Does this happen to anyone else?

[Shawnee]

Hi guys. So I've really gotten into a nice routine with my snakes, and everything is working out pretty well. There's just one thing that's been bugging me.

When I feed the snakes, I always end up jumping/jerking a little bit when they strike their food. Like...it doesn't scare me, it's just the extremely fast movement makes my body react. One time I've even dropped the rat before they've bitten it and it drops on them and they get scared. (Only happened once thankfully, but then he wouldn't eat it -_-)

Is there any way to stop my body from doing this? Or will it just stop on it's own once I've been doing it for a long time?

Thank you for any help. As a bonus, here's a pic of Malachi of his first day outside!

[Eric Alan]

When I feed the snakes, I always end up jumping/jerking a little bit when they strike their food. Like...it doesn't scare me, it's just the extremely fast movement makes my body react.

I don't think it's a "scared" thing at all - it's more of an involuntary reaction to something that you didn't know was going to happen at that exact moment. I have a similar reaction when I have to "zombie dance" for longer than usual and I start feeling like they're not going to strike and then out of nowhere WHAM! That same involuntary reaction doesn't happen at all for those snakes that have quicker feeding responses because I'm anticipating their strike sooner.

[Shawnee]

I don't think it's a "scared" thing at all - it's more of an involuntary reaction to something that you didn't know was going to happen at that exact moment. I have a similar reaction when I have to "zombie dance" for longer than usual and I start feeling like they're not going to strike and then out of nowhere WHAM! That same involuntary reaction doesn't happen at all for those snakes that have quicker feeding responses because I'm anticipating their strike sooner.

Well what you've said makes perfect sense. It seems like I have to zombie dance for a while with some of them, perhaps that's why! haha. Though I did feed one of my Boa's today and I definitely jerked less than usual. I wonder if it's because he reacted faster? Right when I moved it close to his face is when he struck, so I guess I was anticipating it then

[Lynchman18]

Yea its more of a normal reaction.. I have the same problem so what i did to help the cause was went to my local LLL reptile store in Oceanside and bought for $12.00 a long pair of tweezer looking tongs with rubber coated ends. This way i'm a good 8 inches away from the strike zone and believe it or not it has helped me a ton. I dont jump/jerk back as much if i do its very little. you should try and invest in a pair and see if that helps..

[KMG]

I have a pair of big tweezers but I prefer my tongs. They were cheap from Amazon and handle my rats with ease. The only issue they have is trying to hold the XL rats my big bloods takes. They won't hold them from the tail very well but pick it up from the hips fine.

As for your startle response you just need to get used to your snakes and learn each of their mannerisms. That and tell yourself the strike is going to happen and try to remain calm when it does. Also delivering the rats in a position where you can not be tagged should help your brain control your reflex by knowing it's safe from the snake. My GTP will come out of its cage so I have to quickly get the dangling rat through the door at an angle that keeps my hand out of reach on the other side of the glass. Doing this is safer for him and me. If you get a strike and your tool is taken leave it with the snake and retrieve it once the snake is done eating. That is much easier and safer than trying to remove it from a coiled snake.

[Jhill001]

My rat snakes don't strike at all, I just sort of hold it there and they take it very gently and swallow it. Its actually pretty weird.

[JLC]

Yep...you're definitely not alone.

I have a very strong "startle reflex" and as you say, it has nothing to do with being afraid of anything, it's just how the body reacts to sudden events. Heck, my toaster makes me jump!!

Long tongs are a HUGE help, as it keeps that event at a distance. Time and practice also help, but don't get discouraged if it takes a LOT of time (and many, many feedings) for that reflex to calm down some. Mine isn't gone completely, but it's definitely better than it used to be.

I consider it a blessing to be so quick to react, because if they strike AT me, I'm very quick to get out of the way. Funny thing is though....when I actually DO get bit, those are the ones I never saw coming and I don't react at all beyond an, "Oh...look at that."

[hazzaram]

Yep! I feed with a long pair of tongs and I still jerk when they strike at the rat. I usually end up dropping it, but thankfully they still eat it when I drop it. I'm hoping as I get used to it (only had them a month), I'll stop but I probably won't lol. I think it's just human nature.

[hazzaram]

Heck, my toaster makes me jump!!

This made me laugh because I totally jump at my toaster every time!

[Chkadii]

If you think about the best jump-scare movies, what makes them so powerful is the suspense built up before the scare. With those awful prank scare videos online, they get you by showing something that makes you focus intently on the screen. "Look really carefully and you can see the ghost... WAAUGH!"

So this seems like a pretty counter-intuitive suggestion when dealing with live animals, but consider trying to pay less attention to the snakes. Don't just blindly stab a rat into a tub, obviously, but instead of watching the snake's every micro-move, glance back and forth between that and something else in the room, or another spot on the rack so you can watch for movement out of your peripheral vision. That way you'll still anticipate a strike, but you won't be in suspense while waiting for it.

With the toaster, for example: if I watch it, I'll jump when it goes off. If I start wrapping up the bread while it goes off, it's more of a background noise like a phone ringing, and feels like less of an immediate threat (even though on a higher cognitive level we understand that neither ball pythons or pieces of toast are a threat to our lives).

Hope this helps!