Quote Originally Posted by knott00 View Post
Personally, I think startling your snake from behind is more likely to cause a strike than for it to know your coming.
Oh, it knows I'm there because I've lifted its hide away first. And before I do that, I give it a little tap so it knows something is there. When the hide comes off, I can see that increased breathing and sometimes it hisses, but it's more like a hiding hiss than an aggressive one. That's when I pick it up behind its head, wherever its head is pointing. I hope that's OK.