appropriate vs inappropriate handling

[Blitzjg]

Knowing that the best way to handle a snake (and essentially any creature) is to create minimal/no stress, I suspect these behaviors are harmful/stressful to the snake, but I want to know if any of these okay to do besides in an emergency:

1. Head touching
Anecdotally I know some owners say their snake seems to enjoy/tolerate this


2. opening of the mouth
I imagine its not okay and rarely tolerated, but I cant help but be curious.

3. hanging/dangling (like if 70% of his lower or upper body fell off of something while he was gripping with the other 30%)
This sometimes happens when he's exploring or moving around, and i'm never sure if I should quickly give his body support, or if its a good source of exercise for him.

[Sonny1318]

Head touching a no, but that’s comment is gonna start drama. Opening their mouth looking for sickness or injury, okay. But for no reason other then to do it, makes no sense. And ball pythons have prehensile strength (lift/ hold their body by just their tail) but not supporting them properly or picking them up only by the first third to half, can and will cause injury to the snake. I was taught it’s best to pick them up from about 2/3rds down their body. Again if they are in a place that’s not natural to them, like a home full of furniture, it’s up to the owner to make sure they don’t injure themselves while exploring. That’s my opinion on your questions, hope it helps.

[Bogertophis]

Hard to answer, because there are "shades" of difference between good & bad.

Head touching: done abruptly will make you no friends, & possibly get you bit, but done gently during handling, as I do with all my snakes, it's a way to
teach your snake that you are no threat to them no matter what, and the next time you have to take one to the vet or let a flaky friend hold them, you may
be very glad they had some practice. My snakes have been "bullet-proof" with public meet & greets for years, and all of them get handled near my face &
get their faces touched so that it's never all that threatening to them when it just "happens". One thing to do is let them slide thru your hands & gently
touch their face/head as they go. Or as some say, "become the ground"...snakes don't bite the ground or holes they crawl into...& they DO learn.

Opening the mouth: Not something I routinely do because you can mess up their teeth or cause abrasions that lead to infections, but over the years I've had
my share of snakes that I've successfully tube-fed to get them healthy...there's a gentle & right way to do it. If you suspect a mouth issue, you need to look.
I wish snakes would yawn more often, I always try to get a look when they do. (-why would you want to just "do this"?)

Dangling: matters a lot the physical condition of the snake...an old snake or one that's out of shape, with too much body fat, no...never. You're "asking for"
internal injury or dislocations, IMO...not that it doesn't happen in the wild, but these are our PETS that we care about & for. Some snakes are more arboreal
than others too...ever see photos of rat snakes mating while hanging from a tree branch? Arboreal snakes tend to be thinner, so if you're talking about a
heavier-bodied terrestrial species, like boas & BPs, I'd say no...avoid letting them dangle, especially when it's sudden.

[Craiga 01453]

I think you'll find the answers to your questions vary drastically by species, as well as individual to individual snake.

1) my King and my hognose are fine with me touching their heads as ling as I come in from the right angle. My BP has gotten better with age but is still pretty head shy. My Borneo STP is super head shy, I don't really bother trying with him yet.

2) some are more tolerant of their mouths being opened than others, but I only do that if I need to.

3) my snakes seem fine with extending their bodies out, but I still make sure I've got a good handle on them. My Borneo is the exception, he doesn't wrap at all, so I make sure his body is fully supported at all times.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Boger pretty much nailed it, but this gives me an opening for some of the "odd" things I do with animals. I worked with horses and hunting dogs for many years and I have a firm belief what happens in the first minutes of being born leaves lasting effects on the rest of the animals lives. I treat freshly hatched ball pythons just like I would a new born horse. I touch the animal everywhere and I continue to do so until it does not care I am doing it. The first thing my babies see and smell is me. I have yet to have a baby that is nasty. Most will allow me to touch their heads throughout their stay with me, very few seem to "enjoy" it, but they will let me do it. If any of my animals so much as hiss at me or get in a striking posture outside of dinner time they get a refresher course.

As to specifics. Most BP's are pretty hardy and will put up with a lot of crap. Those of us that have more than a couple animals know that there is always "that one" that seems to be possessed by the devil but it is rare. My daughters would give my snakes hell when they were younger. Putting barbies on their backs, wearing them as jewelry, playing house with them. You name it. The snakes were never harmed and the kids never got bit.

As far as the hanging thing goes, with males it is not really a big deal, but I am sure there are some heavy bodied males out there that wouldn't take too kindly to hanging. With adult females, I always try to make sure 2/3 of their bodies are supported.

[dboeren]

Dangling makes a big difference on what kind of snake. I wouldn't dangle a ball or blood python, but for an arboreal snake like a carpet python it doesn't seem like a big deal.

[Blitzjg]

Sorry I should have clarified my questions were specifically for ball pythons.

I am a good handler, I was mainly curious about habits I assumed to be poor, and both my snakes have been reasonably well-behaved.

The mouth thing, was more of a personal fascination with anatomy, I think it's one thing to watch a video or look at images of a snake's mouth and a completely different one to see it up close and personal with a live snake. I feel the same way about other pets, and they certainly have varying degrees of tolerance, however obviously they are much more domesticated (i.e. dogs/cats).

Regarding the hanging, it was more so inspired by when he starts moving around while being handled and maybe looses grip or slides off my arm or something, my instinct would always be to support the body, but I wasn't sure if maybe I was handicapping him by not allowing him to work all his muscles! But I did forget they are terresterial, so I will keep that in mind in the future.

When handling a BP, mine is usually very timid/"ballish" for about 10-15 minutes and then starts to "Explore"/move around. I have thought it was a sign of comfort and curiousity, but is that incorrect? Is an exploring snake an unsatisfied snake?

[JodanOrNoDan]

When my BP's start moving around a lot I take that to mean they are not wanting to be where they are and I put them back. If I am not pressed for time I will give them a choice me or the bin, sometimes they go into the bin, other times they don't. Every once in awhile you will find one that has a bit of "personality". I have a couple that if they want to come out will just casually climb up my arm. Then there is my year old male super enchi who from the time he crawled out of the egg wants out. If his bin is open, he is coming out whether I want him to or not. I gave up trying to make him "behave". If I open his bin it is "playtime". He also has the tendency to help himself to rats. I don't have to feed him, I just open the bin and he will take one out of the bucket on the table. He is a freak. I really need to get it recorded.

[Jus1More]

When it comes to my 3 BP's they tend to act differently. I have 2 that do not mind if you touch their heads, but I must approached them very slowly around that area. The other is not to keen with me touch his head...

I never tried to open any of my BP's mouth, unless I suspect they were sick.

And I always support all my snakes body while handling to help with feeling alittle secure. Gosh.. I would hate it if someone dangled me around...LOL

[Bogertophis]

....And I always support all my snakes body while handling to help with feeling alittle secure. Gosh.. I would hate it if someone
dangled me around...LOL

I vaguely remember that as a little kid, really hating it when my smart-aleck uncle did that to me, so yes, snakes have good reason to hate that- it's a loss
of security & control, & furthermore, it's what a predator would do.