how to properly handle your BP

[liam]

as i know many of you low have had snakes and BP's for a very long time *no reference to age* so i was wondering what is the proper way to get your BP used to handling and how to pick up..do you just open tank/cage/rack and wait for it to come out then pick up for do u wait till she/he is active then stick ur hand in tank/cage/rack and pick up or do u just pick up even if in 1 of hides.


ty for any respons as i know this is question asked by alot of newcommers to BPS and snakes in gen. so to all of the newbies out there including me if someone would like to take the time to write a post explaining how to do this it would be great. KARMA to any people doing this.

cheer,

liam

[darkangel]

I watch body language. Give a little tap on his tub to let him know you're there. If he curls his neck up into an "s" shape then you may need to give him a few minutes to calm down, or he may not be 'in the mood' to be handled. If he's in a ball I will just reach in and scoop him up from underneath quickly. Don't go straight for his head, as they are head shy. If he's not used to being handled, make the sessions brief. They usually get particularly "squirmy" when they've had enough. And overall, keep it to just a couple of times a week. I've noticed if I handle too often, mine will be less likely to eat for me the following week.

[liam]

ok, any more peeps got tips on there handing. also i know not to handle unless he is eating well. and in the habit of eating . also do not handle 24 hours after eating because it can couse the snake regurgitat*grr dyslexic self* the food.

[fishmommy]

I think that if you wait for him to come out of his hide, you'll probably both die of old age before your first handling session


I give the hide a tap, wait a sec, and the lift it away. Bring your hands in low and to the sides, rather than coming from above or straight at his head.
Scoop him up gently and slow.
When handling be sure to support his body in several places, move slowly, and try to never grasp him around the neck or head area. If he's roaming, you can redirect him by bringing your hand or arm slowly up from UNDER his head, come up under his chin or neck, and once supporting him up front move his head in the direction you want him to move next. If you try to stop him from going in a direction by putting something in front of his nose, he will most likely retract his head and take several minutes to recover his nerve.

try to always handle in a warm, draft-free environment.
Never put him on the ground if there are any small holes or gaps nearby...he will head straight for it much faster than you think possible.
And yes, when he starts moving faster and gets real squirmy, it's time to go back in his cage.

oh, and if he stretches out and kinks his tail sharply upward, get ready for a mess

[bearhart]

Yea I like to wait 'til he's out but I don't always. With mine, if I manage to get him out carefully while he's still sleepy, I can hold him real still and he'll be content to stay put for some time before he starts getting active.

I'm still learning the difference between "explorative" and "fidgety". Typically, I'll see a point where it starts to look alot more like he's just trying to just get away from me and that''s when I put him back.

One thing that always makes me wonder is when he starts acting like he doesn't want to go back in his cage right as I'm putting him in. I'm still not sure if that means he wants to be out, or if its just that he's still trying to get away and is going for the nearest thing which is the edge of the tank. It definately looks like he doesn't want to go back in which makes me think he more in the "Just let me explore a while on my own!" frame of mind. Sometimes I do let him roam on the bed a bit with the covers bunched up (he doesn't like too much flat ground). If he doesn't try to hide in the covers but, instead, does a bunch of looking around and periscoping then I'll let him do that for a while. I definately think that's just exploration behavior. I'm reluctant to let him roam the room much though. I'm concerned that he may get too used to that and I've been told that you want to train them to hang out around your body.

[VesuviusVicki]

Just before I scoop my guy up I rub him along the back so he knows it's me. I don't touch his head. One time I let him kind of roam free in my lap and he went into a hole in my quilt. It was hard getting him out of there!

I handle him maybe 2 times a week. He is pretty shy and for the most part I leave him alone. Usually I am the only one that holds him but sometimes I let the kids hold him. My hubby has only held him once, he is kind of nervous around him.

[icygirl]

Is it better to handle during the day or at night? Also, I really want to bond with my snake but I don't want to stress him out. How much handling is too much, and how much is too little?

[hardball]

My snake was not very active at first so I had to take the hide off him and I like to bring my hand around the back and gently pick him up and try to support as much of his body as i can with one hand until I get him all the way out then provide some more support. Lately though, Ive seen him out a little more so I take him out for a few minutes when ive already seen him roaming and then I put him back and get back to roaming his tank. I know most people say that BPs are shy and like to hide and all, and that boas are supposed to be the ones that are tough to get back in their tank, but my BP hates to go back in his tank. He always raises his head and tries to get a grip on something to keep from going back in. I have even seen him come over to the opening when he saw me approaching and start reaching for it, I guess in hopes I would take him out (which I of course did). While my boa has given me no problems about going back into his tank. A little weird.

[mischevious21]

Well, I cant wait for my snakes to come out of their hide(s), they never will!! lol. See, most of my cage is coverd by the "hide", because Ive got a 50 gal. thats filled with about 15-20, maybe more, slabs of differnt colors or granite.
Its all set up in a safe way so that they cant get hurt and it works great, the ones more on the cold side are still a little warm, and on the warm side their not too hot, and the snakes LOVE it!!
So normally I take out some of the slabs and their curled up in balls, so I just pick them up and start unwinding them. But I do have to VERY docile babies, and not everyones so lucky... But theyve never hissed or struck before.

[liam]

i think this thread needs to be stickeyed. so tht any new comers and old ones can read to get tips and hints on how to handle . also m8 it is better to handle at night/evening becasue BP's are nocturnal snakes.. and not to blow ur buble, bt u cant really bond with a snake, to it ur a food giving big warm blob :-) but in my mind im my snakes big warm blob , any admin's could you pls sticky this is u think its worth it. becasue alot of people probaly ask about handely, and its a good topic to have..

any else have differnt handling techs or want to help give tips to people pls post.

cheers,
liam