How often do you guys handle your snakes?

Come on lets get a Big discussion on this Hahaa :)

I guess it depends! BP-wise, I'm a super-noob. Have had mine for exactly one day... :P
Corn snake-wise, pretty much daily (apart from 2 days after feeding) for 1-2 hours. It seems long, but I had a suggestion to do this from another very popular and experienced breeder from another forum. My corn was not handled much her first year of life -- person before me! -- and she was extremely defensive and bitey. Within one week of taking her out for extended periods of time, her personality completely changed and she's fabulous now (in comparison). She has only bitten once in the past 3 weeks, and that was because of an error I made.

I'll start slow with the BP babe, maybe a few minutes every other day. I'd like to eventually have him out on the daily as well!

Other than the 48 hours after eating, she gets handled every day! :D

I handle when I clean out the tubs, when I weight them and when I look them over to make sure they are healthy. Maybe twice a week, 5 minutes each... Tops... :)

I handle mine every expect after feeding 48 hrs had the baby ball for 3 weeks already ate 4 times hasnt missed a meal so i guess shes good ;)

Same as others, every day outside of 48 hrs after feeding...or if she is super blue.

Honestly, I handle whenever I want and that is excluding (what others mentioned already) after feeding, while shedding, pre-shedding, and when she hiss alot. My snake sometimes hiss which is basically saying she is comfortable where she is but after shes in my warm hand she goes "whatever" so. It all depends on owners I guess. 30 mins a day wouldnt hurt.

"Snakes don't bite. Just humans."

I handle my big sweet girl almost everyday :) she loves to come out and play and explore everything. I can handle her at any time when she's deep in shed or even after eating. She's always eager to come out to slither around and never has an attitude. She's always happy go lucky :)


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:snake: every day :snake: except 48 hours after eating

Really no schedule, just whenever I feel like it, unless they just ate. But sometimes I'm just like mmmm i feel like holding the butter for a second, then I do. No set schedule really, just when I feel like it. :)

@trackstrong83 how many bps do u have?

Honestly mine are normally only handled when I am cleaning / weighing / checking overall health. Sometimes I hold them other than that but only if the mood strikes me.

You shoould hold em more often a @kingjames i cant go a day without hold them especialy now tat i have a sprained ankle nd im jome all day

It all depends on the snake. I have 2 that seem eager to explore things around them so they get taken out just about every day. Others that don't seem to mind handling much get taken out a couple of times a week so that they can stretch out a move around for a little while. And I have 3 that absolutely hate being handled and seem to get really agitated and if handled much and will even go off feed. Those only get taken out for cleaning and other routine things.

Yeah mines a sweetheart nd she does like to explore when i take her out

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Originally Posted by Sgpython

You shoould hold em more often a @kingjames i cant go a day without hold them especialy now tat i have a sprained ankle nd im jome all day

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Why should I hold them more often? Holding the snakes is for the owner not for the snake.

With a large collection I handle my snakes weekly... Tub cleaning is on Fridays for the rodent racks and snake racks so if I don't personally get to hold them my kids will. I will pass one off to my children while I'm cleaning the tubs and rinse and repeat till every one is happy. I also try to take a multiple snakes out a day while watching movies ect....

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Originally Posted by Diamond Serpents

I will pass one off to my children while I'm cleaning the tubs and rinse and repeat till every one is happy.

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X2 :cool:

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Originally Posted by ARamos8

I handle when I clean out the tubs, when I weight them and when I look them over to make sure they are healthy. Maybe twice a week, 5 minutes each... Tops... :)

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This. numbers equal the time each animal gets.
Thats why this question will always be unfair to the people with larger collections.

Up until yesterday I just had one, and I would handle her every night for about 30min-1hr, except on the day she fed, and not while she's in shed, except maybe a little. I just got my new girl and I shouldn't be holding her, but we had a family gathering here tonight and I took her out to show my brother, and then later my aunt. I have to try to feed her for the first time since I got her tomorrow, and I'm afraid I may have added undo stress, but I am just so excited about her and had to show her off. Once she's eating well I will have her out nightly too, except when she's just eaten or is in shed. If I ever have a larger number of snakes I will probably work out a schedule. If the snake is feeding well I think handling on a regular basis is a great idea for maintaining tameness, plus I really do love holding them.

I have a leopard gecko who I should hold more but for some reason lizards make me a little nervous. Maybe because I grew up "field herping" as a child (ie, looking for whatever moves and I can catch, frog, toads, snakes, turtles etc.), but we don't have any wild lizards here, so I feel like I don't have a good understanding of their behaviour, and I'm not good at reading them. She is fine to handle and doesn't bite, but she doesn't much like it because she's not used to it.

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Originally Posted by KING JAMES

Why should I hold them more often? Holding the snakes is for the owner not for the snake.

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I don't know that I agree with you entirely. I think that handling is good for exercise, mine is very active when I hold her in the evening. Also we don't really know if they enjoy it. Many assume they only tolerate it, and certainly some don't even do that much, but like all living things there is a feeling of reward and enjoyment in certain behaviors, they may be strictly autonomic, but even autonomic beings experience pleasure. Can anyone be certain that some snakes don't in fact enjoy being held? It's warm and safe feeling (if they are used to you), and it gets them out and moving and smelling new smells and sensing new senses. My girl has her head out of her hide each night waiting for me. Or maybe she's just peaking out because it's dusk and they are crepuscular, but after she comes out for a while with me (and acts like she doesn't want me to put her back by trying to avoid the door), she keeps her head in her hide.

Anyway, my personal opinion is that she enjoys it on a lower thinking kinda level, so I don't agree that in all cases it is stickily only for the owner and not for (or to any detriment to) the snake. I also don't agree with the person who replied to you (who maybe have broken a few typing fingers with than ankle),that you "should" be holding yours more often. I think it's a personal choice, but I don't think that a snake that is used to being handled doesn't enjoy it to some extent.

pretty much when ever i feel like it haha. she doesnt seem to mind and only missed her last mean because im trying to switch her to f/t -_-

@shera the guy with the sprained ankle is me the original poster so i dont know who your talking to but anyways i actualy do think ball pythons like to be held im a new owner but when i take out my ball python she likes to explore and have some exercise and i love to hold her so its realy benificial to the both of us

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Originally Posted by Sgpython

@trackstrong83 how many bps do u have?

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5, and a dumerils boa.

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Originally Posted by Sgpython

@shera the guy with the sprained ankle is me the original poster so i dont know who your talking to but anyways i actualy do think ball pythons like to be held im a new owner but when i take out my ball python she likes to explore and have some exercise and i love to hold her so its realy benificial to the both of us

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I was speaking to the guy I quoted. Sorry for the quip, I couldn't help myself, your typos are pretty horrendous...but looking at my post so are mine LOL. I blame it on the beer ;)

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Originally Posted by Shera

I was speaking to the guy I quoted. Sorry for the quip, I couldn't help myself, your typos are pretty horrendous...but looking at my post so are mine LOL. I blame it on the beer ;)

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Haha :)

Careful there, you may end up wondering why Spud hates you when feelings really have nothing to do with it.

What some call exercise others call Trying to Escape, there is a difference.

I only handle when they need to be cleaned, when I do my health checks (look overs), or when I feel like taking photos: I like to leave them alone most of the time because I know they prefer that but I will handle some more often to give them exercise (like the ones that can become overweight easier: like the boas and my short tails).

Well never really know if snakes have feelings or are they just acting on instinct ima just love em for the way the are

Ball Python: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday, Sundays
Male BCI (very aggressive): No handling until he's settled in a little more.
Female BCI: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Sundays
Dumeril's Boa Constrictor: No handling until she's settled in.

And
Mondays, Wednesday, and Sundays for my corn snake.

I check on my guys daily, so they get handled often but I don't spend copious amounts of time with any of my animals. Sometimes I'll take one out and hang out with them for a bit but it's not something I make time for in my schedule. They are all tame, and I make a point of spending time with the ones that have anxiety or aggression about handling. That's the ball pythons - the boa gets handled often, but that's because it requires exercising.

I will hold my boa for as long as I can. She is a lap and shoulder slut, she will stay there all day if she can. I just leave her alone a day or two after she eats. My BP's I hold every day for about 30min to and hour, sometimes even longer but not that much.

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

I handle my big sweet girl almost everyday :) she loves to come out and play and explore everything. I can handle her at any time when she's deep in shed or even after eating. She's always eager to come out to slither around and never has an attitude. She's always happy go lucky :)


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This is just how my guy is, he genuinely seems to enjoy coming out to be handled and there are days where he seems to wait for it!

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Originally Posted by Samii

This is just how my guy is, he genuinely seems to enjoy coming out to be handled and there are days where he seems to wait for it!

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Yayy! I'm glad I'm not the only one :) Eva does seem to wait on me some days too if I forget to take her out or if I was too busy that day. She always seems happy to see me. Maybe Eva and your guy could meet up for a play date lol :P


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