How often can you handle snakes?

[ballpythonandragon]

Hello i know you shouldn't handle snakes everday but a guy that i think if full of it says you shouldn't handle but maybe once a week. It stresses them out to much. Im wanting to get another snake so im going to get a BCI from Clay and i just don't want to feed and just watch him since im going to keep him in a tub anyways i want to take him out and handle him. I know about letting the snake settle in about a month and feeding good before stating so that i understand, but not being able to handle it every other day come on is this true? Thanks Aaron

[ddbjdealer]

I hope not! I handle my BP about two to three times a week except feeding day and two days after feeding day. (That knocks out three days out of seven for handling anyway)

I've never had a problem with a stressed out snake..... that I'm aware of anyway. If he got too stressed, I'd just send him to the snake shrink anyway!

[frankykeno]

Other than the standard 2 days post feeding we also don't handle our snakes on feeding day (just our way with them) so that's 3 days out of 7 anyway. Other than that we handle them whenever we feel like it and the snake's are in the mood to put up with us LOL. Generally it's in the evening hours when the snakes are out and about anyways and it's quiet in our busy home.

Depending on the snake they get the handling that is appropriate for them. Malachi the baby is just a couple of minutes to get him used to us, Brann the Brat is also short as we are working to teach her not to fear handling. Orlah for instance can be out for an hour w/o any bother since she's a big adult, relaxed female that shows no adverse reaction to handling. The other balls fall somewhere in between that.

Rauri the BCI is out for quite long periods of time but generally he's quite content to have a snoop around then either plop on Mike's lap or lay on the rattan coffeetable and just chill out. He's a 6 foot male adult though and not a lil scared baby boa.


~~Jo~~

[ballpythonandragon]

Anyone else like to add anything here?

[ladywhipple02]

I agree with everything that's been said: My two BPs can be out for quite awhile. They're both grown adults, laid-back and easy-going temperaments.

As for my RTB... she's a fairly large snake and also has a kinked back. I only get her out maybe two or three times a week, but I leave her out for long periods of time. This allows her to get herself oriented (her back gives her problems) and then to stretch out and explore. I pretty much let her have the run of the living room for about an hour or more (all other animals get put away and the room has been checked for places where she could hurt herself---plus, I keep an eye on her. Jo, she likes crawling under the couch, too!).

As a baby, I would give him the inital settling in time, then, after he's eaten for the first time, start by handling him for just a few moments a day. As he settles down (or, if he's generally laid back), you can extend these periods of handling him. As he gets bigger, you probably won't be able to hold him so much as get him out and lay on the floor with him... but, as long as he knows you're not going to hurt him, it's cool (if you have any problems with the handling, I'd get in touch with Clay... he'd be more than willing to help you out with one of his little guys).

Sorry for the long post. Hope this helps!

[frankykeno]

One of our habits with all the snakes is to aim for a good calm removal from their enclosure and a good calm return to the enclosure. If something happens in between we take the time to allow the snake to calm down and for ourselves to also relax, then we return the snake to it's home. We think it's good for the snakes to never associate being taken from their tubs or returned to their tubs as a time to be defensive or something to fear (in whatever ways a snake would feel fear of a situation).

For instance, if Brannagh is out for handling and being a handful we don't return her until after she calms, even slightly. Gradually she's becoming more calm and for longer periods of time and also becoming easier to remove and return to her home. She is only out once or twice per week as handling for her is a stressful event and needs to be done with a lot of care and respect for this special creature.

Even if Brannagh never likes associating with us humans we need to work with her to allow more safety for cage maintenance and lower her stress when she sees someone enter the snake room.


~~Jo~~

[wolfy-hound]

I handle most of my guys all the time(except for the 48 hours after feeding) I do however handle them on feeding day but in the morning, as they get fed in the evening. I have a couple of babies that are ... errr... naughty and strike occasionally and I handle them les, just enough to let them know no one will harm them, and normally only once a week or so. They are babies and I don't blame them for being a little bit nervous.

Bill my first BP comes out all the time and rides to town with me or hangs out while I am on the computer. He also likes to play hide and seel on my kitchen table. I hesitate to let the babeis out much, simply bc they get lost so easy in my jungle of a house, but I hold them a lot.
Wolfy