How Frequently Can I Handle My BP?

[Zincubus]

Many kings & corns are sold as hatchlings, & fyi, depending on the seller, many may not have been fed. While they "usually eat better than BPs", ALL snakes should be allowed time to settle in. I did assume we "could" be talking about hatchlings (which is why I mentioned they're tiny). I'm glad you didn't mean hatchlings, but it wasn't clear, & we have to remember that many people may read these posts & may conclude the wrong things if we don't specify. And I would still say that handling any new snake before it's had time to "settle in" (be feeding without difficulty) is treating it like a toy. It's not prioritizing the snake's well-being, which is what all good keepers do.

Anyway, this thread is specifically about BPs, so let's all stay on topic, okay?

Agreed




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[Caitlin]

As a new keeper who wants to be able to interact regularly with their snake in a fear-free way, I'd strongly recommend looking into Lori Torrini's youtube channel. She's an animal behaviorist who works with a large group of snakes, including 15 or so Royal/Ball pythons.

I'm going to assume (and hope) that you don't want to interact with your snake by just forcing them to be held whenever you want to, but rather learning your snake's behavior and body language so that you'll know how and when to respond to the times when they indicate they are interested in engaging versus the times when they may prefer not to interact.

I will say that learning this type of interaction requires more time and patience than the typical 'just confidently grab your snake and hold them for 15 minutes a day' approach, but I can tell you from practical experience that the results are more than worth it in terms of having a snake that trusts you and that may even show you that they want to interact with you.

While every snake is an individual, there are some very generalized truths about baseline temperament. Some of my Antaresia pythons would eat on the very first day they arrived, and one took a pinky while in my hand as I was taking them out of their transport container. Not that I would encourage doing that -- it's just an example of one extreme. I have had other snakes (specifically Royal pythons who were retired breeders coming from a rack environment, or rescued snakes that had been abused) who hid constantly and refused to eat for months and months. Royal pythons in general tend to be on the shy end of the temperament spectrum.

Instead of framing this in your mind as a 'how soon can I handle him' question, try to frame this as a long-term process of gradually getting to know and of building trust with an animal that isn't naturally inclined to interact with people. Even if you go through weeks and months of not directly handling your snake while you allow them to habituate, there are so many other ways you can interact with them and let them come to know that you are safe.

[FettuccineEnjoyer]

I hadn’t even thought about that! Admittedly I try to think about the perspective of the snake as frequently as possible, though sometimes, I can be a little self-centered. I will definitely check out that channel and will monitor my new babies body language closely so our relationship can be the healthiest it can be.

[Homebody]

I hadn’t even thought about that! Admittedly I try to think about the perspective of the snake as frequently as possible, though sometimes, I can be a little self-centered. I will definitely check out that channel and will monitor my new babies body language closely so our relationship can be the healthiest it can be.

I recommend you start with Lori's video on choice-based handling first steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ljtIS4qCKw&t=238s.