feed or handle first? how much handling is too much?

[Danounet]

I think he meant he did it because he didnt know better.... I didnt much about BPs till I found this forum.

I handle my snake the day I got her (normal female) from a local private exotic pet store and everyday after that, and I fed her 2 days after. She attack the mouse within 5 secs. She had eaten 4 days before that. And she has been a vicious eater since I have her, but by some weird contrast, she is also very nice and not very shy, she has never show any signs of agression.

After I now know more, much more about BPs, I got a male pastel about 2 weeks ago. They are almost the same age if not the same. same length. He was very thin when I got him. He came in the mail so he was a little shy and shaken at first. He has settle down now, but as for personalities go, he is not as friendly as the normal and he is not as vicious when it comes to eating, and he is a bit shy.

What I am trying to say is that every snake has its personality and while some things hold truth in this site (example: temperatures, meal sizes), some things are just standards (like how often to feed your snake), and you need to adjust to your snake as you see fit.

[Lolo76]

What I am trying to say is that every snake has its personality and while some things hold truth in this site (example: temperatures, meal sizes), some things are just standards (like how often to feed your snake), and you need to adjust to your snake as you see fit.

I would agree with this. I only have 3 BPs so far, and they have distinct personalities and levels of tolerance... therefore I treat them each a little differently, at least when it comes to handling. Delilah is the most cranky, so I only take her out a few times a week for 10-15 minutes. Mona is outgoing but very active and large/strong, so I'm keeping her handling to a minimum until we're used to each other (she's still new). Then there's Toby, who'd chill on me for HOURS if I let him. They are unique, and you have to get to know them before deciding what's best.

As for your other question - I handled mine for a few minutes when they first came home, just to make sure everything was alright. Then I left them completely alone for a week before offering food, after which they can be handled 48 hours later. Toby and Mona ate within a week of arriving, so that formula worked fine... Delilah took almost a month to eat, but we did give in and hold her after about 10 days. Turns out she's just a mouse-only snake (we were offering rats), so the handling didn't affect her feeding either way. So once again, you just have to feel out the personality of your individual snake... they should let you know if they aren't comfortable, and then you need to back off for a while. Good luck!