Great question. Any new snake should NOT be handled for a couple weeks (sorry, I know it's torture for you) allowing them time to settle in & feed successfully*
2 or preferably 3 times before you attempt ANY handling. There's a good reason for this: the only thing that picks up a snake in the wild is a predator about to
eat him, so instinctively, this is frightening and a huge distraction from eating. Eating is the MOST important thing for a snake to survive & be healthy. Handling
at first will stress your snake & stress is a negative influence on their immune system as well; just being in a new home is stressful enough, & if you over-stress
a snake, it's more likely they may become ill from whatever they've been exposed to before you brought them home. So take it slow for best results...it's worth
the better result. Even once you get past the first couple of feedings, don't over-do the handling; your snake will get used to the idea that you're safe to be with
but it won't happen overnight.
The better you are at being patient, the more likely your snake will come to relax & enjoy your company. Remember how big we are compared to them...
imagine how you'd feel if a creature at least 100 times bigger than you were to pick you up?
Once you do pick them up, I like to keep a snake close to me so they feel sheltered. That's how they feel safest in the wild too, they hate being out in the
open, because they're at greater risk of a predator finding them.
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