Snake Routines

I know that people have their usual routines when doing things, and I've fallen into some with my snake. I didn't intend for them to happen, they just did by themselves.

1. When my snake is hungry, he'll start wandering around his tank looking for food. Because of this, when it's time to eat, he's already in the cleared area of his tank where he gets fed. (I don't move him elsewhere to eat)

2. When I feel like playing with him, I tap on the top of his hide to let him know I'm there, and to expect the hide to lift up from him. Then I rub him somewhere to let him know it's me.

3. If he's wandering around the tank and it's not really time for food, I'll let him out of his tank to wander around the apartment. (He managed to get onto the kitchen counter once, I still don't know how he managed that)

I feel that because of these routines, he's comfortable to handle, has never even tried to snap at me or anyone else. And he knows when he's getting delicious foods.

He's my first snake, so I didn't know if anyone else has their own way of handling and caring for their snakes. :snake:

I have a female pastel who is an absolute hog, she will eat any time all day every day and never refuse, im actually trying to get her to loose a bit of weight. however, its the same routine, I open her enclosure, she brings her head up over the edge of the enclosure waiting for food. and I do 1 of 2 things, I either put my hand out to show her my palm, when this happens she comes out further and climbs up to my hand. other wise when its feeding time I just offer her a mouse and she takes without hesitation.

I have 10 ball pythons right now and for whatever reason she is special just in her demeanor, even as a smaller snake she had a special attitude to her, she has never struck me, however if she wants to be left alone she will throw her body towards my hand never once struck.
its just weird because other snakes will strike out of being scared or whatever, shes always been just super passive, but at the same time a garbage disposal.

I bought her and her hatchling brother at the same time she is now officially 3 times the size of him. he eats 1 adult mouse a week, sometimes will skip a week. she will eat 2 adult mice a week plus whatever my other bp's wont eat. its odd how different they all are.

so yeah I guess our routine is if my palm goes towards her she knows its time to be held, if I offer prey she gobbles it up without hesitation.

Oh that's awesome! Has she always stuck her head over the top of her tank like that? Sometimes I wonder if my snake gets mad at me for wanting to play while he's hiding. It'd be nice if he had a way of telling me no when he doesn't feel like it.

Yes she sits in her hide all day long, when I take the lid off her enclosure, she comes out her hide rather fast, puts her head up over the edge of the enclosure and just waits for me. I put my hand out palm first and some comes out to greet me and climb in my hand, otherwise she sits and waits for food to be put to her mouth to which she attacks and coils.

yes and as a small baby she has never struck at me, however if I put my fingers along her side she would throw like half her body worth of a coil at my hand. id jump every time. now as shes a bit older and a lot bigger it is the same thing, never a strike, but if shes in a mood the thick part of her body will smack my hand.

she is just a pastel and ive gotten many more high end morphs since her, but personality wise she is an absolute keeper
I still chuckle when she throws her body at my hand.

Thats awesome yah i do the same with my snake. Handling them from baby to mature i'm sure gets them use to you and reduces bite risk. not to mention they are so docile and well i think lovable lol. My girl actually watches tv i swear. I was watching this show and she was curled up in my lap head on the laptop and then at the commercial she went up to the screen and slithered on it. The minute the show was back on, i couldn't believe this, she came right back and curled up in the same position to watch the show. I was like say whaaat?? I also find that sometimes she will be curled up in her hide but when i am gone for awhile and then come back and enter the room she will pop out :) BP's are so cute/cool that way. I really do think a part of them truly do know who you are you know what i mean.

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Originally Posted by killswitch

Yes she sits in her hide all day long, when I take the lid off her enclosure, she comes out her hide rather fast, puts her head up over the edge of the enclosure and just waits for me. I put my hand out palm first and some comes out to greet me and climb in my hand, otherwise she sits and waits for food to be put to her mouth to which she attacks and coils.

yes and as a small baby she has never struck at me, however if I put my fingers along her side she would throw like half her body worth of a coil at my hand. id jump every time. now as shes a bit older and a lot bigger it is the same thing, never a strike, but if shes in a mood the thick part of her body will smack my hand.

she is just a pastel and ive gotten many more high end morphs since her, but personality wise she is an absolute keeper
I still chuckle when she throws her body at my hand.

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Thats so awesome what a cutie. Thats funny about the body to the hand thing

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Originally Posted by Megz

Thats awesome yah i do the same with my snake. Handling them from baby to mature i'm sure gets them use to you and reduces bite risk. not to mention they are so docile and well i think lovable lol. My girl actually watches tv i swear. I was watching this show and she was curled up in my lap head on the laptop and then at the commercial she went up to the screen and slithered on it. The minute the show was back on, i couldn't believe this, she came right back and curled up in the same position to watch the show. I was like say whaaat?? I also find that sometimes she will be curled up in her hide but when i am gone for awhile and then come back and enter the room she will pop out :) BP's are so cute/cool that way. I really do think a part of them truly do know who you are you know what i mean.

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Yeah sometimes we let ourselves think that they know us and know exactly what is going on, however I have come to the conclusion its a lot simpler than that. You handle them as a baby, they get used to your scent, maybe your voice or the tone of it so since we have been doing this since they were little they know we aren't a threat. so they have no reason to be in attack mode or cautious. I have 10 bp's now and ive come to the simple conclusion that some are okay to be handled because they aren't as skittish or weary of the big heat signature coming at them. then again I have some that no matter how many times I enter the enclosure they are fully on the defensive. time of year, temps, storms incoming seems to make a big difference in temperament also.

Great pets though imo. I just started collecting about 4 months ago and I have 10 snakes so yeah ... lol im a sucker

I have a routine, but it depends more on what his mood is. Sometimes I take his lid off and he pops his head up ready to come out, and other days he grabs on to what ever he can.

Last night was a 'curious' one and he was all over the place as soon as I picked him up. It is nice to see him not terrified of me. Although, with his tiny brain he forgets quickly.

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Originally Posted by killswitch

I have a female pastel who is an absolute hog, she will eat any time all day every day and never refuse, im actually trying to get her to loose a bit of weight..

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....hmmm...never heard of anybody trying to get their bp to lose weight, or why theyd want to do that...:confused:

sent from my incubator

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

....hmmm...never heard of anybody trying to get their bp to lose weight, or why theyd want to do that...:confused:

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Maybe her BP was a boa in a prior life???