how many times do you handle your snake?

i heard your only supposed to handle 15 minutes a week. but to be honest i handle mine probably daily. and it seems to want to be handled alot. i want to see how much everyone handles theres

where did you hear this from? another pet store rumor?

We handle ours when ever we see fit.

I think there was a poll on this a while back actually:)

If your snake stops eating then you should be concerned your over stressing him

My 2 cents

There are tons of threads on this very interesting topic. Daily handling is fine. I would handle all mine daily if I had more time. That said, there is always going to be the occasional mean snake that just hates to be handled.

My understanding is that as long as the snake is healthy and not refusing food that handling, whether it's once a day, once a week or only on a monthly cleaning is not going to affect them. I would say as long as the snake is not out in a cold room for so long that they start getting really cold that it should be fine. But then I'm not exactly the expert on this type of thing and my BP is probably the easiest snake I've ever owned :D

my ball eats within ten seconds every time i put in my mouse. i just got a carpet two days ago.it refusing to eat. but i think it just needs time. but my ball loves being held. you can really tell

how can you tell that your ball loves to be held?

i dunno. i think i can just tell if it likes to or not..

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

my ball eats within ten seconds every time i put in my mouse. i just got a carpet two days ago.it refusing to eat. but i think it just needs time. but my ball loves being held. you can really tell

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Snakes do not get enjoyment from being held. Handling is a very stressful thing and is usually not enjoyable.
However, a snake can get accustomed to being held and not mind it. All of the signs that he enjoys it are probably opposite of what you think they are. Some snakes shouldn't be held as often because they get more stressed than others. It depends on the snake.

Holding daily is fine as long as you don't have him out for hours and you leave him be for 48 hours after feeding.
I usually handle my snakes a couple times a week. Some don't mind, some hate it. :]

ok i understand now they dont like being held. doesnt hurt to believe though :D

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Snakes do not get enjoyment from being held. Handling is a very stressful thing and is usually not enjoyable.
However, a snake can get accustomed to being held and not mind it. All of the signs that he enjoys it are probably opposite of what you think they are. Some snakes shouldn't be held as often because they get more stressed than others. It depends on the snake.

Holding daily is fine as long as you don't have him out for hours and you leave him be for 48 hours after feeding.
I usually handle my snakes a couple times a week. Some don't mind, some hate it. :]

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i would definantly agree with that. when my guy is happily slithering around, i notice that he always eventually tries to go back in his tank or another hiding spot. he's not necessarily stressed, but he dosn't mind the activity.

as a side note, make sure you are watching them at all times, because while i was typing this, my bp thought he was an arboreal snake and climbed from my shoulders to the top of my computer chair, and fell off the chair while he was making his way down :O

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

ok i understand now they dont like being held. doesnt hurt to believe though :D

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Of course not! :P

To GMC:
Haha, they tend to do that a lot don't they.. it's good when they are out of a ball because then you know they are more relaxed, even if they are trying to get away.

exactly, sometimes when i get him out, he just never un coils, so back he goes untill he is ready, usually a day or two later. as long as you let the snake be a snake, its all good.

ya mine is never in a ball. it was for a day. but now it just likes to sit there for a minute. i love balls they are so calm:D

And Santa Clause doesn't exist either by the way!! All these scientific minds around here...sheeesh

Love is just a chemical induced feeling in the brain too right? I think alcohol speeds it up.

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Originally Posted by kid_mustango02

And Santa Clause doesn't exist either by the way!! All these scientific minds around here...sheeesh

Love is just a chemical induced feeling in the brain too right? I think alcohol speeds it up.

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Uh, what?
Alcohol is a depressant. It doesn't speed anything up. It shuts down your brain.
What does this have to do with anything? Please don't post off-topic things.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Snakes do not get enjoyment from being held.

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i must argue this to a point...
i understand they may not get "enjoyment" out of being "held" but
exactly where does my 5 foot female JCP fit into this? i open up her cage, and first thing she does is clime up my arm, i never have to actually pick her up..

ponder it, not to be argumentative, but i do believe that snakes dont always get stressed out when being handled... my ball python for example, i have had him 3 years, if i set him down on the floor and sit down close to him, he comes over to me and climes up on my lap -- wouldnt you say this means he feels secure? seeing as he always finds a nice spot around my arm or leg to chill? i mean, im just trying to spark interesting debate/conversation..

just my $0.02

---also, im not saying that i handle them daily, i dont, only every couple days - tops once a week, sept the female JCP, i let her out just about every other night if not more... ;)

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Originally Posted by ChicaPiton519

i must argue this to a point...
i understand they may not get "enjoyment" out of being "held" but
exactly where does my 5 foot female JCP fit into this? i open up her cage, and first thing she does is clime up my arm, i never have to actually pick her up..

ponder it, not to be argumentative, but i do believe that snakes dont always get stressed out when being handled... my ball python for example, i have had him 3 years, if i set him down on the floor and sit down close to him, he comes over to me and climes up on my lap -- wouldnt you say this means he feels secure? seeing as he always finds a nice spot around my arm or leg to chill? i mean, im just trying to spark interesting debate/conversation..

just my $0.02

---also, im not saying that i handle them daily, i dont, only every couple days - tops once a week, sept the female JCP, i let her out just about every other night if not more... ;)

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Usually it is stressful, especially when the handler is inexperienced.
But like I said before, they get accustomed to not minding handling. They may enjoy your warmth, or your security sure, but can we really know? Probably not.
When your JCP climbs on your arm, it may be because he knows that when he gets to go out, he gets to slither around more and exercise and has associated this with handling, which naturally and instinctively is probably enjoyable.
Just my thoughts. :]

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Usually it is stressful, especially when the handler is inexperienced.
But like I said before, they get accustomed to not minding handling. They may enjoy your warmth, or your security sure, but can we really know? Probably not.
When your JCP climbs on your arm, it may be because he knows that when he gets to go out, he gets to slither around more and exercise and has associated this with handling, which naturally and instinctively is probably enjoyable.
Just my thoughts. :]

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true true ;)
even tho im sure she gets enough dang exercise when shes thudding around her cage at night lol!

and yes, your right, with someone inexperienced it can cause stress, although, i have learned how to read (most of) my snakes and how they act when they are in an uncomfortable situation... lol... its hard not to be able to when you feel their whole body tense up and they start trying to go up my shirt... ahha

This is certainly a subject of great debate. I think as pet parents, we like to give our snakes human emotions. I know I do. But in all reality, no one knows what is going on in that mind of theirs. In my opinion, I think snakes can appreciate more than we give them credit for, and are most definitely more intelligent than some like to think. All of these opinions are just that, opinions. No one has learned to speak snake, no one has asked a snake "hey, do you like this?" Sure, it is easy to tell what they clearly don't like, and a good owner we can tell when they are unhealthy or stressed out. But other than that, who knows? I will continue to believe that our snakes like us, recognize us, and enjoy what we provide for them. And if that is your fancy, you should feel free to think that too. Remember that old saying about fish? Fish are yellow-brained and can feel no pain... Who ever asked a fish if something hurt? There are no absolutes in this world, and everyone has room to learn something. The most important thing is to make sure that your snake is happy as well, not just you.

everyones right. no one knows if the snake likes it or not. but i think a snake can trust you and feel secure. hey, maybe i am wrong but i feel trust just by some of the snakes actions

I handle my bp once a week, usually when I change the substrate on the tub, and only for 15-20 minutes. To my mind, handling is for my own pleasure, not for the snake's, that is why I only take it out as little as possible. Perhaps I am wrong, perhaps they really enjoy being handled and my bp is just dying for me to take it out, but I doubt it :rofl:. My bp is always very relaxed, only goes out at night and eats like a champ, so I guess he's "happy" this way.

Just my two cents!

i know this is off topic. but did anyone here have a problem with switching their snake to f/t? i am about to switch mine. she is about 3 months old. eats within about ten seconds everytime i put live in. but if anyone has advice to make it easier, could you message me thanks :)

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

i know this is off topic. but did anyone here have a problem with switching their snake to f/t? i am about to switch mine. she is about 3 months old. eats within about ten seconds everytime i put live in. but if anyone has advice to make it easier, could you message me thanks :)

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Your hijacking this thread. If you have a question I suggest starting your own topic. This doesn't even have the slightest thing to do with this thread.

That post is virtually spam.

ok/ its my thread dude. so i hijacked my own thread.... ya know people could just be nice and answer a question. who cares if its off topic

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Uh, what?
Alcohol is a depressant. It doesn't speed anything up. It shuts down your brain.
What does this have to do with anything? Please don't post off-topic things.

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nuff said...

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

ok/ its my thread dude. so i hijacked my own thread.... ya know people could just be nice and answer a question. who cares if its off topic

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First of all I'm not a 'dude'.
It doesn't matter if it's your thread or not, the point is organization.
If you have a question about f/t post a topic in a completely different section.

I wasn't being mean when I asked you to post a new topic, I was simply stating a fact. Your not going to get answers because that's not the question people expect to see when they come to this topic, so you would get a lot more conversation as well as answers in a new topic.

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Originally Posted by gmcclurelssu

i would definantly agree with that. when my guy is happily slithering around, i notice that he always eventually tries to go back in his tank or another hiding spot. he's not necessarily stressed, but he dosn't mind the activity.

as a side note, make sure you are watching them at all times, because while i was typing this, my bp thought he was an arboreal snake and climbed from my shoulders to the top of my computer chair, and fell off the chair while he was making his way down :O

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My snake always slithers around looking for a hiding spot, but never wants to go back in his tank.
Quite often my snake climbs things and almost falls down, including my legs, my family's legs, chair legs, anything with legs, and he also tried to climb a tree covered in ants, but i stopped him before things got nasty.

I try to handle every night except 48 hours after feeding. I posted a thread like several months ago. I cant say he dislikes it and finds unenjoyable, because he neve wants to go back in his cage. Granted, I wouldn't like solitary confinement either, but still.
My :2cent:

we hadle ours almost daily unless they just ate or are in shed. i feel that it keeps them from being aggressive.

I handle mine for 10-20 minutes on a daily basis (except for when in shed and a day or two after feeding). After moving Ruth to a tub she seems to be a bit more calm during handling and really just wraps around my hand and flicks her tongue around for awhile, as opposed to slithering all over the place like she used to (could also just be her growing used to handling as well).

I have around 50 snakes last count. Thats alot of snakes, big and small, but I spend anywere from 2 to 3 hrs. a night in my snake room. On the weekends w/ the kids we easily spend 3 to 4 hrs. Sat & Sun. My bearded dragon's are all in the house so they are handled often threw the week. My girls take care of our lizards for the most part.

i thought two snakes was alot of work. haha must be a packed house

Wow, it's interesting to see all the different opinions on a topic like this. I've had my BP for three weeks now. I've gotten to feed twice in the last week, which I consider appropriate because he's young, the pet store was only getting him to feed on pinks every other week, and I'm feeding pinks (on their recommendation). He first fed for me Tuesday of last week, then again today, both times with a good strong strike. Yes, it took a while to get his interest, but then he was ON it!

I've definitely seen a difference in my snake's behavior about handling since I first acquired him. He wasn't overly shy when I first got him - I handled him at the pet store and was positively impressed by how he relaxed as I held and stroked him. When he first came home, I gave him a lot of space and time. After a few days, I started handling him - as much as anything because I needed to clean his enclosure! - and I had the same experience as at the store: first a ball, then a relaxed snake.

Now, I will take him out of the enclosure when he's out of his hide and when I have time (he's out a lot in the morning, when I'm getting ready for work!). I spend ten to fifteen minutes with him, and he explores up my arms, around the space where we're sitting (at the desk in my office) and generally seems comfortable with all of it.

Do I know how he feels about it? Of course not. I'm not a snake, and I can't do a Vulcan mind meld with him, either. But he is not demonstrating behaviors that suggest he is avoiding the situation or responding to a threat associated with handling. Moreover, I handled him this morning for a while, and fed him this evening. It doesn't appear to be traumatizing him too badly. :)

A newbie's opinion, for what it's worth....

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Originally Posted by OldHippie

Wow, it's interesting to see all the different opinions on a topic like this. I've had my BP for three weeks now. I've gotten to feed twice in the last week, which I consider appropriate because he's young, the pet store was only getting him to feed on pinks every other week, and I'm feeding pinks (on their recommendation). He first fed for me Tuesday of last week, then again today, both times with a good strong strike. Yes, it took a while to get his interest, but then he was ON it!

I've definitely seen a difference in my snake's behavior about handling since I first acquired him. He wasn't overly shy when I first got him - I handled him at the pet store and was positively impressed by how he relaxed as I held and stroked him. When he first came home, I gave him a lot of space and time. After a few days, I started handling him - as much as anything because I needed to clean his enclosure! - and I had the same experience as at the store: first a ball, then a relaxed snake.

Now, I will take him out of the enclosure when he's out of his hide and when I have time (he's out a lot in the morning, when I'm getting ready for work!). I spend ten to fifteen minutes with him, and he explores up my arms, around the space where we're sitting (at the desk in my office) and generally seems comfortable with all of it.

Do I know how he feels about it? Of course not. I'm not a snake, and I can't do a Vulcan mind meld with him, either. But he is not demonstrating behaviors that suggest he is avoiding the situation or responding to a threat associated with handling. Moreover, I handled him this morning for a while, and fed him this evening. It doesn't appear to be traumatizing him too badly. :)

A newbie's opinion, for what it's worth....

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You may be feeding your snake too small of prey. I don't know the age or size of your snake, but I recently obtained a baby that had only 2 meals before I got her and I started her off with young mice that are past the hopper stage every 5 days. As you only have made a few posts I will mention that there are care sheets that you can click on that are located in the upper left corner of the main page of this site. Have fun with your snake!

I handle my Kyros when ever I get the chance and when he is in the mood. He is a pretty sweet little guy. I can hold him and inspect him even when he is shedding! ( I only hold him during shedding when I have to clean out his cage, which I do 2 days after a meal( cause of the blood), and every time he poops) I take Kyros everywhere with me. There is nothing like the sound of people saying " is that a real snake? Does it bite? do they make good pets?" I LOVE educating people about Ball pythons. My favorite part of the day is when someone earlier on in the day says " Ew keep that thing away from me!" then later on saying " I want a ball python they arn't gross at all they are really sweet and fun to hold!" Melts my heart! Yay for Snakes!

I handle my snakes everyday. The only days i dont handle them is after the eat or when they are shedding. Other than that i like to handle them everyday or any free time i get!

i also handle my snake everyday, it doesnt seem to mind being handled at all, he just stays around my neck, i will not handle it after feeding though.

I am new to ball pythons, but not new to snakes or other animals. I LOVE my new baby. I handle him every day except for the two days post feeding. And, now that he's in shed, I'll leave him alone.

When I first got him, he would ball up when I picked him up, but not now. I think he recognizes my scent and realizes that I'm not going to eat him as I would have by now. Maybe he doesn't "enjoy" being held, but he certainly doesn't seem stressed about it. I am warm and soft, what could be bad about that. My iguana used to climb in bed with me and cuddle up. I didn't delude myself into thinking he loved me, but he sure did like my warmth and softness. I don't think men are any different. I'm mean, often ill-tempered and sarcastic, but attractive to men none the less. Warm and soft goes a long way at every level of the animal kingdom.

I wouldn't say I handle them too often, but I disturb them almost daily. Really short period usually, take them out, check them over .. and put them back (the usual shed and feeding precautions obviously).

It give them a little interaction, I get to see how they are doing, and check their enclosure to see if I need to take any further action.

after having my snake long enough to give her a meal and then let her chill for more than 48 hrs, i took her out this evening :)

i plan on taking her out daily except during shed and after feedings

Most of ours get handled a couple times a week. once for cage cleanings and once just because... with 40+ snakes, 20+ geckos, 6 beardeds and 2 rankin dragons, plus work. it is tough to fit snake handling in to every day. There are some that do get handled more than others though;)

I usually only handle my snakes at cage cleaning time, and of course for the occasional "show off" to a friend :D

ok so i handle my baby ball once a week...about 48 hours after feeding...the other 2 i have only handled twice when i brought them home and when i moved them in to their new tubs.....one seams stressed and the other...i just get an aggressive vib from him....now i am an inexperinced handler...so i have one question....what is the best way to actualy hold them?......and where is the most likly place to get bit?

I hold all of my snakes on a regular basis, generally switching between snakes per day, besides the obvious post-feeding time and shedding. They all get equal attention. So I guess each snake is handled at least two or three times a week. I personally believe they like me handling them. Whenever I open their enclosures they generally start heading towards me, they tend to go straight around my neck and rest on my shoulders or head. The only times they ever roll into a ball on me is if they fall asleep on me and I move them to put them back in their tanks (Most likely reason they ball up is because I woke them up and they're like, "Dubs tee eff mate!") If there are times where I open their tanks and they move away from me or slide back into their hides, I know they don't feel like coming out so I leave them alone. Other than that, they seem to enjoy the time out, the warmth I provide, and the exercise they may get if they don't fall asleep on me =P

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Originally Posted by Lunawf

ok so i handle my baby ball once a week...about 48 hours after feeding...the other 2 i have only handled twice when i brought them home and when i moved them in to their new tubs.....one seams stressed and the other...i just get an aggressive vib from him....now i am an inexperinced handler...so i have one question....what is the best way to actualy hold them?......and where is the most likly place to get bit?

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it sounds like you just got your other two snakes..? if so, give them about a week to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings, new sounds, new smells etc before handling them. they're most likely stressed from the move. there really is no best way to hold a snake other than support the majority of their body, and they generally find somewhere to wrap their tails around while they explore your body. don't just hold them with one finger or hand depending on how big they are, it could hurt their tummies with all their weight supported by such a small area. my boa always wraps her tail around my bra straps and wraps around my neck while resting her head on top of my hair. my adult ball python usually wraps all around my neck and hangs down on my chest, and both of my baby bp's generally wrap their tails around my wrist or fingers and wander around, or slide up my arms and wrap up in my hair.

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it sounds like you just got your other two snakes..? if so, give them about a week to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings, new sounds, new smells etc before handling them. they're most likely stressed from the move. there really is no best way to hold a snake other than support the majority of their body, and they generally find somewhere to wrap their tails around while they explore your body. don't just hold them with one finger or hand depending on how big they are, it could hurt their tummies with all their weight supported by such a small area. my boa always wraps her tail around my bra straps and wraps around my neck while resting her head on top of my hair. my adult ball python usually wraps all around my neck and hangs down on my chest, and both of my baby bp's generally wrap their tails around my wrist or fingers and wander around, or slide up my arms and wrap up in my hair.

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yes i did get get the 2, they are about 2 years old...and are about 2 feet long may be a little longer....they are about as big around as a young rat at the fattest part of their bodies, they have what i think is retained eyecaps...so i dont know how well they can see...and i dont think they were well taken care of...i just dont want to stress them by holding them...and now that they have been moved twice in the same week i think that the one is agitated and stressed a little more...i dont plan on try to handle them for a little while longer.

Yea just let them rest up for a while. Try not to keep them in a high traffic area where people will be walking past them often throughout the day. When did they last shed? Because it may not be retained eyecaps, he may be getting ready to shed again. If they are retained eyecaps though, don't worry about them; they should come off at the next shedding. They should feel better within a week or two without any stress from being handled =]

When I had my corn snake, I'd handle her on a daily basis (excluding shedding/feeding etc), and after having had my ball python for a few weeks it sure looks like it'll be the same for her too :D

There's something quite comforting to just sit on my futon and watch tv with this scaly girl wrapped around my wrist or sitting on my shoulder.. apparently a favorite spot for her.

She has a very different personality than my corn snake did. My corn had this funny idea that crawling inside people's shirts was just the best thing ever and where she wanted to be. I didn't mind, but if I ever had company over and they were interested in holding her, sometimes she'd give them a little surprise :D Alice is more content with checking out the area, finding something comfortable and just hanging out.

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Originally Posted by Lateralus_Love

Yea just let them rest up for a while. Try not to keep them in a high traffic area where people will be walking past them often throughout the day. When did they last shed? Because it may not be retained eyecaps, he may be getting ready to shed again. If they are retained eyecaps though, don't worry about them; they should come off at the next shedding. They should feel better within a week or two without any stress from being handled =]

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i dont know when they said last...and the guy i got them from does not seam to remember. Dont think he paid that much attention to them as he made it out to be...or handled them as much as he said either. I have not messed with them in a few days

Good old Hercules can take anything. Quite often, I'll put him down on a table and he will figure out that he can slide down it like a fire pole, he did it one time, released tension just a bit to soon, and landed on his head, not that hard, but on his head all the same. He just continued slithering around like he didn't even notice. Also one time he went all or nothing and just slithered off that table like there was no tomorrow. Luckily it was on carpet and he didn't seem to hurt. I kept my I on him for several weeks afterwards, but he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes when I go to take him out, he thinks I'm food and waits, all it really takes is a droplet to the nose and he knows its me. I try to handle him a couple times a week, because he is very restless. Sometimes, right after feeding him, he'll be crawling around inside his cage, (that's right I said crawling, watcha gonna do about it?) trying to get out. He is a cute little guy.

Mine tried to eat me once...I had been handling the rats, and washed up and everything. Guess I missed a spot. Took out my BP to clean his tank, feel something soft, look down, and he's got his mouth wide open trying to swallow my forearm :O He realized I wasn't a rat, and went on his merry way up my arm, haha. I figured he didn't bite me, because it felt nothing like his bites do.