My first handling session

[bg1906]

My first handling session with A'Kashja will be tonight. I've had her since Sept 22 and she's feed 2 times consecutively. I have her in her own room and it is dark most of the time. She's only been out of the cage 1 time since then and that was for a cleaning. She seem comfortable in the Animal Plastics T-3 as it is filled with 8 hides and water bowl. She comes out at night and either basks on her driftwood or on top of her corner log hides. When I took her out for cleaning she seems easy going to come out of her cage but very nervous and afraid once out. She doesn't hiss or attempt to bite, but the fact that she's so scared actually makes me nervous. You can even see the change in her breathing as it increases quite a bit so I know she's nervous. She's extremely head shy and any fast movement or movement near her head and she flinches. Adam let me know that I just have to work with her and we have to build up trust between one another.

Anyone else experience this? Any advice anyone can offer on helping to calm her?

I'm sponge so any and all responses will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[greenmonkey51]

That all sounds normal. Ledora was very flinchy the first time and any fast movement near her she flinched. I have seen an increase in breathing too when I handle her, but its gotten better. Just after 4 sessions shes become way better. Shes started to curl up in my hand and is a lot less flinchy.

[Python-77]

Yep sound totaly normal, with calming its all a matter of time each snake will be different in the length of time it takes. Slow and steady in the way to work with snakes.

[frankykeno]

I'm sure it'll go nicely Bryce. I can relate though as when I'm handling either Saoirse, who is very scared yet or Brannagh, who isn't scared and would prefer to chew on me a bit, I'm more nervous than I like being.

I really feel they pick this up from the handler. Either in a smell we release when we are nervous or our breathing rate or whatever, but I know when I'm more nervous, they seem to react to it. What I'm doing lately with these two is to set up a very stringent routine so that we only handle them when the house is very quiet and we are not in any sort of rush. I make sure I've got gloves on with Bran so I don't have to worry more than I should about a hard bite. I try to be aware of my own anxiety and make sure I'm very relaxed.

Whether everyone thinks this is wierd or not, I try to visual a nice handling session and send out those vibes, as well as just talking soothingly to the snake (and likely to myself LOL). I just make sure I'm sitting so if they dart off, I can't possibly drop them and put them back after a short time so it's a success for both of us. I try to make sure that coming out of their enclosure and going back in are nice and not a struggle for me or the snake.

Let us know how it goes.


~~Jo~~

[Griggs2121]

bg1906, this sounds like me almost exaclty. My 2 1/2' female bp is the same way. She has actually struck a few times when she got really startled and hissed maybe twice. Everytime she got nervous about fast movements.

Recently my girlfriend and I have been handling her almost daily, its only been a week now but are putting in a lot of effort to calm her down, and its worked. A couple of nights ago was the first time we could actually take her out of her cage w/o her balling up on us. Normally we have to sit there and wait for her to calm down and physically work her out of her ball.

A strategy we use to work her out of her ball, and maybe you could use just to calm her down is slow, gentle stroking with your pointer finger. I just rub my pointer finger along the middle part of her body very slowly and gently. Its actually really cool to see her as she flexes that part of her body as your worked toward her tail. With each touch she moves a little bit. And when she moves a little bit you can kind of work her into a less tense and more open position. And finally she starts "crusin" as we say. She'll start crawling all over the place, and she is not longer afraid.

Like I said the other night was the first time we could skip the whole ball thing, and go directly to "cruisin" So hopefully this will keep up. And give it a try with yours.

[rabernet]

Bryce,


Kashmire was also very head shy when I got him, but I sit down with him and pretty much set him on my belly and let him explore me, picking up my scent. I would lightly stroke him on his side.

I also worked when I was holding him in one hand to slowly approach his head with my other hand, and now he does not flinch from it. In fact, he likes to duck his head under my cupped free hand and go through that hand like a tunnel.

Now it takes a super fast, non-thought out move by me to get him to flinch from my hands.

Kashmire has never balled up for me either (no cool balled up pictures as a result, not that I'm complaining....well maybe a little, but only for the photo opportunity! LOL).

I'm sure that your handling session will go great! We want to hear how it went!

[Griggs2121]

This is for rabernet

[Smulkin]

/Agree


Out of all our balls there is only one which is not headshy - and that was learned accidentally. They really tend towards headshyness and arent going to get much out of headrubs or tickling them under the chin or anything so I just tend to leave their heads be.

[rabernet]

Thanks Griggs!


Just kidding! Great picture! You should submit it in the BPOM! I don't think I'll ever have a pic like that of Kash. But hey, I'll take the relaxed boy that I have!

[daniel1983]

Glad to hear she is settling in fine

My new little girl is a hisser She arrived from Adam on the 20th. She got an extended settling in period because she went into shed right after her second feeding, then got her third feeding when she was done shedding....so tonight will most likely be my first night handling too