Pics of My New Spotted Pythons

Some observations regarding handling Antaresia Sp.:

(1) Our maculosa and perthensis have all been nocturnal. The cage lights are set on timers - on at 0800 hours, off at 1900 hours. During the photo period, they spend time in their hides, usually on the cooler gradient of the cage.

(2) Attempting to handle either the spotteds or the anthill during this time will result in snappish behavior as it entails disturbing them in their hides.

(3) Within 30 minutes of lights out, they will begin poking their heads out. If this is to be a handling session, I will usually wait another 15 or so minutes until they are fully out and about. Since I adopted this regimen,we have not had any snaps.

(4) On feed nights, each python has their own feed bin. Upon "waking up" they are placed in their individual bins, fed and allowed to rest for about and hour. Then back in the cages.

That's what has worked for us. These little ones are a bit more nervous and defensive compared to their larger cousins.

Again, we have noticed a reluctance from the female to go back into the cage after a handling session - if I didn't know better I could swear she liked being held.

My children's has never shown negative affect resulting from handling during daylight hours...or any time for that matter. Has never snapped or even bluffed once.

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

My children's has never shown negative affect resulting from handling during daylight hours...or any time for that matter. Has never snapped or even bluffed once.

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I didn't mean to imply that all of the antaresia did nor that there were any hard and fast rules with handling them.

Simply put - a couple of ours can be a bit crabby. By changing our handling routine the problem was resolved.

BTW Heath:

Just clicked on your site - nice Childreni!

I was at the East Bay Vivarium on Sunday and they had one about that size - a real sweetheart.

Thanks for the visit! ...ya I'm hoping as the little guy I have grows out he will stay mellow.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Simply put - a couple of ours can be a bit crabby. By changing our handling routine the problem was resolved.

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Great point and I have found it to be true with many different snakes of many species. I always am dumbfounded by people that pick up a snake that bites (but is to small to do harm) and just let it bite. The people that make no effort to determine what that animal needs to not bite.

The key is that snakes only bite for one of two reasons

1. To eat - Small snakes never try to eat people. EVER

2. For defense - anything even a snake only defends itself when it is afraid. Fear is the cause of all defensive bites.

So that means if a snake is biting you it is afraid of you, plain and simple. So for people that keep snakes when you get bit the animal is telling you that it needs something to be different to not fear you. Now with many snakes simple handling in time takes care of this but why not speed things along and put no more fear in the animal then is necessary.

For instance some of my young house snakes will strike and bite. They do all they can to get you good, honestly it is cute, they can't do a bit of damage when small.

However if I use a small hook to pick them up and place them in hand from under their bodies they almost never bite. They calm down faster and they get past that bitey phase faster.

Some of my other snakes are sweet in hand but just don't like to be reached for some won't bite but get that defensive posture so I use a hook to get them out. Some actually prefer a hand to a hook you can see that to they withdraw less when you pick them up by hand vs by hook. I try to learn each animal and give it what it tells me it needs most.

To me as keepers it is our responsibility to learn our animals and learn what stresses them even the ones that don't bite or can't do any damage. It is all part of the hobby and part of the responsibility.

By the way that is how you learn to "read" animals. I can often catch totally wild snakes with no restriant and no striking simply by reading them and being gentle. The goal is to make your hands or your hook no different to them then anything they would crawl across.

OK end of soap box time. That was just a great point and this is the one educational tid bit that has been a real struggle for me to get across to people on boths sides. Meaning both those who have no fear and don't take the animals stress into account and those with a true fear of being bitten. All you have to do is "listen" to the animal MOST will tell you what they need. Some are just psyco though!

Jack:

Excellent points..........

The Antaresia Sp. are very mild mannered snakes and are generally very amenable to handling. Unfortunately, I have seen more than one post where they are characterized as being nippy or sharp. I have yet to meet one that could not be calmed down by adapting the handling routine to the snake.

When I adopted our perthensis, I asked the original owner why he was giving up on the snake - especially since the anthills are so hard to come by.

The answer was that he thought the snake was mean. Everytime he stuck his hand into it's cage it struck at him.

While I was there I observed him handling his snakes by pulling up their hides and abruptly pulling them out of the cage. To a small python, there is no difference between a human yanking out his hidey-rock and a predator ripping apart his termite mound or burrow.

I would not get our dog out of his dog house by kicking it over and yanking the dog out by his back legs. I would call him to me. A snake won't come when called, but he can be approached in a manner that will not evoke a defensive response.

With our more tempermental animals, it is easier to wait until they are out of their hides and gently get them out with the hook or even a spare branch. Our anthill is a perfect example of this - he will not tolerate a hand in his cage. He will tolerate a branch and will climb right on it. Once out of his enclosure his demeanor changes and he can be picked up.

Skip,

Have you ever observed this behaviour.

My spots specificly the male will do fine being taken out of the viv and pretty good being handled. Like I said he did go at my forearm twice (only on one handling) but it was PURE bluff. I made no attempt to stop him he went open mouthed but did not close and it was slow and deliberate. (well slow in snake strike terms)

Other then that he and the female handle fine. But when I put them back in then they get defensive. Even with them seeming to stop striking the glass they now still clearly stress.

Most would not notice but I do, what I notice is their breating rate. They breethe fast (again for a snake) and take the s posture. They stopped striking but I think only because hitting hard glass got old. Even a snakes tiny brain figures that out.

I have a young Dumerils Boa that did this too but he got over it. I am not sure how to deal with this with my spots?

When I can I get them to go directly into their hide from my hand, when they do all is well but many times they (again mostly the male) objects to this. I have to sit him in the viv and then the defense comes up. I guess he will get over it but like I said I try to "listen" to my animals.

Great point too by the way about what it is like ot have your hide ripped open and be grabbed. The analogy to the dog and kicking his house down is great too by the way. I may borrow it from time to time if you don't mind, great visual!

Jack:

I had that happen several times (only with the male) when he was about 14 to 18 months old.

I've jokingly referred to it as his adolesence. I still don't know what to make of that behavior...........

As to the glass striking - I have not experienced that with our antaresia sp.- they pretty much pull a siesta from morning until evening.

I'm wondering how much handling your pair had prior to your acquiring them.
I can only guess that some slightly older animals who are taken to shows or who are in stores may begin to associate an approach to their enclosure as a potential prelude to any past manhandlings they might have received.

I would guess it may be that they had very little handling other then going to shows. I got them from Glades Herp. They were probally simply fed and left alone.

I guess if handled little other then the stress of going to herp shows I would be cranky too,