Restless snake?

[hallir]

I’ve had my little girl a few months now, she’s about 6 mos old and is eating well. I waited to begin handling her until she had eaten a few meals to make sure she settled in, and then began holding her a few minutes each day to get her used to me. The first few weeks of handling, she would spend the first 10 or so mins being held without moving much, but alert and smelling the air/looking around before eventually loosening up and exploring. Nowadays, she is immediately active when I take her out and starts to move around right away. In fact, it takes a lot of focus to hold her because she is constantly moving and won’t just hang out or sit still.


I’m wondering if other people have snakes that are this restless, or if she might be stressed? To me she seems relaxed, as she is not trying to escape quickly nor is she acting fearful. She is alert and flicking her tongue, and moves steadily but confidently. But she spends most of this time trying to slither down over the edge of my bed no matter how many times I pick her back up here. She basically moves as if she is slowly melting out of my arms. I only ever have taken her out at night so far, since that is when she is often out of her hide and I don’t want to bother her when she is asleep.


I would say she seems comfortable with me, she isn’t timid anymore and overall seems very healthy (even just had her first shed with me last week- turned out perfect!). I just see so many photos of people with their snakes just hanging out or relaxing and she doesn’t appear to be interested in any of that. Is this just regular behavior or could I be reading her body language wrong?

[fadingdaylight]

Mine does the edge of the bed thing too. I think it is a combination, but I could be wrong. I think it has to do with both a lack of places to hide, and enough confidence to go exploring. I think we will find that as they get older, they will mellow out more and more. Mine has already quit trying to actually go off the edge of the bed, and just hangs his head off the edge and looks around.

Plus, you are catching her during her normal active hours. I usually handle my snakes around 5-6pm, which may not be how most people do it, I'm really not sure on that one. Basic math tells me that if you handle during the active hours, they are likely to be more active though. I always use hand sanitizer before I open the enclosure, reach in, tap on the hide, then lift it up and scoop my BP up. It's to the point where he typically just chills with me now, after about 3 months of doing that.

Not sure if any of this helps, but I thought I would share my limited experience anyhow, if nothing else, I think you can rest assured that your not reading the body language wrong, you just have a fairly confident snake on you hands.

[Valyndris]

Your snake is now comfortable with you and her environment, she just wants to explore everything, this is very normal behavior. My little Crowley has always been a little explorer ever since he was little and still is now. I used to have a bed set up for him with a java perch and a hide to go in if he gets tired. He would constantly try climbing down all the time. Just a snake being a snake wanting to explore. Now that I've moved into a house, he now has his own room with a bunch of stuff in it for him and he just loves to explore, I keep 2 hides and a tent in there for him in case he gets tired or wants to hide, the tent is also heated with a heat pad so if he gets cold he can warm up.

Here is a picture of when I used to have him on the bed, he is on his java perch.


You have a snake that is happy and likes to explore.