Is alot of handling good for a snake?

I take Furio out everyday twice usually once mid day and once toward night for about half hour to 45 minutes and he seems to never wanna go back!

Unless he's just ate. He eats every Thursday and I don't pick him up until Sunday.

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Originally Posted by Ophiuchus

Without getting into a debate on whether snakes are actually capable of "liking" or "loving" anything, I do feel that it is healthy for them when we provide occasional stimulation/exercise for their otherwise boring and mundane daily routine of laying inside a cage all day.

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I disagree, to us its pretty boring, but to them its instinct to hide out and ambush prey, thats nature and thats what they do. I dont think exercise is much of a concern to bp's.

I handle mine everyday for like 30 to 40 mins and he seems to like it. I even handle him a day after he has been fed and no problems. I guess like people each snake has a different personality :)

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Originally Posted by juddb

I disagree, to us its pretty boring, but to them its instinct to hide out and ambush prey, thats nature and thats what they do. I dont think exercise is much of a concern to bp's.

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Well, remember that they actually crawl around, hunt prey, evade predators, as well as search for mates during the breeding season when they're in nature. You can't argue that their activity level is not greater in the wild than it is in a tub 24/7. I'm perfectly aware that they are chiefly ambush predators, but they do move around once in a while. A ball python isn't going to sit in front of the exact same burrow in the exact same position for 15+ years.

This is also why I prefer live over f/t as the snake actually gets a chance to use those constricting muscles.

Hello, I used to handle my snakes everyday for a long time, however now I only handle for a few hours each week, I prefer to sit and watch them at night when they come out and explore there enclosures :)

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Originally Posted by Ophiuchus

This is also why I prefer live over f/t as the snake actually gets a chance to use those constricting muscles.

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Well, I use tongues with f/t mice, and the snake still strikes and contricts..

I mean, its cheaper and safer to feed f/t, so why not... :banana:

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Originally Posted by thedigi1

I handle mine everyday for like 30 to 40 mins and he seems to like it. I even handle him a day after he has been fed and no problems. I guess like people each snake has a different personality :)

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How do you know he does not get belly ache? I mean, generally its best to wait 2 days, for the snakes sake..

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Originally Posted by CRAZY

Ya, i take mine out every day, before/during shedding i tend to leave him except after he loses his spectacles, then I give him 2-3 baths in 2-3 days in a row. (one bath a day) and usually in a few days he sheds fully:snake:

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Bathing your bp during a shed cycle, can actually make it worse because you are depleting the natural build up of fluid between the old skin and the new skin- which is what makes a good shed.

There is no reason or need to soak a bp, unless it has already had a bad shed and cannot remove it on its own. A bp should also not soak in his water bowl, unless the humidity is far to low, or there is another husbandry issue or illness that needs attention.

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Originally Posted by thedigi1

I handle mine everyday for like 30 to 40 mins and he seems to like it. I even handle him a day after he has been fed and no problems. I guess like people each snake has a different personality :)

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It is advised to give your bp 48 hours of rest/no handling after eating because the digestion period in that 48 hours is sensitive and handling him/her during that time can cause regurgitation. Regurgitation is dangerous to a bp for several reasons including extreme stress.

I hold my BP every day, sometimes twice a day unless he just ate (which then I wait 48 hours) or when he's shedding.

If the snake is shedding in one peice, eating, not striking at you and healthy, I see no reason to limit handling to only a few times a week. Of course, you don't want to handle the snake ALL the time, since this would cause stress.

In my opinion, it's finding your own snakes happy medium. Some snakes won't mind being held alot while others do. They may not be able to love or hate but no one can argue that they all have very different personalities.