Largest snake that you can safely handle alone

[bsavage]

You could safely handle a 15' scrub python by yourself

..but then there was recently (a few months ago?) someone killed by their 7-8 foot colombian BCI. Apparently he let the snake coil around his neck, and it began to squeeze pretty hard (as if it felt it was falling off) and strangled the guy to death. The worst part was his girlfriend was there too, but was too shocked to move. A totally preventable situation with two stupid people.

Agreed. Idiots, of the umpteenth degree

[Jay_Bunny]

I see a lot of people calling their giants, puppy dog tame, and I feel I must remind people. These animals are never tame. Calm, sure. Tame, no. At any moment, they can decide you are a threat and strike. It doesn't happen often, but it can happen and it will probably happen when are the most relaxed and comfortable with your snake.

I have had thoughts of getting a larger snake, but I would have strict rules in place about handling and care. My personal rules are to never handle a snake that is over 7ft (that is of a species that grows large girth-wise in addition to its length, not like a slender colubrid) alone. If I am handling a snake that large, another person has to be in the same room. If a snake wraps hard around your neck, I don't think it would be very easy to shout for help. So, the 2nd person must be in the room from the time the cage is opened, to the time it is closed again.

I just don't trust an animal that has the potential to kill me. There is no "Oh I've raised him from a baby." "I know how to read my snake.". At least not with me. It just takes one slip up, one moment of not paying attention to what your snake is doing, and you can end up seriously injured or worse, dead. The last thing this hobby needs is more people being injured because they handled a snake too large for them, alone.

My $0.02

[Muddyredneck]

I have to disagree with these, I mean the extra person is there in a "just in case" situation. snakes attitude shouldn't be a factor, because they are still not domesticated animals and one trigger can set them off. If you have a aggressive snake it easy to see what can be done, Its the tame ones you gotta think about the "what if"

I used to know a guy who has a 15 foot+ burm that i think weighs more than I do. The thing is puppy dog tame. I'm was confortable as can be handling it (besides my body acheing after) but wouldn't you call me stupid doing it alone? even if I was 7 foot and 300 pounds of pure muscle?

OP asking for a safely handling alone, I'm sure plenty of people handle their big snakes alone, and in worse case senerio they'd be a goner. But they feel confortable with their snakes, their snakes are confortable with them and nothing happens ever. Personally I'd probally do that same thing if I had a big snake I was confortable with, but would I call it safe? would i suggest others to do it?...no

im sorry i probly should have specified my rules work best for me, i would never tell a newer herp keeper to follow em they are more a guideline then a rule book, and i also should have probly stated that i am always aware of where my snake is and what its doing i dont walk around the house with a 7.5 ft retic coiled around my throat

I see a lot of people calling their giants, puppy dog tame, and I feel I must remind people. These animals are never tame. Calm, sure. Tame, no. At any moment, they can decide you are a threat and strike. It doesn't happen often, but it can happen and it will probably happen when are the most relaxed and comfortable with your snake.

I have had thoughts of getting a larger snake, but I would have strict rules in place about handling and care. My personal rules are to never handle a snake that is over 7ft (that is of a species that grows large girth-wise in addition to its length, not like a slender colubrid) alone. If I am handling a snake that large, another person has to be in the same room. If a snake wraps hard around your neck, I don't think it would be very easy to shout for help. So, the 2nd person must be in the room from the time the cage is opened, to the time it is closed again.

I just don't trust an animal that has the potential to kill me. There is no "Oh I've raised him from a baby." "I know how to read my snake.". At least not with me. It just takes one slip up, one moment of not paying attention to what your snake is doing, and you can end up seriously injured or worse, dead. The last thing this hobby needs is more people being injured because they handled a snake too large for them, alone.

My $0.02

im sorry ima have to disagree with alot of what you said, simply because i dont see it the same way.. a lab has the potential to kill you or a small child.. if it pulls its tail wrong or sticks a finger where its not suppose to .. yet we all love and cherish and tell people how well behaved our dogs are

and im glad u found a rule that works for you and makes you feel comfortable with handling your snakes we all need to find em wether other people agree or not its what works best for you in the end

almost every reputable breeder i have talked to also from experience with both species and specimen refers to a level of trust because they know the animal which is aquired over a time period not over night.

and to be honest im so sick of hearing about people hurting the hobby... what hurts the hobby is the attitude alot of people in the hobby have tword new comers if they want anything bigger then a corn snake or bp to start off with.. ill admit i get annoyed with constant posts but there from diffrent people who im educating so i answer kindly and respectfully.. alot of people do not and that is what hurts us the most scaring new people away.. you didnt just jump into a forum u trolled it for awhile read posts and gained a general idea of the people.. i have two forums i frequent which shall remain nameless.. but one is all for giant snakes for example and the other hangs anyone who even askes questions with comments such as (your sig show me your not ready) and (these are a huge responsabilty make sure you can afford it). thats what kills a hobby.. when it cant grow and attract new hobbiest then it will eventually die because like it or not there are only so many people who will fight for the right to keep the species we all love so much

[grits]

There are times I have to move ours around by myself. I dont say "handle" because she is to big to really handle her like a smaller snake. When I am by myself I am just more aware of her attitude, where she is at all times, and I NEVER put myself in a position to be over powered by her even by accident. And for some reason if something does happen either by myself of with someone else there I always have my knife on me.

[Muddyredneck]

And for some reason if something does happen either by myself of with someone else there I always have my knife on me.

wasnt gonna say it myself but i to make sure to always have a knife.

its a good practice to just keep a bottle of whisky or lemon juice near the cage incase, that way you can save the life. my knife is always a last resort, i am lucky enough to have a shower in the rooom i keep my snakes in aswell incase a fiesty one grabs on (hasnt happened yet knock on wood)

[grits]

wasnt gonna say it myself but i to make sure to always have a knife.

its a good practice to just keep a bottle of whisky or lemon juice near the cage incase, that way you can save the life. my knife is always a last resort, i am lucky enough to have a shower in the rooom i keep my snakes in aswell incase a fiesty one grabs on (hasnt happened yet knock on wood)

Been there done that. In my case lemon juice and rubbing alcohol and neither worked. BTW it was only a 7' and 9' nothing life threating

[anatess]

im sorry ima have to disagree with alot of what you said, simply because i dont see it the same way.. a lab has the potential to kill you or a small child.. if it pulls its tail wrong or sticks a finger where its not suppose to .. yet we all love and cherish and tell people how well behaved our dogs are

Dogs are domesticated, the snakes are not. My doberman is a pack animal with my husband as his pack leader. By instinct, he will follow my husband's commands or risk (in the dog's mind) getting "voted off the island". I am a higher rank than the dog in the pack as well (when we open the door to go out, my husband goes out first, I go next, the dog goes after me). With proper training in place, we can control the dog's behavior.

This is not true with any snake - whether a teeny western hognose or a giant burmese.

and to be honest im so sick of hearing about people hurting the hobby... what hurts the hobby is the attitude alot of people in the hobby have tword new comers if they want anything bigger then a corn snake or bp to start off with.. ill admit i get annoyed with constant posts but there from diffrent people who im educating so i answer kindly and respectfully.. alot of people do not and that is what hurts us the most scaring new people away.. you didnt just jump into a forum u trolled it for awhile read posts and gained a general idea of the people.. i have two forums i frequent which shall remain nameless.. but one is all for giant snakes for example and the other hangs anyone who even askes questions with comments such as (your sig show me your not ready) and (these are a huge responsabilty make sure you can afford it). thats what kills a hobby.. when it cant grow and attract new hobbiest then it will eventually die because like it or not there are only so many people who will fight for the right to keep the species we all love so much

Actually, there are A LOT MORE people who do not own snakes, have no intention of owning snakes, and may even have snake phobia than there are people who are interested in entering the hobby.

These people who do not see snakes as "pets" are the deciding vote on whether our hobby can live on in peace or not (refer to Ohio and even Florida as a "case in point"). They have preconceived notions of what a snake is and anything on the news that validates that notion makes it much harder for them to get educated on the hobby. And let's face it - anytime somebody gets killed by their pet python, it is national news, and more often than not, mis-reported.

These guys then support legislation that limits our hobby. Democracy is a double-edged sword - in a group of 5 wolves and a sheep, democracy is great, unless you're the sheep.

[Lolo76]

This BCI shown below is the largest snake I've held alone, but her owner (Brian Gundy) did help me to lift her. As a 5'5" woman, with a bad back nonetheless, she probably would be my limit for handling alone... a man my size could go larger, but "most" women lack the upper-body strength to control much more.

That being said, I probably could handle something a bit longer but lighter. My JCP will eventually reach 6-7ft long, but I doubt he'll get as fat as this BCI. So I'm not worried about him, especially since I've raised him from a worm.

[Muddyredneck]

Dogs are domesticated, the snakes are not. My doberman is a pack animal with my husband as his pack leader. By instinct, he will follow my husband's commands or risk (in the dog's mind) getting "voted off the island". I am a higher rank than the dog in the pack as well (when we open the door to go out, my husband goes out first, I go next, the dog goes after me). With proper training in place, we can control the dog's behavior.

This is not true with any snake - whether a teeny western hognose or a giant burmese.

Actually, there are A LOT MORE people who do not own snakes, have no intention of owning snakes, and may even have snake phobia than there are people who are interested in entering the hobby.

These people who do not see snakes as "pets" are the deciding vote on whether our hobby can live on in peace or not (refer to Ohio and even Florida as a "case in point"). They have preconceived notions of what a snake is and anything on the news that validates that notion makes it much harder for them to get educated on the hobby. And let's face it - anytime somebody gets killed by their pet python, it is national news, and more often than not, mis-reported.

These guys then support legislation that limits our hobby. Democracy is a double-edged sword - in a group of 5 wolves and a sheep, democracy is great, unless you're the sheep.

i never said dogs arnt domesticated or tameable.. but they do still have the abilty (and arguably just as dangerous as any large boid) to hurt you.. if they didnt we wouldent use them as.. ohh i dunno guard dogs or attack dogs.. lol i just saw in the news not to long ago that a POLICE dog.. a sheperd snapped on the job mind u and would not let go of an assaliant and actually tore his leg up pretty good. now if we where talking pittbulls or rotties a breed almost hard wired to snap then i would understand but i feel its ignorance to believe a 70-100lb lab couldent just snap and do some serious damage. i hate when people compare snakes and dogs i really do and understand a dog would be easier to distract for the most part but they are still as dangerous.

and as for the hobby i see countless new comers getting attacked wether you personally notice or not the attitude of the herp community is not always a nice one and does not attract newer members.

but lets get back to the op lol another thread another time

[MikeV]

There are times I have to move ours around by myself. I dont say "handle" because she is to big to really handle her like a smaller snake. When I am by myself I am just more aware of her attitude, where she is at all times, and I NEVER put myself in a position to be over powered by her even by accident. And for some reason if something does happen either by myself of with someone else there I always have my knife on me.

Wow shes huge, how big is she? gotta be over 12 foot right