him more and as he ages he will improve! but thanks for the tips, i would never try to forcefully remove him from my hand, more stress for the both of us :P i will invest in a hook too! thank you everyone!

This begs the obvious, but are you sure you're feeding him enough? Just asking to cover all the bases.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

This begs the obvious, but are you sure you're feeding him enough? Just asking to cover all the bases.

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yes, about once a week he gets a hopper

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Originally Posted by blisterbeetle

yes, about once a week he gets a hopper

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That's how I was feeding mine at that age. I'm feeding even less now. Wiggles is almost three and he gets a hopper-sized Reptilink every 9 days. These guys don't need much.

At his size you don't need an actual hook, just something long enough to touch him before he encounters your hand. A flattened empty paper towel roll works well - it will absorb the vinegar or hand sanitizer, and if he strikes it he won't hurt himself.