Apollo is not being a good boy and he looks pink.

[mandymg86]

Are you following me though the forum??

Maybe...

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[Bogertophis]

... I honestly look forward to her advice. It's been spot on anytime I've posted questions or concerns, and a lot of her answers help me become a better handler.

Thank you, that makes my day. But just for the record, I have no desire to be the only source of information here...like most keepers, I have areas of specialty & areas
where I defer to others. I have kept ball pythons in the past, & I've bred some kinds of snakes in the past, but I never bred ball pythons, nor do I stay up on all of the
morphs, for example. What makes a forum like this so special is that we have many voices to chime in with their best information on various topics...many heads are
better than one. We don't all agree on everything either, & that's where your own experience & common sense comes in, when you decide what to trust & what to try.
There are many members here whose input I value & thank also. It's all about doing our best for the ssssss.

[SquirmyPug]

Maybe...

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OOOhhh.. well then... you don't have to hide in the shadows and around corners to follow me haha

[Jcd5v]

So now that I’ve added a few more snakes to the collection and have a really docile mystic ghost bp, I’ve decided I’m going to take it super slow with Apollo. I’m going to try just lifting his hide and standing by the cage for a few days. Then I will touch him for a few days. And then I will finally pick him up for short periods of time. I think by going this slow it will help introduce me as not a predator.


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[Bogertophis]

So now that I’ve added a few more snakes to the collection and have a really docile mystic ghost bp, I’ve decided I’m going to take it super slow with Apollo. I’m going to try just lifting his hide and standing by the cage for a few days. Then I will touch him for a few days. And then I will finally pick him up for short periods of time. I think by going this slow it will help introduce me as not a predator.


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Re "lifting his hide and standing by the cage..." -that may or may not get you the response you're after -many years ago when I was in a local pet store (where they
knew me well as an experienced snake-keeper) they asked me to take a look at a rat snake they had trouble with, always biting them when they tried to take it out to
show. Obviously this kept killing their sale. What they were doing "wrong" was taking the hide away, then trying to pick up the snake: from the snake's perspective
a huge scary predator was coming right at him & now he had nowhere to hide! Panic! Not a "mean snake" at all: all I did was slide my hand under the hide to gently
touch & then lift out the snake...he never bit me, & never got upset, though I'm sure he was surprised, lol. That was a yearling Everglades rat snake by the way...I ended
up taking the little cutie home. (I'm an easy sell for rat snakes, lol.) Anyway, you are welcome to try what you described...snakes aren't all the same, but remember their
best senses are touch & scent...the way I gently touched that snake told him I wasn't a threat. When a snake gets to know you, they'll recognize your scent & that can be
used to reassure them (from a little distance) when you approach also.

You aren't the only one that doesn't feel comfortable risking a bite, that's why many like to use a small snake hook (or really anything similar, even the cardboard tube
from a roll of paper towels) just to gently touch the snake without getting "within range". Just pay close attention to his reactions, that will tell you if you're on the right
track.

[Jcd5v]

Re "lifting his hide and standing by the cage..." -that may or may not get you the response you're after -many years ago when I was in a local pet store (where they
knew me well as an experienced snake-keeper) they asked me to take a look at a rat snake they had trouble with, always biting them when they tried to take it out to
show. Obviously this kept killing their sale. What they were doing "wrong" was taking the hide away, then trying to pick up the snake: from the snake's perspective
a huge scary predator was coming right at him & now he had nowhere to hide! Panic! Not a "mean snake" at all: all I did was slide my hand under the hide to gently
touch & then lift out the snake...he never bit me, & never got upset, though I'm sure he was surprised, lol. That was a yearling Everglades rat snake by the way...I ended
up taking the little cutie home. (I'm an easy sell for rat snakes, lol.) Anyway, you are welcome to try what you described...snakes aren't all the same, but remember their
best senses are touch & scent...the way I gently touched that snake told him I wasn't a threat. When a snake gets to know you, they'll recognize your scent & that can be
used to reassure them (from a little distance) when you approach also.

You aren't the only one that doesn't feel comfortable risking a bite, that's why many like to use a small snake hook (or really anything similar, even the cardboard tube
from a roll of paper towels) just to gently touch the snake without getting "within range". Just pay close attention to his reactions, that will tell you if you're on the right
track.

Great advice! Thank you for your help!


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[Bogertophis]

Hey, by the way...is he eating OK for you now? If not, don't handle yet...make sure he's eaten a couple times, then work on hanging out together.

[Jcd5v]

Hey, by the way...is he eating OK for you now? If not, don't handle yet...make sure he's eaten a couple times, then work on hanging out together.

Yes! He’s fed 3-4 times like a champ.


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[Bogertophis]

Awesome! So yeah, he can handle something new now...

[Jcd5v]

Awesome! So yeah, he can handle something new now...

I’m hoping my newest one will be just as good of an eater and I wasn’t just lucky with him.


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