2 handle or not 2 handle???

[rhipuss]

if handling can put snakes off their food stress them out etc.is it debatable whether you should handle them at all? I love getting my girl out but iv been told not to handle too frequently for the above reasons? sooo.......

[SlothHead]

Realistically, your snake could go through their captive life without being handled, however this is not overly practical as for cleaning etc.

Over handling can lead to stress, hence it is better to handle for short periods intermittently. until they get bigger and are more comfortable.

Depends on what you are talking about by frequent

D

[rhipuss]

why does is stress them out?

[SlothHead]

i would assume it would have something to do with innate defensive mechanism.

Imagine being a small snake, and something big (and ungly) comes and picks you up, you dont know whether it is going to eat you or what.

D

[ShaneBlack]

Depends on the individual snake. Most it doesnt bother them at all. Most of mine can be handle all day long and eat the second foods in front of them. And their mostly Elapids.

[Aussie Python Lover]

what's it like having elapid's? and arent you scared on being bitten?? and which type of elapid have you got?

[azza74]

wouldnt it be better to get a snake used to regular human contact at an early age, when everything is new/scary to them, (mainly thinking about commonly kept pythons), so as not to stress them when they are older(if theyre had no contact they will def see you as a threat) as you will have to handle it at some stage of its life.

also depends on the snake as each has its own personality/quirks

[snakes4me2]

I handle mine all the time, 5 mins before feeding sometimes, i have heard the same thing but i have also worked out my snakes to a point, (i think lol) if they were stressed out they wouldnt eat. The next snake might be different too but i guess i'll work that out when i get it.

[ShaneBlack]

Originally Posted by Aussie Python Lover

what's it like having elapid's? and arent you scared on being bitten?? and which type of elapid have you got?

It's just like you keeping Pythons. Where i grew up there were no Pythons, you either kept Elapids or nothing. Getting bitten is always a possibility, You've just got to be a bit careful. I keep most of the larger types of Elapids.

[JasonL]

Yeh but Shane, you are a nut case.

[Aussie Python Lover]

cool id be a bit scared to have something like that in a house with two lil ones but each to thier own i guess ive held a king brown that apparently lost his fangs in food it had eatin or they got stuck but only thing ive held thats poisonous

[SlothHead]

Azza, yeah it is better to get them used to handling as a juvi, that why you handle them for shorter periods.

I will only handle my hatchies and juvis for short periods, it only takes a couple of weeks for them to become used to this and the more they become used to it, the longer i handle them for.

It is a bad idea however to try and handle them all the time regardless of their situation, ie. directly after feeding, or during slough..

Shane, what do you mean by the larger types??

D

[azza74]

Originally Posted by ShaneBlack

Getting bitten is always a possibility, You've just got to be a bit careful. I keep most of the larger types of Elapids.

id be tagged all the time
can ya get anti venom in takehome packs, i might consider them then...

[ShaneBlack]

Originally Posted by JasonL

Yeh but Shane, you are a nut case.

That dog of yours is more savage than any snake i own.

[JasonL]

yes true