Handling problem

[Diaspora]

hello,
i have my BP (female, 3 months old) for almost two weeks now and as I've red, I should get her used to be handled.
the thing is she loves to be in a place where it seems difficult to get her.
I'm a total beginner with snakes and I must admit I'm kinda afraid i'll do it wrong and she'll defend herself.
Any advice ?
Here's a picture of her in her spot, notice the little branch making it tricky..

thanks!

[artgecko]

Welcome to the forum! I have only been keeping BPs for about 6 months now, but maybe I can be of a little help until the experts come along.

For me, handling is pretty easy with my BPs, they usually stay in their hides, I remove the hide, "sroke" the BP a couple times to wake them up, then scoop them up from beneath.

It is important not to go straight from above if possible and not to go towards the head. Coming from behind is easier for you and the snake.

If you are really scared of being nipped (it doesn't really hurt), then I would get a snake hook that is the right size. Wit the hook, you will always use it when you are going to handle her/ him.. When you go in the cage, use the hook to "stroke" her and wake her up. The hook is not seen as a threat because it has no heat signature like your hand. You can then use the hook to pick her up and then dangle her onto your hand.

I use a hook with my larger snake (a boa constrictor) and it has worked well). If she is really small, you can use a coat hanger (bend it so that the "shoulders" of the hanger become a long handle). Although a wire hanger will be too narrow to pick her up with, you can still stroke her to wake her up and use the hook part of the hanger to block her head (i.e. put it between her head and your hand) just in case she strikes.

Let me ask you a few questions related to husbandry, because I'm sure all the other posters will ask for this info... Sometimes BPs will react differently based on their cage setup and temperatures, so this info will help.
- Do you have hides in her cage for her to use?
- Are you using something else to heat the cage in addition to the bulb (like a heat pad)?
- Do you have a thermometer in the cage to read the temperature on both the hot side and cool side of the cage?
- If so, what are the warm and cool temps in the cage?

Also, just in case you need it, here are some links: BP care guide, how to set up a glass tank for a BP
And, just FYI, these are the awesome hides my BP loves. I use a "medium". They're super easy to clean too.

[Sonny1318]

I know this isn't what your asking. But that bulb sure looks to be a big danger for your snake. I would not have it in the tank like that, your snake can easily burn/injure itself.

[Diaspora]

yeah i also thought about getting or making a snake hook, but i want to be able to get her with my hands

- There's one hide at the cold side, but she loves to hide under the substrate
- i don't have anything else to heat up the cage, only the bulbs
- i have a thermometer and hydrometer in the cage, but only at the cold side. the seller told me to keep that side around 26°C during the day and between 22-25°C at night.

i think i'm gonna change the hide though, it's real wood and i'm afraid it'll rotten with the humidity. or do you have any advice to avoid this?

i'm also worried about the bulbs, she never gets close to them but we never know.. i'm gonna make the holding holes bigger to lift them up. but thanks for noticing

any advice is great !

sorry if i make some mistakes, i'm from Belgium