how many times do you handle your snake?

I've had my guy for almost two weeks. If I look in the tank and he's cruising around looking for an out then I open the tank and wait for him to start coming out then I extend an arm and let him slither on up. He hangs out on my shoulder. Sometimes he rests on my head. Sometimes he likes to check out the room. Sometimes when I go to put him back in the tank he doesn't want to go back in. I might be wrong but I find it hard to believe that he doesn't like to be picked up. He's full grown and the breeder that I got him from told me that he is exceptionally friendly. It may be true that we project human feelings on them to make ourselves feel that they want to be held for warmth, exercise, or comfort. Since I cannot be sure I introduce choice into the equation. If he wants out I let him out. If he doesn't want back in then I keep him out for a little while longer. So far I don't see any stress in him so I'll continue this method as long as he seems cool with it. :cool:

I hold mine as often as possible. Not every day, but most days. I let her go for a couple days after feeding. She acts the same weather she is in shed or not, but normaly I'll give her most of her shed to rest. If I was not worried about stressing her out she would never go back in her cage. In 30 days I will have had her for 1year. I'm so glad I got her. She has never balled up on me. The day I picked her out she was slithering up my arm, and my husband's arm too. The only time she has really balled up was when I took her to the vet, and he was messing around with her, I could tell she didn't like it, but who would. Ever since she has been my buddy, I don't let her up on my shoulders though, or else I have to listen to my husband go on a rant about being choked.
but yah handle as much as possible.

I handle mine once or twice(maximum) daily. I think that if you handle them more often they will become more used to you and docile.

I try to handle them at least once a week, but I have 26 BP, so it is getting difficult. I love every one of them. They are just as much our "pets" as our dogs and cats are. I am only 5'2" tall, so I thing the ones in the lower tubs of the racks get handled more than the ones in the top tubs :P.

i guess this mostly depends upon the individual snake but how much handling is too much? i really dont want to get a ball and handle it to death if you know what i mean. after it has acclimated and tamed down pretty well, can i take it out and just hold it while i watch tv or something for example?

Most of my snakes seem to enjoy not being around me, or being touched by me, or being looked-at by me. So i try to leave them be as much as possible.

If i think one is getting a little weird or agressive when I go in to change water and clean up, then I'll try to handle that one a bit more....i'm mainly talking about my MBK here. He's a punk sometimes.

I handle my ball python, rosy boa and bullsnake the most. These particular snakes seem not to get stressed out (they don't squirm around and start breathing fast). Also, my bullsnake and bp are my biggest snakes so far. I'd like to keep my "big ones" handleable. And the rosy is a freaking sweetheart. I sincerely believe he enjoys being outside his cage more than any of the other snakes i own.

Most of mine get handled weekly. But i notice my balls get stressed out after a little while. My redtailed boas i can hold all day long. If i pull the lid off their enclosure they will come right up to me and try to get picked up. Sometimes i feel bad that i cant hold them like when im just there to change out the water. I put the lid back on and they just stare at me like "Why daddy? Why wont you hold me?"
But my balls want to get away and explore if i take them out. They are upwardly mobile dudes.

It depends on the week...but I usually handle both my ball and my corn several times a week, whenever I can. Some weeks I try to handle them every day. The only day I don't handle Karma is the day before she eats, because the few times I have she refused her food. Weird how every snake has their own little preferences as far as that goes.

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Originally Posted by Darkice

Sometimes i feel bad that i cant hold them like when im just there to change out the water. I put the lid back on and they just stare at me like "Why daddy? Why wont you hold me?"
But my balls want to get away and explore if i take them out. They are upwardly mobile dudes.

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That's exactly the look Karma gives me sometimes and I always feel really bad so I usually end up picking her up anyway :P She's my baby :love: Interesting that you say your pythons seem to get stressed more easily. I guess every snake is different because Karma loves being out. The whole reason I bought her was that she was the only baby ball in the cage at the pet store that crawled right out onto my hand and sat there. Sometimes when I take her out she just lays on me for hours. The only time she seems a little stressed is when she's about to shed...but other than that she always seems to love being out :D

You should've made the thread title "how many times do you handle your Ball Python" since I just instinctively voted because of the title.

Well, anyway, if you're curious, I try to handle both my snakes (a Hogger and a KSB) every day for 15 minutes (but not within 24 hours of feeding).