Snake Handling - Absolute Basics

What are the rules you set when allowing guests with little to no experience to handle your snakes? This includes kids and adults. I typically tell them to be calm/move slowly, always support their body with both hands, avoid the head and tail, and don't restrict their movement. This is always supervised with me standing right next to them, I keep a controlled environment with no pets or other people running around, and I ask them to wash their hands before and after. However, I'm curious if I'm overlooking anything that is so basic as to seem obvious to anyone with experience, but which should be explicitly stated. For the purposes of this thread, I'm only referring to well acclimated, adult/sub-adult snakes who are used to regular handling. More specifically in my case, corns and smaller boas.

Sounds like you have all the important things down! The only thing I'd add is maybe to have the person handling the snake sitting down on the floor or in a seat to minimize the snake's risk of injury from a fall in case the person holding the animal got spooked and let go.

Also tell them to avoid approaching over the snake, & instead, to come from underneath as much as possible, to minimize the chance that your snake will be frightened.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Also tell them to avoid approaching over the snake, & instead, to come from underneath as much as possible, to minimize the chance that your snake will be frightened.

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Ahh, yes! Precisely the type of thing I was looking for.

I could add the whole don't grab or pinch them thing too. It should always end up as a handoff though.

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Originally Posted by Nick_MD

Ahh, yes! Precisely the type of thing I was looking for...

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Someone once said "snakes don't bite the ground they crawl on" so it comes down to "being the ground" for them. ;)

Also, they like to hide- they hate to be out in the open, where they instinctively feel vulnerable to predators (like birds of prey that swoop down for a meal), so I've always found that holding a snake next to my mid-body helps them to feel safe, & also warmer when the room or weather is cool. So in addition to "being the ground" you also want to "be the cave". ;)

Don't exhale directly in the snake's face - mostly for them heat pit, ambush types that might be triggered. Probably easier to just tell them not to put it close to their own face. Kids especially seem drawn to extreme closeup situations and want to be eye to eye with the critter they're holding.