Hey everyone! I'm new and need some advice on handling Monsieur Fang, my Stimmy...

[TheCheshireCat]

I have had 7 snakes in my like 4 of them im feed in their enclosure and they became agressive when ever i put something in there or tried to pick them up my last 3 snakes i havnt fed in their enclosure and are perfecly fine with me moving stuff arround in their enclosure and picking them up.

I've had well over 100.
Enough said.

[Jessica29]

Sorry, but that's just not true.

I have always fed all of my snakes in their enclosures. Some have always had a nasty disposition while others will allow me to pick them straight up without so much as warning them of my presence.

+1

I may not have been doing the snake thing for as long as everyone else but I feed all three of my snakes in their enclosures and they are fine. My oldest has always been fed in her enclosure and is right to be picked up straight away without so much as a warning nudge from her.

[rvcasa]

heres a tip never feed him in his enclosure otherwise he mite become very cage agressive and strike at anything thats in his teritory

Best tip ever!!!
(at least for a beginner)


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I've had well over 100.
Enough said.

The breeder/keeper who also advised me against it, has 1500 odd snakes!
Enough said.

(He also frequently writes articles for national journals and other herp print material...)

Not that the number of snakes you own makes a difference here, as every one has a different personality.

But a beginner is less likely to be tagged following these simple rules:
Don't feed in its cage, use a hook to get him out of the cage.
(extendable ones are only 10 bucks and work a treat!!!)
And wash your hands with a (nice) smelly soap prior to handling to avoid mistakes of identity.

P.S. my son says the bite of our Woma "didn't hurt at all". - I tend to believe him, cause he doesn't really cope with pain at the age of 5!


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[Twitch_80]

There are heaps of threads on this, this one isnt bad

Snake Handling Tips & Techniques

Once your confident you will laugh at yourself but everyone has been there at some point, good luck

[shrinkie]

I've had well over 100.
Enough said.

every snake and owner will have their own opinion about this but it makes sence to me so i do it, the idea that if you feed your snake inside its cage, that it will develop an association with your opening the door with feeding and this will result in an increased possibility of the keeper experiencing a bite when reaching their hand inside the enclosure.

[ZsaZsaGaboa]

But by the same logic, if you remove it from it's enclosure to feed it then it will associate getting removed with getting fed

Depends on the snake I think. Some have no problems being fed inside, some do.

[Khagan]

I have had 7 snakes in my like 4 of them im feed in their enclosure and they became agressive when ever i put something in there or tried to pick them up my last 3 snakes i havnt fed in their enclosure and are perfecly fine with me moving stuff arround in their enclosure and picking them up.

I'll say the same thing i always do to people who believe this theory. If feeding them in their enclosure makes them think it's feed time whenever anything goes in there, then by that logic taking them out to feed them would make them think it's feed time any time they get taken out. It's just down to the snakes temperament, not where you feed them.

[bencrowe]

its simple...some snakes are aggressive some are docile. ive had many different types of species and some were more cage defensive than others but im not changing where i feed them because their wild animals you just gotta deal with it. after a while they realise that your hand is too big to fit in their mouth anyways haha

[shrinkie]

no but by putting them in a feeding tub they will know its feeding time, im not talking about picking them up

[TheCheshireCat]

no but by putting them in a feeding tub they will know its feeding time, im not talking about picking them up

You are giving pythons a little too much credit, they aren't as smart as some keepers like to believe.
They are designed to eat,poo,rest and breed.

The way I see it, all you are doing by feeding in a separate tub is putting them under undue stress by moving them.
The only time I could see this practice needed is when 2 snakes are housed together, other than that it's just an extra step in an already simple process.

[ZsaZsaGaboa]

You are giving pythons a little too much credit, they aren't as smart as some keepers like to believe.
They are designed to eat,poo,rest and breed.

Also true for some humans, I believe.

[rvcasa]

I'll say the same thing i always do to people who believe this theory. If feeding them in their enclosure makes them think it's feed time whenever anything goes in there, then by that logic taking them out to feed them would make them think it's feed time any time they get taken out...

Not really, - if they're removed from enclosure to be handle on a regular basis, then they get used to be removed not necessary to be fed!

In my case, I handle regularly my Woma so he gets used to my 5yo. (and I make sure it's not too late in evening, as it will be when my boy goes to sleep and pythons are more active hunting)

Only every 10 days or so, I remove my Woma a bit later in evening and feed it in a seperate tub. My Woma as no idea he's going to be fed until food (hooper) comes his way.

I've also adopted this strategy because we were planning on a new python and it makes it easier to feed them out of their enclosure/separately.

Because his out regularly, he takes handling a lot easier cause his a lot calmer and used to it.

I think it's easier for a newbie to also do this way.

But again, It's also " down to the snake's temperament, not where you feed them"


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[Pythoninfinite]

One thing worth considering, fundamental to the safety of your snake - if the hide is so heavy that you need two hands to lift it, and you drop it when you get a fright, you risk killing your snake. Get a hide that is light and easy to manage. These snakes are not often sedentary - they move to a different location frequently, so will readily adapt to any sort of shelter you provide. They don't look too flash, but appropriately sized cardboard boxes are ideal shelters, and can be discarded when they get a bit crappy.

Feeding outside the cage to avoid habituation is a nonsense - some snakes bite when they're cage-defensive regardless of whether they're being fed or not. They're individuals like us. Funny how novice keepers develop these theories. Unless you have a tub for every snake, and each tub remains dedicated a particular snake, you compromise quarantine and good husbandry practice every time you put a snake into a tub that hasn't been fully sterilised following the previous feeding.

Jamie

[patonthego]

Sorry, but that's just not true.

I have always fed all of my snakes in their enclosures. Some have always had a nasty disposition while others will allow me to pick them straight up without so much as warning them of my presence.

I am a novice compared to you having only 3 pythons but I have fed mine in their enclosures too all the time. When I want take them out to get on the grass I put on a gardening glove and show them my hand flat out and then they are fine. Actually my MD male lets me know when he wants out as he climbs the sliding glass and I simply open it and he comes onto my hand. The coastal is always expecting food so I always use the glove to touch her then pick her up.

[Pythoninfinite]

The best thing to do when you want to get a potentially bitey snake out of its enclosure is to roll up a sheet of newspaper, and when the snake approaches, or before it gets itself organised to strike, just touch it on the nose with the paper roll - it will recoil and you can quickly reach in and remove it before it can regroup. They hate being touched on the snout. No need for gloves.

Jamie