Handling New Balls Guidelines

[dakski]

Hi y'all,

I'm new to the hobby and I've seen various ideologies on this which is why I was hoping to get a consensus on it from the community on here.

What do any of you recommend in regards to handling new acquisitions? Other than placing them in their new homes to acclimate, should I really be handling them at all or should I wait? Many on morphmarket tend to say they have guarantees, but usually only honored within a few days or hours. I don't want to stress my new balls out at all, especially as I am going to get some that will require shipping, but what is being too much and what is not being enough? I want to be able to probe them, check for mites/scale rot/respiratory infections/kinks or any other ailment. I mean nobody buys a used car and doesn't inspect it before driving off the lot, but these are living beings that I love and respect and want to treat them that way.

I appreciate the time of anyone who reads this and any responses!

Handling limitations, IMO, apply after you have inspected the animal in question. You want to check the animal out before quarantine and make sure everything is good and as advertised.

Once in quarantine, especially with BP's, you then want to wait until 3 consecutive meals have been taken before beginning gentle and short handling sessions.

I would be careful with the probing when you first get them, as well as in general. Unless you are good at it, I would let someone more experienced do it anyway. I understand it's necessary for breeding purposes, but otherwise, I wouldn't probe at all. I've kept snakes for 30+ years and never probed an animal. I have had others, including experienced vets, do it, but I won't. Beyond my comfort level and not worth injuring my pets to try and learn. That seems like added and unnecessary stress when you first get them to me.

I would also be careful getting multiple animals at once, especially from different breeders. How will you properly quarantine in that instance?

I cannot understate quarantine and how important it is.

Did I mention that quarantine is exceptionally important, especially if you have an existing collection?

If I sound condescending about quarantine, I apologize. It's not meant to be. I try to write these posts for everyone who might read them.