Those Love Hugs...

[Nate]

I have a lot of friends come over, scared to death of snakes. I've always been able to explain to them what a ball python is and why it won't constrict a human being. My little guy is getting bigger and bigger with each feeding. Sometimes, when i take him out of his cage and put him around my neck, he'll start to constrict. i know it's more of a love hug..not a food hug. but how can i explain that to someone who has never felt the muscle of a python around their neck...? if there's one thing i like to do is convert a person from hating reptiles to wanting to buy one the next day.

So i guess my question is, after reading some other posts, why do snakes like to give such tight hugs? especially around your neck? i'm very well aware that my snake will never have intentions on actually killing me, but sometimes that love hug can make me nervous...and i can't imagine how it must feel to a first time holder.

just searching for words of wisdom to inform the uninformed.

[Cody]

They do it for grip, sorta out of a fear of falling. To them, we're mere trees and branches to coil onto. I don't think they realize they're squeezing our airways when they coil tight around our necks. They just do it to keep from falling.
So that's all you have to tell someone. The snake isn't coiling to hurt you. It's coiling to keep itself from falling. Sorta like a person would grip a bar on a jungle gym to hang from. That's all we are to them, I think.

[Shelby]

Exactly. A small, terrestrial animal suddenly put around a giant's neck waaay up from the ground where they are comfortable is likely to induce a little fear of falling down.. and therefore a tight grip.

Burms on the other hand will just hang there like limp noodles. It depends on the snake as well. Your BP may relax once it learns to trust you more.

[DrEwTiMe]

Hehe i dont mind at all when the grip a little, i just think it amazing at how much strenth they really have. Its one of the only animal that really us pure muscle.

Hehe my girl is not smart sometimes and she thinks that she has more grip then she really has and she takes a spill sometimes hehe. She is not eh sharpest tool in the shed somtimes but i still love her

[lucky8926]

those are pretty good explanations cody and shelby! Drewtime I know what you mean, my little guy chief does kind of the same thing when he is in his cage. He will be exploring all stretched out "sniffing" around the top of his cage and get a little too stretched out and PLOP down he goes. Then he just sits there kind of like "I meant to do that"

[DrEwTiMe]

LMAO!! exactly its so funny when they do that. One time however when nyxx actually redeamed herself was when i was typing on the computer and she was on my neck just hanging out. All of a sudden she slips off my neck but on her way down wraps her tail around the armrest of the chair and caught herself from falling, i was just like "YAAA girl nice one" hehe

[Nate]

i've had a similar situation.....only on the way down, Jeeper's tail wrapped around my necklace...scared me...but it was like he knew exactly what he was doing...

[DrEwTiMe]

Hehe ya that what they want you to think they impress you with a nice save from falling so you don't think they are just clumsy. But i see right through em lol