Which snakes prefer handling?

I know snakes do not like being handled but they will tolerate it and i know balls don't like to be out for too long, but i have heard people say that they have their boas out for hours?
so what type of species prefers being with humans for a longer time?

Thanks in advanced for all replies.

I think most if not all reptiles will "tolerate" some form of handling. It really all depends on the specific animal and not always the entire species. For example GTP's have a reputation for being pretty nasty, however I have seen certain animals that are puppy dog tame and handle with ease.

Most of our Ball Pythons will tolerate periods of handling however we only have one educational animal the experiences prolonged handling and he exhibits no signs of stress or feeding problems.

From my experience 3/5 of my bps do not really enjoy handling. Theyll tolerate it for me for awhile but you could tell it stresses them.

I dont have any boas but almost everyone ive talked to that has one says they enjoy handling and like to be out and about for hours.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I dont have any boas but almost everyone ive talked to that has one says they enjoy handling and like to be out and about for hours.

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Same here. I've actually talked to a lady with a Dumeril's boa and she says it actually sits in her lap while watching a movie on the couch

My Dumeril's Boa is still young, but she gets a little stressed after 20 minutes or so. She's getting better with each handling though and by the time she's an adult she should outgrow the youngling nervousness. My BCI is only a couple of months older though and even after having her out for an hour or more she will fight me when I try to put her back in the cage. After holding a gorgeous six foot female I finally understood why having another person can come in handy...it's not the handling that's a problem, it's putting them back! Lol. It was much easier with someone else there to open and close the doors. :P But in my experience, the BCIs seem to really enjoy being out and about for the most part. Of course, every animal is entitled to bad days, and on those days they should be left alone except for essential care tasks.

It really depends on the individual animal.

Well, from experience, my friends reticulated python is just about the tamest snake you've ever seen. Never bit anyone, even as a baby, and now it's over 13+ ft. long and it's still tame.

But, a more common tame snake would be rainbow boas, I've never had one bite me, or strike at me. I've handled quite a few mind you! Haha.

Thanks for the replies!
:)

Even my most neurotic baby ball pythons seem to be okay with handling after several years of it off and on. I do have two or three ball pythons that I think were handled from day one by their breeders, who actually seem to LIKE it. My male pied will climb right on to my hand. My female lucy likes come out during card games so she can climb on top of the discard pile and periscope around at the players. And Glinda the pastel has been described as a "flirty sorority girl", because she seems to like men.

The rest of them seem to be more tolerant than actually enthusiastic about it. But they'll all perk up at the opportunity to climb the bookshelf and knock my stuff down. :)

The boas I've met in pet stores seem to be super-interested in coming out to play. Though again, I think they mostly want to climb the shelves and explore.

I think a lot of it is handling them young, and consistently, and never giving them a reason to not like you. And maybe a lot of it is just luck of the draw.

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

It really depends on the individual animal.

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This would be the most accurate answer imo.

I have some ball pythons that will sit on my shoulder for hours if I let them, others that 5 to 10 minutes and they are ready to go to their home again.

I think the answer is, all snakes PREFER no handling, lol. Some can get very used to it, and take it in stride. They are all individuals.
I strongly believe temperament is heritable, and all breeders should take it into consideration, in their breeding programs.

With experience with over a hundred or so different species coming through the stores... Maybe I can chime in! :)

As previous posters have mentioned, it really depends on the individual snake. I have a pet house snake that will sit in my hair clip for an entire day at work, and when she gets tired, crawls into my shirt pocket and sleeps there. No joke, it was because of her temperament I ended up taking her home - she's only gotten sweeter and more interactive as she's gotten older.

In my experience, species that are more active hunter types tend to be more okay with frequent handling. Cornsnakes, kingsnakes, House snakes, those are all highly recommended as good beginner snakes for a reason- once they're settled in, they are totally unfazed by handling, and they are definitely super curious. I have personally seen quite a few of them come out, maybe not expressly to be handled but they are more interested in the world around them on average than many heavier bodied boas or pythons.

That being said, I honestly find that among ball pythons there are definitely animals that seem to enjoy handling, and those that don't. Same with Boa constrictors - I've encountered a HUGE range of boas that vary from actively coming out and crawling all over anyone who opens the cage to those that stay curled up in a corner, preferring to be left alone.

Some of my personal favorites that are common:
Cornsnakes
Florida Kingsnakes
California Kingsnakes
Ball Pythons (this depends on the individual snakes available)
common colombian boas (depends on the snakes/person)
Central American/island locale boa constrictors

Somewhat less common snakes that are just as neat and nice:
western hognoses
African house snakes
Dumeril's boas
carpet pythons (usually the irian jaya ssp, they stay smaller)
everglades ratsnakes
baird's ratsnakes
prairie kingsnakes
baja kingsnakes
mexican black kingsnakes
san luis potosi kingsnakes

An lot of the North American colubrids do well with regular handling, and more often than not the animals I encounter seem mellow and sweet, regardless of frequency of handling as they were growing up.

Hope that helps!

-Jen

Two out of six bps don't seem phased by being out and handled. Two depends on their mood that day, and two that would just rather they were left alone. My boa, he loves to be out. He doesn't seem to stress at all, and eats great. You open the enclosure and out he comes, and is a pain to put back no matter how long he has been out. He turns and comes back up your arm before you can close it, little turd. I figured out a trick though, haha. I think like others have said, totally depends on individual animal. However, some breeds definately tolerate/enjoy, (which ever you choose) being out more than others.

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I've heard from Brian at BHB that hognoses are good for handling. Look at this video, at 3:05 or so. it is a top 5 list of nicest snakes. I don't know though, never even seen a hognose in real life before.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEa9TIFdk8

rubber :snake:........ :gj:

My dumerils is one of those that is difficult to put away. He seems to almost panic when you try to put him away. My hognose really seems to enjoy interaction. He will cruise the front of his tub when there are people wandering the house and is eager to come out when you open his tub. A couple of my BPs really prefer to not be touched at all, a few others tolerate it, and a few others are really difficult to put away after being out. Kinda the same with all of my red tails, some do some dont! My Burmese ALWAYS wants to be out. The only time she isnt "asking" is for a couple of days after eating, hiding and staying warm. The sand boas would rather not be handled but they dont complain much. Of course all of the corns seem to enjoy being out.

My retic seems to not mind it the most. When I open his cage he come straight out and crawls up my arm. And when I go to put him up he never seems to want to get off and when I do get him off my hand he tries shooting straight back up. My Columbians Red Tail also tolerates handling quite well. I have a few bps that aren't phase by handling and one that will try biting you until he is out of the tub.


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Originally Posted by Blubb

I've heard from Brian at BHB that hognoses are good for handling. Look at this video, at 3:05 or so. it is a top 5 list of nicest snakes. I don't know though, never even seen a hognose in real life before.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEa9TIFdk8

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I would NEVER say that hognoses are great snakes for handling, because as nice as they are, handling this species frequently should be discouraged.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2789/...c720b65a77.jpg
http://thereptilereport.com/assets/s...se-jaleely.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4469511_n.jpg

This is a venomous species. It's a mild venom, yes, but it is VENOM. Joints may ache transiently for YEARS after a hognose bite.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

I would NEVER say that hognoses are great snakes for handling, because as nice as they are, handling this species frequently should be discouraged.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2789/...c720b65a77.jpg
http://thereptilereport.com/assets/s...se-jaleely.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4469511_n.jpg

This is a venomous species. It's a mild venom, yes, but it is VENOM. Joints may ache transiently for YEARS after a hognose bite.

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Yowza!!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

I would NEVER say that hognoses are great snakes for handling, because as nice as they are, handling this species frequently should be discouraged.

This is a venomous species. It's a mild venom, yes, but it is VENOM. Joints may ache transiently for YEARS after a hognose bite.

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:rolleyes: same could be said about tarantulas :rolleyes:

All snakes, and reptiles, are wild animals. Therefore they will only ever come to "tolerate" or "allow" you to hold them. There are some species that seem to "like" being held or being out and about, like Bearded Dragons, but still they are wild.

I think that's what's lost in our hobby. People admitting that they keep wild animals. If we made that fact clear, HSUS wouldn't have as much ammo, me thinks. ;)


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My leopard ball, Spot, seems to genuinely enjoy being handled and is always very interested in exploring my arms/chest/neck/etc when she's out. My sunglow boa, Dolly, doesn't seem to enjoy being handled so much as she enjoys the opportunity to climb things. She would much rather be navigating my chair than hanging out in my lap.

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Originally Posted by Kodieh

All snakes, and reptiles, are wild animals. Therefore they will only ever come to "tolerate" or "allow" you to hold them. There are some species that seem to "like" being held or being out and about, like Bearded Dragons, but still they are wild.

I think that's what's lost in our hobby. People admitting that they keep wild animals. If we made that fact clear, HSUS wouldn't have as much ammo, me thinks. ;)

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While I can't necessarily weigh in on certain species, I just wanted to make a point. Some species of snake kept in the pet trade (e.g. Ball Pythons, Corn Snakes, Grey-Banded Kingsnakes) are considered domesticated species because of the influence humans have played on their genotypes and phenotypes. I think labeling some of these animals as "wild" may be detrimental to their perception by the general public.

However, I also agree with you in some aspects. :) These animals are not generally accustomed to handling like a mammal would be, that most of the time they are "tolerating" handling. I do understand that a Ball Python and a Puppy are two completely different animals and should not be equivocated as such. This description can be harmful as well, as some may assume a snake would have a certain behavior since the species may be said to be "puppy dog tame". I think a healthy respect for these animals goes a long way on many levels; from a person handling a snake being confident and aware of the snake's behavior and interactions, to the general public understanding that comes with proper knowledge.

Sorry for the rambling/rant, just my 2 cents.