how many times do you handle your snake?

[shadi11]

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

[TooManyToys]

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

[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?

[Lateralus_Love]

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

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?

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.

[Lunawf]

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.

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.

[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 =]

[mainbutter]

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

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 Alice is more content with checking out the area, finding something comfortable and just hanging out.

[Lunawf]

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 =]

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

[CRAZY]

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.

[reaxion07]

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 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.