how many times do you handle your snake?

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I agree that they dont actually get enjoyment from being handled. They can become use to it tho. They can also get use to your scent and they will know you are not a threat. My BP's never really calm down when they are out of their enclosures. They think its their time to explore and make an escape. Looking for a crevice to hide in. These are actually signs of stress or of not wanting to be out in the open..

On the other hand. I use to have a burmese that would curl up in my lap and just stay there until i put him back in his cage. Some days i would take him outside draped around my neck and shoulders and he would just stay there. Not even move except to turn his head and look around. He was very comfortable with being handled and very calm. He was like this at 1 foot long as well as when he reached over 8 feet when i had re-home him.

BP's are such naturally shy and nocturnal snakes, they rarely exibit this calm behaviour if they are out of their enclosure.

[Thebeastwithinyou]

I agree that they dont actually get enjoyment from being handled. They can become use to it tho. They can also get use to your scent and they will know you are not a threat. My BP's never really calm down when they are out of their enclosures. They think its their time to explore and make an escape. Looking for a crevice to hide in. These are actually signs of stress or of not wanting to be out in the open..

On the other hand. I use to have a burmese that would curl up in my lap and just stay there until i put him back in his cage. Some days i would take him outside draped around my neck and shoulders and he would just stay there. Not even move except to turn his head and look around. He was very comfortable with being handled and very calm. He was like this at 1 foot long as well as when he reached over 8 feet when i had re-home him.

BP's are such naturally shy and nocturnal snakes, they rarely exibit this calm behaviour if they are out of their enclosure.

Actually 2/3 of my snakes do what your burm did. draped around my neck without a move, and really its hard to say what enjoys what, because we have no idea. People say lions are wild and vicious, but they play. so how can we say ball pythons are different? i mean, i understand the lack of certain things, but we just dont know enough about our world yet ^_^

[BuddhaLuv]

I handled Tanveer about 15 minutes every other day UNTIL he decided to fast for 4 1/2 months. Then I seriously did the least amount of handling possible because I didn't want to stress him out in any way.

My question is, knowing he definately was a cruiser prior to his fast and seemed to never really settle in my hands/lap etc.. do you think I should continue to keep his handling at a minimum? Or will that make him aggressive in anyway, the less handling I do?

Any opinions on this?

He is definately a laid back BP now and lets me do whatever I need to in his terrarium etc.. He doesn't mind me picking him up to move him etc.. He has only ever hissed and stuck the very first week that we had him and that was back April.

[hermeticcharm]

I handle mine a few days a week. Some times he will want to explore and I let him (supervised of course) and other times I will plop him down on my lap between my belly and my laptop and he will just chill there watching me browse through this forum.

[vinsanity]

i handle mine daily
he has never struck and never even hissed andnever rejected any kind of food whether its live or frozen

the only time i dont handle him is after he eats, i wait till the bulge is gone then i start handling him again haha

[lepidunce]

I can't REALLY say, considering I'll be getting 'im next week , but from the month I've almost lived at the breeders, this little guy does not mind being handled at all. I don't exacty think he enjoys it, but he's very chill about it all. Just lays around my neck, looking around until he's gotta go back into the tub (one to two hours) then he tries to slide right back out, onto me. Idk if he really enjoys it, or i'm just a good heater. Either way, I think as long as they don't stress, as much as you enjoy.

[RyanF]

I perosonaly handle my corn at least a couple times a week if not daily. There are those times when you should not though, for instance when there shedding or right after they have eatin.

[rayann]

though my guy has a huge enclosure, when he is handled more and gets to come out and play on my back or the couch i notice that he seems less interested in possible ways of escape from the tank. when he is not handled as much he goes up and down over the edge where the doors meet and back and front in front of the door... so i guess ya some evidence that he likes being out

[RichsBallPythons]

Handle them when needed. Handling them is a privilege to us and not to be mistaken as they like it. They learn to TOLERATE us holding them and thats how i base my handling.

[iPanda]

my boyfriend likes to argue about whether they have 'feelings' or not. Snakes may not have the capacity to love, as they do not have the section of the brain to...i like to think they can at least like somethings...after all, aren't bp's picky eaters? they LIKE certain foods over others. meh. idk. rambling now.