Scared of picking up my ferocious snake, Need help.

[Grooove]

Our ferocious snake- Fluffy.

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/...fy-picture10822-danielle-and-fluffy-again.jpg


Hi, My fiancee Danielle and I have recently purchased out first reptile. ( Thanks Jas468 )A Juvi spotted python. He is not very old or big, I love repiles and handle them every chance I get, But Now that we own one I cant pick him up. I have handled him only a few times, each time Danielle has gotten him out of his home.
Everytime I try and pick him up I freeze and start sweating. I can't get close enough to pick him up. I have had no problem up until we got fluffy. I have held burmese, black headed, diamonds and a fair few others and have never had a rise in heart beat. I have not had a bad experience but now I have a mental block and my heat beats real fast.
I am a very logical thinker; I know he is not poisonous, I know his bite wont hurt, I know he is no threat what so ever, I know how to handle and not hurt them. But I just can't pick him up. I tried a few glasses of dutch courage to remove any inhabitions, But I still froze. I tried again tonight, I managed to touch him twice but still couldnt pick him up.

I was hoping you may help and give me some pointers on how to overcome this irrational fear. Yes this is embarrasing for me to admit and ask, But where better to ask for real answears.

Thanks in advance Gary

 

[Mudimans]

You could always just get him out on a hook. Then you don't have to go putting your hand in there

 

[Vassallo2008]

Grab it and dont think about it

 

[Grooove]

Good hook idea, But I need to overcome my fear, not work around it. Until now I have not been scared of anything (Except losing Danielle, and losing my pets) How can I overcome the fear of ......nothing....?

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

Use a hook as suggested above, a tip given to me was to get the snake out, and sit with it on the couch, I used to freeze too, you just have to face your fears

As you said, It doesnt hurt, It's non venomous yadayadaya, My advice is to quickly take him out without thinking about it, or get your fiancee to place it in your hands =]

just my advice though, about 50% of the time I'm wrong though.

 

[Mudimans]

instead of a few glasses of dutch courage, have a bottle of rum instead, that ought to do it, always makes me feel invincible

 

[4orce]

Using a hook is not working around your fear. It's an idea to get into the habit of hooking your snakes out of their enclosures. Firstly they don't associate it with food and secondly most are "house proud" and can strike out of protecting their home. Spotties generally are pretty good in this area but chances are, you will get more snakes of other breeds down the track.

The other thing is, stop trying to analyze things, just do it!!! Sometimes one can think too much!!! Have fun, it's a fantastic and rewarding hobby.

 

[shane14]

I think just do it! It doesn't hurt getting bitten! What's the worst that could happen? a bit of blood? Take the plung!

 

[Grooove]

I have been concerned that I may over think things, Danielle also tells me that I do.
I can hold him if dani puts him in my hands, But I am refusing she do that now so It will motivate me to get him myself. I am hoping that lack of being able to hold hime will provoke me and make me pick him up.

 

[Emily]

don't give up and you'll get there eventually, i'm getting my first python this year and i'm gonna see if my mum will try and hold it, she won't even touch them, she just watches me handling them. So all the best

 

[rebeccalg]

I had the same problems after being bitten by my 7ft diamond.... It took me a while to want to put my hand back into the cage! But you have to have a routine, imo. I touch her gently before I try to pick her up, she smells my hand and then heads in the opposite direction. (lol). when she is moving away I know its safe to pick her up, she does the same thing every time and I do the same thing every time. Build a routine, make sure its different to the one you use when you feed your snake.

 

[arbok]

for some people its not that easy.

its not about "hardening up" some people just for some reason have a fear of something.
i could never pick up a spider... and i dont feel i need to "toughen up" because of it.

my only advice grooves is keep at it, when i got my first snappy snappy snake, i was quite nervous i found when i was around a friend and fellow snake keeper the fear of getting bitten suddenly disappeared... after picking him up copping 5 whacks (hes really snappy!) now i have no problems with him!

 

[moosenoose]

I've got a few snakes I'd hate to put my hand in with :lol:

You'll get used to it, it isn't a race I find snakes hate a "hesitating hand". It gives them time to think you're up to no good

i could never pick up a spider... and i dont feel i need to "toughen up" because of it.

You should! That's disgraceful :lol:

 

[Chrisreptile]

This is a comprehensive article.

http://www.southernxreptiles.com/RA Snake Empathy.htm

 

[CountryTriton]

Close your eyes hold out your hands and let your missis drop the snake in. Then open your eyes.

 

[moosenoose]

Close your eyes hold out your hands and let your missis drop the snake in. Then open your eyes.

I do the reverse of that with the missus........it works a treat (for me)

 

[macj81]

Use the hook 1 to let it know your handling not feeding 2 to help you with the hesitation. I look after some dangerous characters at work and cop a few good hits every now and then, but when I first handled my 8 month old Stimsons he scared the you know what outta me for some reason He's a year old know and 3 more snake in the collection and I use a hook with all of them as thats the way I was taught. It dont hurt

 

[Grooove]

I can hold him is he is given to me, But I can't seem to reach in and pick him up.

I may just add that We have a seperate feeding enclosure for him because we read that they can associate movement into the enclose with feeding. So we got a seperate feeding space for him.

As for hardern the f up. I am not scard of being bitten, I seem to be scared of something I cannot rationalize. I don't know why I cant do it, Thats why I am asking... incase somene else has had this before. I picked up our scorpion (scorps) heaps easy, and I am even allergic to bees and I cant pickup fluffy.. what gives.....?

 

[Chrisreptile]

When hatchling or juvie Antaresia bite me (which is quite often) the only mark they will leave is (very rarely) a tiny drop of blood. I usually just get left with some dribble lol.

 

[royce_23au]

get some freinds over and do it then,
you wont focus on that you cant do it and will do it because you
wont want them to know you cant do it.

hope that makes sense