Is it too early to get him out..?

Is it alright if I hold Geno? I've been giving him a week off from handling because he was stressed. (I started Sunday, it's Wednesday now) And he eats tomorrow... I was just kinda wanting to hold him. Is it ok or should I still wait until Friday?

Also, he's been sorta next to/under his water dish when I looked at him last night and just a minute ago. I don't know if that means anything but it's better to be safe than sorry! Thank you in advance! :)

Hold him for a bit if you'd like and if he seems calm. The upcoming days off from feeding will help him relax again. So it's a good time for it :)

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sure! :)

Make sure to pay attention to how long he's calm while out also, even if it's only 15 mins, then put him back.

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Awesome!! Thank you guys! :) I'll have him out for a bit :)

Ok soo... I just had him out and here's what happened:
I went to pick him up, and to do that I moved the water dish out of the way since he was pretty much under it, and right when he did his head was all in an S.. I still got him out though, and picking him up from behind I took him out to the couch and we kinda sat there. He was tense and flicking his tongue a lot :( He started to relax a bit but I still put him up.

I don't know, what could I have done?? He was so curious and sweet.. :( Now he just wants to bite everything.. I don't know what I did! :snake2::(

(Oh and I probably had him out for... 5-10 mins? I know it wasn't that long..)

Just put him back.

It can happen. They'll get overwhelmed.

the snake is still young, right? you did nothing wrong!!! he's probably still not used to you or to handling. keep working with him and he'll learn it's okay to be out with you.

Now don't pick him up again until at least 48 hours after feeding. Small progress is good progress

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Originally Posted by donnadudette2003

Now don't pick him up again until at least 48 hours after feeding. Small progress is good progress

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agreed. OP take it slow with him for now; you're doing just fine. :gj:

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

the snake is still young, right? you did nothing wrong!!! he's probably still not used to you or to handling. keep working with him and he'll learn it's okay to be out with you.

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Yea, he's a year. And oh I really do hope I didn't do anything! I hope that's the case!!! I'll defiantly work with him.. I have 1 question though.. how often and how long should I handle him? I don't want to stress him out any more by doing to much or too long, but I also want to work with him pretty often. The soonest I could hold him would be Saturday since he eats tomorrow. And, this might be a dumb question but.. what should I do when I have him out..? Like hold him and ''play'' with him or just like have him around my neck and go about my day..? I don't know. Sorry and thank you so much!

Start out short and sweet. 5-10 minutes twice a week, then gradually increase as you and the snake grow more comfortable with one another

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Start out short and sweet. 5-10 minutes twice a week, then gradually increase as you and the snake grow more comfortable with one another

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Ok, will do! Thank you!

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What should I do with him when he's out though...:weirdface

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Ok, will do! Thank you!

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What should I do with him when he's out though...:weirdface

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That's just a rough guideline though, almost nothing about snake keeping is set in stone ;)

Find a safe, quiet place where there isn't any traffic or background movement. Let him explore you a bit, and let him explore the chair, couch, bed etc...as long as there's nowhere he can disappear. Make sure he's never too far out of reach. Let him dictate how much exploring he wants to do, within reason obviously. Hold him for a bit again before putting him back in his enclosure. Set him back in gently and go from there.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

That's just a rough guideline though, almost nothing about snake keeping is set in stone ;)

Find a safe, quiet place where there isn't any traffic or background movement. Let him explore you a bit, and let him explore the chair, couch, bed etc...as long as there's nowhere he can disappear. Make sure he's never too far out of reach. Let him dictate how much exploring he wants to do, within reason obviously. Hold him for a bit again before putting him back in his enclosure. Set him back in gently and go from there.

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Perfect! OK thank you so much [emoji4]

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Some snakes 'like' being out, some tolerate, some will flat out try and kill you every time you look at it. Every snake has it's own personality.

If you are looking for a more 'social' snake, then a BP wasnt your best choice unless you get lucky with one that actually likes the interaction. A boa is a far better choice for a snake that you want to drag out and sling on your shoulder and go.

My BP likes to wander around but isnt thrilled about being on me lol. She is the only snake i got that actually figured out how to slide her AP T10 cage door open and get out so now i have to use the lock on her cage.

With that said, i do drag her out once or twice a week to let get some enrichment but if i am looking a snake to take outside or to lounge with on the bed while watching TV, any of my boas or my Dumerils are my first choices as they are pretty happy to sit on me or curl up close to me under the blanket.

Just keep working with your snake for 5-10 mins every few days as you want each encounter to be a 'pleasurable' for the snake vs a 'nightmare'. Also I would only handle it every every 3 days or twice a week until it gets more settled in. You dont want the snake to freak out every time the cage is opened, it's dragged out. Snakes do like 'quiet me time'.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Some snakes 'like' being out, some tolerate, some will flat out try and kill you every time you look at it. Every snake has it's own personality.

If you are looking for a more 'social' snake, then a BP wasnt your best choice unless you get lucky with one that actually likes the interaction. A boa is a far better choice for a snake that you want to drag out and sling on your shoulder and go.

My BP likes to wander around but isnt thrilled about being on me lol. She is the only snake i got that actually figured out how to slide her AP T10 cage door open and get out so now i have to use the lock on her cage.

With that said, i do drag her out once or twice a week to let get some enrichment but if i am looking a snake to take outside or to lounge with on the bed while watching TV, any of my boas or my Dumerils are my first choices as they are pretty happy to sit on me or curl up close to me under the blanket.

Just keep working with your snake for 5-10 mins every few days as you want each encounter to be a 'pleasurable' for the snake vs a 'nightmare'. Also I would only handle it every every 3 days or twice a week until it gets more settled in. You dont want the snake to freak out every time the cage is opened, it's dragged out. Snakes do like 'quiet me time'.

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OK!! Thank you! And the weird thing I thought, was that at first Geno was very sweet and calm.. now he's a grump.. would he be considered a happy snake? Like is this just a phase he'll go threw or is this how he'll aways be..? And ya, tbh I was looking for a social snake, and I know a ball python want the best choose for that but, I'd love just having him out and chilling as we watch TV or something :) thank you!

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Originally Posted by GpBp

OK!! Thank you! And the weird thing I thought, was that at first Geno was very sweet and calm.. now he's a grump.. would he be considered a happy snake? Like is this just a phase he'll go threw or is this how he'll aways be..? And ya, tbh I was looking for a social snake, and I know a ball python want the best choose for that but, I'd love just having him out and chilling as we watch TV or something :) thank you!

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most likely a phase, though beeps have been known to keep the 'tude. like mentioned before: start slow, increase over time. he shouldn't be grumpy for long.

i always take Yellow out for tv time. Spaghetti is more active and requires more attention, but we're still working together. once she's got enough weight on her i'm sure she'll mellow out.

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Originally Posted by GpBp

OK!! Thank you! And the weird thing I thought, was that at first Geno was very sweet and calm.. now he's a grump.. would he be considered a happy snake? Like is this just a phase he'll go threw or is this how he'll aways be..? And ya, tbh I was looking for a social snake, and I know a ball python want the best choose for that but, I'd love just having him out and chilling as we watch TV or something :) thank you!

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Might just be a phase. My retic gets antisocial sometimes and will shove my hand away when I pet him or crawl away if I don't quit bugging him lol. Other times usually when I'm doing something he likes like cleaning up a steaming poop, he will actually come over and sit by me at the open door. They all have good days and bad days. You learn to read them after keeping them long enough. My BP will sometimes hiss at me loudly if I bug her when she is out getting enrichment lol. Never bites or anything, just does hissing and sometimes will do drive by hissing if I rub her back quickly as he is crawling by me lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

sometimes will do drive by hissing

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Haha Sauzo, I think you just coined a new phrase. I was laughing when I read it. :gj:

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Originally Posted by RickyNY

Haha Sauzo, I think you just coined a new phrase. I was laughing when I read it. :gj:

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Lol awesome. Dottie is a character of a snake. When i got her, she was just a skinny little 90g worm who was so scared. Petsmart had her in a cage that was too cold with a spilled water bowl and were force feeding her mice as she didnt eat for almost a month with them. None of the workers wanted to deal with her as she bit them and the manager told me she bit her about 6 times.

I got her on a Black Friday half price deal of $200 and the manager said if i couldnt get her to eat or tame down in 2 weeks, i could return her. I brought her home and got in a proper setup and in 2 days she was eating anything that moved. She literally would stand up like a cobra and wait for a F/T mouse to be lowered down and she would grab it. She was eating every 3-5 days until 6 months old, then once a week. She's now a 1600ish gram 4.5' little monster lol.

Getting her tamed down was a much longer chore. She was always really head shy because i think of the forced feeding. And she always would hide. Now I've had almost 4 years and she is out pretty much every night exploring and if i leave the cage door open, she is quick to come out and hang down to the floor and go exploring lol. She is still head shy sometimes if you walk by her when she is sitting outside on the bed or couch but if you are holding her, you can most of the time pet her on the head now and she is usually fine with it.

Poor little girl had a rough start in life for sure as I'm sure Petsmart got her as a very young baby being she was 90g and about 12" when i got her and she had been there almost a month before i got her. Anyways, heres a pic of her now being lazy lol. She's kind of got the concept of a hide backwards as she has head kind of inside it but her body is outside lol.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4232/3...055bcba2_h.jpg

So how long have you actually had him ?

I thought the general rule for new Royals/Ball pythons was to leave them to settle in for a week or so , feed ( hopefully ) and then wait for 48hours minimum ... some wait until they've had two consecutive feeds .... hopefully this doesn't effect his first feeding attempt for you ..




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Originally Posted by Zincubus

So how long have you actually had him ?

I thought the general rule for new Royals/Ball pythons was to leave them to settle in for a week or so , feed ( hopefully ) and then wait for 48hours minimum ... some wait until they've had two consecutive feeds .... hopefully this doesn't effect his first feeding attempt for you ..




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I usually leave all new snakes for a week to settle in and try and feed usually after 3 days. It's a good general rule but we all know how hard it is resist picking up your new worm lol. Of course i mostly have dealt with boas and they usually settle in in 1 day and become garbage cans by day 2 haha.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I usually leave all new snakes for a week to settle in and try and feed usually after 3 days. It's a good general rule but we all know how hard it is resist picking up your new worm lol. Of course i mostly have dealt with boas and they usually settle in in 1 day and become garbage cans by day 2 haha.

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Same
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Can't compare any other snakes to NEW Royals though , IMHO


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So, I just had him out for 10 mins. He did pretty good, except for when I was getting him out :L I had to use a snake hook but after I got him out he did good.