The way I had the "confident grab" described to me was NOT as a "go in fast, and just grab it immediately", so much as when you DO reach to pick the snake up, to not reach in with shaky hands or repeatedly get 2 or 3 inches from them, then retreat and start over several times before picking them up. Doing it hesitantly gives them more anxiety about your intentions, more time to see you approach and retreat, and in some snakes gives them confidence that you're more fearful of them and potentially give them more courage to try and scare you away via biting. I find that too much time alerting a nervous snake especially that I'm there tends to create more anxiety and agitation.Originally Posted by GoatBoy
I honestly don't do any of the touch and touch and touch, then slowwwwly pick them up for BPs or really any snakes. I found through experiment that this is a method far more likely to get me bit with my animals, even ones not prone to biting.
Generally I just give then a single light touch or stroke (about 2 or 3 seconds of time as long as I see a reaction, more if they don't respond at all) to the side to wake them up/gauge mood. Usually this gets them to expose their head so I can see if they're blue and if so I generally just leave them alone rather than handling. Then I just reach as sideways as possible(rather than above) and scoop from the direction they're not facing in one smooth motion. Not fast, just without shaking and jerking back like someone who is nervous of being bit might do if the snake moves.
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