Toucy Feely time?

[Greekinese]

I've had my bp for a little over a week now, this coming Thursday will be two weeks.
I haven't handled him all that much, he's super skittish. I read that they should have 1 to 2 weeks to acclimate to their new surroundings.

When I touch him, he tenses up and he was on a vine and I was going to pick him up, but he had a death grip on the vine...wrapped his body around it hehe.
If I touch him when he's on the ground, he gets jumpy and defensive.

He hasn't hissed or struck at me yet. He has gotten into position for a strike, but I think he's bluffing.
Should I give him a little more time or start handling him and tame him out asap?

I don't want to push him and stress him out, but I also don't want to go too long and risk him not getting comfortable being handled.

Might be time for some tough love hehe.

[Trackstrong83]

If he's just a baby, it's completely normal. Just do short handling times (5 or so mins) about three times a week. Sooner or later they will be fine with being handled. With my bp now has no care in the world when I pick her up.

[nachash]

Sometjmes when people on here brag about how tame their snakes can get, I think it creates this idea that all snakes can be like that. That is not the case. Just like people some snakes are more skittish than others and will remain more skittish than others. Tough love is kinda mammalian proposition so that might stress out the snake before.
I think the thing that helped me get my snake used to me the most was covering the bottom 3rd of the front side of its tank with something opaque to give added security. You want to tame a snake, make it feel as safe as possible.

[Greekinese]

If you make it more secure in the enclosure, doesn't taking him out of there stress him out still?

I'll give it a shot, even if he's jumpy...have a feeling I'm going to have to change my answer on the never been bit thread lol.
Hmm, I better get it on camera...we'll see if he's bluffing or not.

[nachash]

Well, usually unless I have a major cleaning scheduled or he pooped underneath a hide I usually only take mine out if he's out of the hide boxes because inside his hide I feel he has the same rights as me in my house. The fuzz cant just come in and force me to follow the law in my own home....unless they have PROOF I pooped in my hide. Tough love notwithstanding.

[Annarose15]

Well, usually unless I have a major cleaning scheduled or he pooped underneath a hide I usually only take mine out if he's out of the hide boxes because inside his hide I feel he has the same rights as me in my house. The fuzz cant just come in and force me to follow the law in my own home....unless they have PROOF I pooped in my hide. Tough love notwithstanding.

LOVE IT!!

To the OP - Just get him out. When you hesitate or flinch in reaction to him doing the same, it only serves to make him more nervous. Pick him up, sit still in a quiet place, and let him do the rest.

[rtman26]

When I first got my BP in January he was VERY defensive and would anchor himself to whatever he could. Rather than stress him out, and peel him off of whatever he was wrapped around, I just decided to wait until he wasn't near anything he could grab onto, then reach in and pick him up quickly. Sometimes it works, sometimes he runs. One thing I never do is force him out of his hide, not because someone told me not to (on the contrary, everyone says its just fine), I just want him to have a place that he feels completely safe. I know its hard....but just be patient. It has only been a few months for me, and my little guy is already learning that I'm not going to eat him....and getting much more curious and less defensive.

[snakesRkewl]

The touchy feely party is for cats and dogs, reach in and pick him up and take him away from his home and sit and chill with him for 10-15 minutes at a time and soon he'll learn to love being out and held.
It takes some time for some of them to adjust, the main thing for you is to not touch and or pet the snake in it's home, they can get quite unnerved over the petting inside their home.

[SlitherinSisters]

Yeah the youngsters can be silly and defensive, totally normal. You can always poke his head with something so he's not in striking mode, I poke them with a paper towel or my hand then pick them up. They will usually calm down as soon as you pick them up.

[Burzurk]

My BP when i first got him was jumpy and skittish. after a few months of handling and once he gets used to you and knows your not out to harm him he will settle down. Mine is 8 months old now and is not jumpy and skittish and rarely balls up anymore. But they all have there own little personalities. I have had mine for 8 months and he has not striked at me or hissed. Just give it time