Handling question..

[SCWood]

Everyone keeps making jokes that my snake 'ran away' because I held her too much. Truth be told, I held her once or twice a week because I had a busy work schedule that just started slowing down. I hold my snakes until they start getting antsy. Sometimes it will only be 15 minutes and sometimes it'll be a few hours. My favorite thing to do is to let them sit in my lap while I relax and read or play on my phone. Time flies and I've had him out for 3 hours. He was just cruising around the bed checking out my pillows and miscellaneous stuff and then came back to me and would sit in my lap. I mean, I really don't see what harm it does but maybe I am wrong? I just really enjoy their presence especially when I'm down and they don't seem to mind. Is it true that I am over handling?

P.S. if I take him out and place him back in his cage he will just stare at me and pace until I take him back out. Also, if he is in his hide and knows I'm nearby, he will emerge to say hello.



We were hanging out for like 2...3 hours today. This was about 2 hours in

1.2 Normal
1.1 Red-tail
0.1 Albino corn

[Sauzo]

I don't think you are overhandling. As long as your snake is eating, pooping ,shedding and isn't striking or getting all defensive, I would say he is tolerating the amount of handling fine. My BP is happy to be a rock inside her hide. I take her out 2-3 times a week and she seems to be fairly explorative for about 30 mins, then she goes to sleep on me. My boas though love to come out, my little sunglow baby will hold my finger with her tail while she looks around. Both of my boas will stay out for hours and be perfectly happy, they will look around, stretch out, sit for hours. Then when its time to go back in the cages, the true fight begins, they love to stay out lol. Every snake has a different personality. So again, if yours seems fine as far as eating and stuff, it is probably fine.

[DVirginiana]

I don't think you're overhandling as long as the snake is eating/shedding/pooping and not acting defensive, like Sauzo said. If you're worried about it, just reduce the handling time for a couple weeks and see if there is any change in behavior. I rarely handle mine more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

[SCWood]

I don't think you are overhandling. As long as your snake is eating, pooping ,shedding and isn't striking or getting all defensive, I would say he is tolerating the amount of handling fine. My BP is happy to be a rock inside her hide. I take her out 2-3 times a week and she seems to be fairly explorative for about 30 mins, then she goes to sleep on me. My boas though love to come out, my little sunglow baby will hold my finger with her tail while she looks around. Both of my boas will stay out for hours and be perfectly happy, they will look around, stretch out, sit for hours. Then when its time to go back in the cages, the true fight begins, they love to stay out lol. Every snake has a different personality. So again, if yours seems fine as far as eating and stuff, it is probably fine.

Thank you most of the snakes adore coming out and will fight me when going back in!

I don't think you're overhandling as long as the snake is eating/shedding/pooping and not acting defensive, like Sauzo said. If you're worried about it, just reduce the handling time for a couple weeks and see if there is any change in behavior. I rarely handle mine more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

All of our babies eat, shed, and poop very well..aside from boots but he is a rescue and is terrified of anything food related lol

1.2 Normal
1.1 Red-tail
0.1 Albino corn

[M.P.C]

+1 to what everyone else said, my pastel seems to like the attention... if her heads out the hide and i go by the cage she will come all the way out and start roaming the cage fallowing me, whens she is out she mostly stays around me. my fire though wants nothing to do with being held rite now, he instantly balls up and stays that way the entire time and if he finally unballs he just tries to hide somewhere.... crease in a shirt, couch... beard anywhere he can go so i handle him one or twice a week for maybe 10 min, but once i notice them constantly fidgiting to get away like you said i put them back

[SCWood]

+1 to what everyone else said, my pastel seems to like the attention... if her heads out the hide and i go by the cage she will come all the way out and start roaming the cage fallowing me, whens she is out she mostly stays around me. my fire though wants nothing to do with being held rite now, he instantly balls up and stays that way the entire time and if he finally unballs he just tries to hide somewhere.... crease in a shirt, couch... beard anywhere he can go so i handle him one or twice a week for maybe 10 min, but once i notice them constantly fidgiting to get away like you said i put them back

Yeah I get rare occasions of extreme shyness or hissing but other than that they are happy to be out with me

1.2 Normal
1.1 Red-tail
0.1 Albino corn