How long do you wait to handle a new snake?

I know there are rules of thumb to let your snakes settle in and not handle for a few days, but I'm just wondering how long people actually wait!

I wait until they have fed at least twice. Much longer than four days!

Depends on the snake...some within hours of receiving, others not for weeks other than cleaning.

I wait until they are eating on a regular schedule. Until then they only get handled to be cleaned.

I wait until 2 days after their first meal.

I wait for at least a week, only handling them if I have to clean under them. I will wait longer if they show signs of stress or illness (never had this happen, *crosses fingers*)

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Originally Posted by Dabonus

I wait until 2 days after their first meal.

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x2

Depends on the snake. Any BP would not be handled for at least a week or for at least 2 days after its first meal - whichever is longer.

But boas are different. They actually seem to enjoy handling and do not stress easily like BPs do. So I will allow a new boa to settle in for the first day or two and then I feel comfortable handling them gently and for short periods of time. What I have found to work really well is to offer a boa its first meal with me the day after I bring it home, then wait 2 days to handle. That gives them a total of 3 days to relax. This works well for them.

Again, every snake is different. If any of my boas were to show signs of stress with that first handling, they would immediately be put back in their enclosure and not bothered for a couple more days. The key is gentleness and short periods of time. :gj:

I wait until 2 days after their second sequential meal.

Ok, so if not handled how about checked on?


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I check the temps on all of my animals 2 or 3 times a day.

No handling until after 2 meals here.

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Originally Posted by Gomojoe

Ok, so if not handled how about checked on?


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All of my snakes are in AP PVC cages with probed thermometers so all I have to do is walk by. I wouldn't disturb the snake more than 2-3 times a week until he/she is settled in. If he/she isn't eating then after a good inspection to make sure nothing is wrong I wouldn't even check.

I didn't see a choice in the poll for "Not until after they start eating", but not until after they start eating.

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Originally Posted by Dabonus

I wait until 2 days after their first meal.

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X3
As for checking on them, I check on all of my animals atleast once a day.

I check on all my snakes from day one at least twice a day - once first thing in the morning and once right before bed. But even in my rack, they are pretty visible. So I don't have to disturb them by checking on them. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Gomojoe

Ok, so if not handled how about checked on?


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Depends... if the enclosure is heated with a thermostat so I know temps are fine and it is not entirely opaque so I can peek in from time to time, as little as possible. Basically as needed for water changes.

Both snakes we have was handled the next day, kids, but they eat regularly and have it had any problems!

New snakes I wait until after a meal or two.

Just plain leave them be for a week. Only contact for any needed cleaning. After a week, feed. If they eat, after 2 days start to handle for no more than 5 minutes at a time, gradually building amount of time. If at any point they stop eating, stop handling again until eating. If at first feeding they don't eat, back in tub, no handling for another week, then try to feed again. Do not start handling them regularly until they are established eating. As long as your temps and humidity are right on, you should need to check them much. The better you acclimate your new snake, the happier he will be in the long run. I know its hard to wait, but just look how much time you will have with him in the future!

I waited until 2 days after his 2nd meal to get him out just to handle. However I had to get him out of his cage a few times during that 3 week period to clean his cage.
He was in shed when I got him. And he pissed about 12 hours of being in the cage so I had to get him back out and clean the cage (I was told their urine can be very harmful while they are in shed). Then he shed 3 days later so I got him out and assisted him with getting a small piece of stuck shed off his top lip (only piece). Then he pooped the next day so I had to get him out again and clean the cage . He skipped his first meal with me so I had to wait almost 3 weeks. But I did have to handle him for short 5-10 minute intervals to clean up his cage during this time.

Now he is on a 4-5 day feeding schedule pounding f/t rats. I only have been handling him on the 3rd day after each feed this is also cleaning day. I am trying to keep him eating by letting him digest for 2 days then leaving him alone the day or 2 before feeding day.

Okay I just got my first BP and I have been handling him/her since I got her. I'm pretty sure she was used to it from before. She is less than a year old. Should I not be doing this in your guys opinion? She seems fine with it but I am no expert.

i personally dont handle any bp i get for at least 5 days unless i have to clean there tub. I will wait the 5 days an then feed an wait another 2-3. Then i will handle them for a short period of time.

Watch it, if it sits in a ball and don't move then leave it alone, if its moving about and exploring then take it out for a stretch.

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Originally Posted by robinbanks

Watch it, if it sits in a ball and don't move then leave it alone, if its moving about and exploring then take it out for a stretch.

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Couldn't moving around also mean its stressed?


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I wait at least a week, then try to feed them. If they take a meal, then I will begin to handle them maybe 2-3 days later. If they don't feed, its another week.

If the ball python is continuously roaming the enclosure, especially during the day, that can be a sign of stress. But if the snake is simply roaming at night, it could just be hungry.

I think I do things a little different than some people. I try to feed on a schedule or at the very least I feed everyone on the same day. When I get a new snake it gets fed when everyone else in quarantine gets fed. If that is the day it arrives or a week after it arrives it still gets offered food. I've had quite a few take food the day they arrived and if they don't eat they get to wait until QT gets fed again.

Depending on how readily it take food will help me decide when I want to start holding it. I have one snake that I've had almost a year now that I don't handle even semi regularly because I'm afraid of stressing her out and then I have some that I handled the day after their first meal with me. Once you start getting a few you get pretty good at reading them.

How often I check on my snakes depends on how busy I am. If I am having a hectic week at working and have pretty much moved into my office I will only check on them every other day or so. I try to check on them twice a day though, once in the morning and once at night.

A roaming snake could mean a lot of different things. Most of mine only roam now because it's getting close to feeding day, but some will roam because of stress. A happy ball python is a hiding ball python. What I have found through experience though is that a stressed snake is a lot more tense than a hungry snake. My hungry roamers don't instantly assume a defensive posture when I open their tub, they start coming out after me looking for food. My stressed roamers (new additions) tend to pull back and tense up drastically while getting into striking position. My experience my vary from anyone who is using tanks though.