Is handeling BP's as stressful for them as people think?

Hey all,
Just wanted to start a discussion on what owners think about the stress level of handling their Bp's. Whenever I handle my girl, she seems really chill. She is always limp and relaxed with her tongue flickering and checking things out. After about a minute or two, she is crawling around my arm and investigating her surroundings. This type of behavior tells me that she is not too stressed when I take her out of her enclosure for some adventure time:). I am hoping that I am reading her actions correctly. Please, post some of your experiences with handling your pets and write your opinions on whether or not you think handling your BP is causing a lot of stress.
I think it will be interesting to hear other people's point of view on this subject.
Cheers!

I think it really does depend on the animal.

Kaa, an adult male I have, loves to be out and is very calm whenever I pick him up or climbs up my arm and will proceed to eat after handling with no issue. I still try to limit handling to 2-3 times a week and no more than 30 minutes, and I give a day off before feeding.

The hatchling I just got is more skittish, but he is a hatchling. Neither of them have ever hissed or bitten.

The first snake I thought of purchasing became very very stressed about handling. Hissed, attempted to bite me and the employee, and moved a lot faster than one would think a ball python could move trying to get away. That particular snake had been neglected by the owner and hadn't been handled in years, however. I do think that removing an animal when they are hiding still adds an amount of stress, no matter what the disposition of your animal is.

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Originally Posted by Cyndymei

I think it really does depend on the animal.

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x2. Some snakes are "introverts" and some are "extroverts," just like people. Lol

It stresses them out.

I'm adding my voice to the 'it's individual' crowd. They're primitive animals, but that doesn't mean they're lacking individuality, greater and lesser degrees of learning (and I'm not saying teaching them sit, but things like familiar environments being non-threatening) and comfort.

My pastel and normal are different. They're both fairly typical, docile, snakes, but the pastel stresses more easily than the normal. The normal falls asleep on me on a fairly regular basis, will eat anywhere, including while being held, has never shown defensive behavior (even balling up). When removed from his enclosure he immediately lifts himself up toward my face and smells it thoroughly, and when he's aware of someone else in the room comes OUT of his hides and presses his little nose to the front of the glass. He voluntarily comes 'to hand' (as in into' or uses the arm reaching in as a ladder to get out. He doesn't try to hide while he's out, doesn't seek hides, doesn't try to get into my clothes or hair, and instead chills out in the open and often goes to sleep there. He's not as fast moving, but his behavior is fairly close to that of my corn snake, really.

The pastel balls up fairly easily when things like his hide being removed happen, goes INTO his hide if people are in the room rather than out, and spends most of his time out or being handled trying to get under pillows/blankets/clothes/anything he can to hide. When he first comes out he's tense, and makes rudimentary efforts to ball (he's a big boy) and hide his head. He's tense. He'll still eat anywhere because he's a chow hound, but he is obviously less comfortable and interactive than the normal guy and would much prefer to be left alone. So, I drag him out once in a while for short handling sessions and to keep him semi-used to it (and he is getting more comfortable) but mostly leave him alone.

They are very, very different snakes.

I have 30 animals, all have different personalities but none "like" being handled and try to get away when given the chance.

In my opinion no snake "likes" to be handles. Most will tolerate it. Some better than others.

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In my opinion no snake "likes" to be handles. Most will tolerate it. Some better than others.

I'd like to add that "stressed" doesn't always mean what people assume it means. When we think "stressed" we imagine ourselves wigged out and deeply upset about something, or feeling intensely nervous and anxious.

"Stressed" doesn't necessarily mean (or visibly translate into) angry or upset. If you constantly pester and bother an animal like a snake, even a "chill" snake, you can cause a build-up of anxiety that may not be visible to our human eyes. Or if you get your snake out for long handling sessions, such as "chilling on the sofa while you watch TV" or something, the ambient temperatures are almost always too cool for comfort for the snake...especially if you like to run an expensive AC in the summer, or you're a penny pincher in the winter and don't overwork the furnace. Frequent and/or long-term exposure to those cooler ambient temperatures can have a negative impact on their immune systems, which can lead to a greater susceptibility to infections.

Most of mine tolerate being handled once they're out of their tubs, though many will hiss and dive for their hides when the tub is opened, and they're very obviously tense and will do their best to escape when in-hand.

I have a female normal that doesn't hide, and is fairly relaxed and curious when being handled.

My male mojave either likes being handled, or he looks at us as something comfortable and useful for practicing his climbing skills.

Some will tolerate it better than others. Never had a bp that I would say preferred to come out and be handled rather then chill in its hide. If you want an animal that seems to enjoy coming out , look into boas or Burms. Again even that depends on the individual animals personality.

My ball pythons love being out. The corn snakes like it for about 5 minutes. Lily... my RTB... she would sleep on you all night long. (My Lily)

This is my first post on this fabulous forum!

Thanks for having me!

It's a very interesting topic to me...

i only recently bought a BP, he's my first!
Ive always loved studying snakes behaviors...such amazing animals aren't they!

a ball seems to me to be a very different creature than most snakes...
my new guy peanut is teaching me that...
They are so super mellow!
i catch myself on high alert at times with him, simply from so many years of handling WC colubrids...
when I make a move he doesn't like, he responds by making a quick movement
Generally this includes accidentally bumpin his snout, on and unexpected touch in the cloaca area of his body, top or bottom.
or when I wake him up...
This be ground for a blood donation to most snakes I'm used to...
But he's just big kitty cat...The closest thing he's shown to aggressive behavior is a mild S curve, no hiss...no puffs...nadda

Point being, a snake that aggressive(defensive is a better term in my eyes) is a stressed snake!

He mostly chills all day in/on his hides, but within a few mins of being out...away we go!
And determined he is!
if it is daytime he'll shoot under the first thing he sees and can fit in/under, but if it's after(it always is) then he is a curious lil guy!
Ge into everything!
Im quite pleasantly surprized!

this snake was bought to be handled!
Hes gunna have to deal one way or the other!

I would NEVER antagonize any animal on purpose! But in truth, most animals would be agitated to be treated like his is, not that it's rough or constant or anything, but he's being used to open a few eyes to beauty of snakes and how midi stood they are! And many animals don't take well to children handling them or living in a house with kids...hell it's a bit much for me around here at times.

im rambling...my point is this:
Ive seen CB colubrids, that to me, and their owner, clearly liked to be handled!
Craved it even, but that's our mammalian minds...
It doesn't seem so far fetched to me, that a BP might just enjoy being handled!
Peanut sure doesn't seem to mind, and even after fairly extended handling is as mellow as he was to start...ever curious and crawling away...then crawling back, paying little mind to anyone around!

i also think that, like a fine antique, or artwork, these things should be enjoyed, and used, not tucked away behind a velvet rope...

just my opinion...

I think, and I say this respectfully, that this is one scenario where having a lot of snakes and observing them as breeders or a collection does not necessarily translate to the behavior of snakes kept in fewer numbers as pets. It's more experience, but the simple reality is that one or two snakes that are kept as pets have very different lives than snakes who are one of several dozen (or more). They're often in tanks. They're usually handled (as individuals) more frequently than a snake who is one of many will be. They don't live in dedicated snake rooms but the living room, office or a bedroom. They're simple exposed to a LOT more stimulation.

I'm not claiming that they recognize their owners. I'm not claiming they're smart animals. I'm not claiming that that exposure isn't some level of stress, because in truth it very probably (almost definitely) is. But even gold fish have the capacity to learn in a rudimentary way. That BP are capable of learning what is and isn't a threat seems generally agreed upon -defensive hatchlings, handle often, they'll learn you aren't going to eat them. So I honestly think a snake who is EXPOSED to its environment more, via open tank tops, glass walls, and being in the living room- probably is going to be more comfortable IN that environment because they have learned that the things in it aren't going to eat them.

I don't think it goes much further than that, and I think you'd be fair in saying that those snakes have more stressful lives -

But if they're eating, pooping, shedding, thermo regulating, using their hides appropriately, are not tense, balling, hissing or striking, I'm not sure what you're observing as them being stressed, either.

Ball pythons make the "mild S curve" when they feel uneasy as a defense not an offence. Like you have explained above. It's basically them starting to make the ball they are named after. I doubt he well ever show aggression.
Actually come to think of it the only time I have seen an "aggressive" snake was when I saw someone get bit by one after/before feeding. I think people widely mistake defensive posture as offensive maneuver with snakes. They are just protecting them selves and would rather be left alone in most cases. I would even go as far to call a rattlesnake none aggressive. They don't hunt you down. They just stand their ground.
I couldn't tell you how many people me and my wife have turned around. They just didn't understand. Once taught how to read any animal I beleive everyone/anyone could be comfortable with them around. Take my buddy Forrest for instance, scared to death of snakes. A little knowledge, and a few adult beverages = .......

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Just my $0.02 :)

To 100% clarify...totally depends on the animal!

and without question, a pet snake leads a different life than a breeder...
We're all products of our life experiences, so ofcourse this woukd make them very different creatures!

When I was much younger, I knew a fella that was a bit out there...
He owned a small colubrid, a milk snake of some sort, or so he said...

I was amazed at this snake!
Tge first time I saw the lil guy, he was entwined in a dead shrub, with a heavy base added, on this mans windowside desk...we both entered his house after working outside all day, he plopped on the couch and started spinning me yarns about his childhood...the usual for him....whilst I admired his magnificent "sculpture"!
It was this small drab dead shrub Skelton, all brown, with a beaming little snake tightly wrapped in it...
I commented on how great it was!

He laughed...never saying a word, and walked over to it....pointed towards the snake and as if by magic it sprung to life! Shot up his extended pointer finger and entwined itself just as tightly among his fingers... He brought the snake to his face, and it promptly slipped out of his grasp and around his collar...peeking its head out the other side!

Id never before, or since seen such behavior in a snake!
in my mind, not only did it recognize it's owner, but it recognized that I wasn't its owner...and it had what anyone would call a" loving response"

i was was allowed to handle the snake, but the whole it was making a clear effort to move from me and to its owner...

I coukdnt believe it, this snake had no enclosure!
this shrub skeleton was its home, the man explained the snake lived there...he said he'd water it a few times a week...and feed it earthworms by hand...

Maybe the snake recognized it's food source and was drawn to him by that, I do not know!

Im still friends with this person, tho he's not long for this world now at 84 I believe...and the snake passed about 20 years ago now, somewhere near the 14 year mark...that's a long time to spend hanging out in a dead tree in an old mans house...especially with a window inches away...not to mention the house was old and full of holes! Surely he coukd have left at any time...
I even helped extract a 5' black rat snake from behind his fridge...

This snake sure seemed to love his owner...

I would agree with it depends on the individual. I put them back when they start trying to hide. One of mine will be out for about an hour before doing so and the other barely last 20min before trying to get away

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