GTP question. :]

[pinkeye714]

So at work today. I have never held any of the GTP. All i get to do is clean their cage everyday and mist them lol.

So i held one of the babies. He did not bite me till i began to walk. Then he tagged me 7 times. Ahah But! i still want one!
How many of you. Who have held yours, still get bit even as an adult?
i am sure i would have a heart attack getting bit by an adult lol.

[akjadlnfkjfdkladf]

There will always be individuals within every snake species that don't like being handled and/or are cage-defensive, as well as individuals who are laid back and don't assume you're trying to eat them.

Best thing you can do is handle the animal before you buy it.

I've seen very tame GTPs and I've also been told that they are generally nippy as most arboreals are.

[akjadlnfkjfdkladf]

one handling tip i can offer however is to make the perches in your GTPs cage removeble (GTPs as you probably know require perches). Hooking arboreals off perches can stress the snake out as well as yourself and could end up in some biting

[Wh00h0069]

I don't handle my GTP. He has not tried to bite me since I first got him, but I only do anything in his cage during the day time. They are in feeding mode at night, and will tag anything that moves.

[wwmjkd]

it usually takes a year or more before the neonates start to grow out of their defensive stage. my 2011 red neo behaves like he's evil incarnate. he will strike any time I open his tub unless he's buried his head in his coils and can't physically see me. on the opposite end of the spectrum, my adult sorong x jayapura is as docile as I've ever known a chrondo to be. he's never so much as hissed at me. I will say that his hunting mode is still somewhat intimidating, and I usually give him a spray down before handling so he knows I'm not bringing dinner, but overall couldn't ask for a better snake. I'm hoping the neonate is just manifesting some of his 'growing pains' with the aggression, but only time will tell. either way he'll look just as great in a display cage some day soon.

[pinkeye714]

Thanks you guys. I was just wondering if anyone handles their adults and do not get bit.
I know most tree snakes tend to be nippy when young. Just wanted to hear, "success stories" lol

[Exotic Ectotherms]

I agree 100% with David.....make your perches removable. When I need to take my GTP out of her enclosure I just pull the perch out and gently touch her so she knows that I am not going to eat her. She eventually relaxes enough to be able to work her off the perch if it is necessary. However....I do not "handle" her like I would a ball python.

And as Eddie said....don't even think about putting your hands in the cage after dark. They are actively hunting and will bite anything warm and moving.

[akjadlnfkjfdkladf]

Honestly if you want a morelia looking animal that you can casually pull out and handle a few times a week a carpet is a much better choice

GTPs are fragile and carpets are hardy

[jsmorphs2]

They are definitely very variable in temperament. Our two jaya x lereh yearlings have never struck at us even when they were tiny neos and we would only handle them to clean their perches once every few months. And now that they are bigger they are still very mellow (except at night, lol, and you couldn't pay me to take them out). Our new little Biak neo is pretty mellow too but every once in a while it will strike at me though.

Carpets are awesome too but have bigger cage requirements as adults.

If you're definitely thinking of a chondro just do your research and I suggest getting a captive bread/born yearling from a reputable breeder. They can help you choose a mellow one with some size that will make a great pet to handle.

[Brandon Osborne]

In my experience, certain locale types are easier to handle than others. I've been keeping gtp since 1995 and carpets since 93. I have noticed carpets are actually much more flight and quick to bite. Of course this also depends on the locale of the gtp. I've never seen a Biak that was trustworthy what so ever. Sorongs and Jayas are usually calm and easy to work with, as well as some of the more traceable bloodlines. My SCZ line produces very gentle animals as babies and adults....my original male will be 17 years old in a few months and he's just as awesome today as he was 12 years ago when I got him.

Ask about how the adult temperaments are. It is somewhat genetic in my opinion and others. I have many adult chondros I trust over all of my carpets. Good luck!