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Bronni

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As I have written before, I have adopted a 7 year old Darwin Carpet Python from a friend about 4 weeks ago.

He is great but I lack confidence retrieving him from the enclosure and want to know how I might be able to improve in this. I tend to stuff about when getting him out and waiting for him to be facing away from me but sometimes this doesn't happen and he ends up staying in there. When he does come out, there is no problem at all.

This will mostly be problematic for when he needs to be taken out for cleaning, inspection etc. Also, the last few days he is spending more time in his hide (all day and only coming out well and truly after the light has gone off), which to me suggests he feels insecure.

I have been considering getting a baby snake (uh oh, reptile addiction setting in!) and hope it will help me build confidence as I don't have the same fear about a small snake as I do a 7ft snake, which is predominately, being bit. i must add it's not the actual bite I am concerned about, it is more a worry of hurting the snake as I am likely to have a flight response and pull away.

Has anyone had to overcome some fears with having mature snakes?

Thanks
Bronni
 
Hi, definately invest in a hook as the pythons rarey feel threatened by using these and easy to slide you hand under the body calmly once lifted, even if cage defensive you can extend the handle and remove more of the body out of the enclosure before handling and can position the head facing away before your hands get close. Younger pythons tend to be alot more snappy as have had less interaction with hands etc :)
 
yep invest in a hook..and most pythons are nocturnal which means you wont see him during the day the come out at night when their food is out and about,invest in an infrared lamp so you can watch your pythons antics of a night i can sit up for hours of a night just watching them explore and i have owned snakes for almost 2 years now and still dont get sick of it...enjoy...:D
 
yep invest in a hook..and most pythons are nocturnal which means you wont see him during the day the come out at night when their food is out and about,invest in an infrared lamp so you can watch your pythons antics of a night i can sit up for hours of a night just watching them explore and i have owned snakes for almost 2 years now and still dont get sick of it...enjoy...:D


I have a hook.. I wouldn't be that crazy to stick my hand in there to get him out!!

I love watching too. I will look into getting an IR lamp.
 
If u got a hook then there shouldn't be a problem
 
More likely to get bitten by a hatchie..has he ever given any indication that he's going to bite?

considering you've only had him for four weeks you should be just about ready to get him out for the first time..
 
More likely to get bitten by a hatchie..has he ever given any indication that he's going to bite?

considering you've only had him for four weeks you should be just about ready to get him out for the first time..

He has coiled slightly and when that happens, I just leave him alone.

His enclosure hasn't changed, just his location. I know I should have let him settle for as long as possible but I'm impatient! I've had him out only about 4 times.
 
Hey mate,

First quick tip as others have mentioned is let the snake settle in for a while. May I suggest feeding to make sure the snake is comfortable in it's environment. After settling in maybe try to handle out of the cage ( using a snake hook to extract ) for 10/15 mins a day until this routine becomes accepted by handler and snake. Have a 7yr old Diamond that was very nippy as a young'n but is now easier to handle than a sleeping labrodor. Patience is the key :) Stick with it and you'll gain confidence daily :)

- - - Updated - - -

And as for " stashing " away in his hide. Could be going into shed ( slough ) ..... Have you noticed a change in the snakes colour ( cloudy eyes and a dull colouration all over ) this could indicate an upcoming shed to explain the mood change ??
 
Hey mate,

First quick tip as others have mentioned is let the snake settle in for a while. May I suggest feeding to make sure the snake is comfortable in it's environment. After settling in maybe try to handle out of the cage ( using a snake hook to extract ) for 10/15 mins a day until this routine becomes accepted by handler and snake. Have a 7yr old Diamond that was very nippy as a young'n but is now easier to handle than a sleeping labrodor. Patience is the key :) Stick with it and you'll gain confidence daily :)

- - - Updated - - -

And as for " stashing " away in his hide. Could be going into shed ( slough ) ..... Have you noticed a change in the snakes colour ( cloudy eyes and a dull colouration all over ) this could indicate an upcoming shed to explain the mood change ??
I fed him on the 13th without any issue and then he shed on the 20th. I might feed him again tomorrow and then just let him go for a week.
 
I can understand where you are coming from. I think in taking on an adult snake there is the unknown. Most of my snakes I have raised from small hatchies. You get to know them. You know their nature and general quirks.

Here You kinda just need to bite the bullet and go in. Yes using a hook etc will help but at some point you just have to get in there and do what you need to do. I'd suggest grabbing him out and getting some sun with him. He can get to know your smell and you can get to know him. Good luck with it.
 
My friend had a Bredli very cage defensive thanks to a previous owner and in one of those tall top access enclosures so you had to come from above the snake and although it was very nerve racking having to reach down as it was making the s I found quickly but calmly removing her without hesitating or jerking arm back thinking she will bite was the best method might not work every time but I was never bitten retrieving her this way. If all fails a hook and or a glove too boost confidence until your sure
 
Sometimes it can take a while to gain confidence with a large snake, I had the same issue. My first snake was an adult spotted python, she was only 4 feet long but I was nervous even with her to begin with. I got a 7 month old Murray Darling several months later and that helped. I still had a bit of fear when I got my first adult coastal but he had a lovely temperament.

It's best not to hesitate too much when getting them out even though that's difficult when you're unsure of them. The longer it takes the more nervous the snake will get, using the hook and being gentle is about all I can say. If he's heading into a shed cycle it's best to leave him until he's shed, they can get pretty cranky around that time.
 
Sometimes it can take a while to gain confidence with a large snake, I had the same issue. My first snake was an adult spotted python, she was only 4 feet long but I was nervous even with her to begin with. I got a 7 month old Murray Darling several months later and that helped. I still had a bit of fear when I got my first adult coastal but he had a lovely temperament.

It's best not to hesitate too much when getting them out even though that's difficult when you're unsure of them. The longer it takes the more nervous the snake will get, using the hook and being gentle is about all I can say. If he's heading into a shed cycle it's best to leave him until he's shed, they can get pretty cranky around that time.

Good advice [MENTION=19405]Tahlia[/MENTION] :) I used to have the same problem with my little coastal. Im a bit of a Gumby when I use a snake hook in an enclosure, and all my fumbling would end up irritating him more lol.
He's a little cage defensive still, usually only when I stuff around in there.
I found the best way to deal is to reach in with the hook and just hook him lightly so he knows I'm in there and then calmly and confidently just reach in and pull him out.
Easier said than done I know, but keep in mind even you do get tagged it won't hurt anywhere near as much as you think it will :)
I was actually relieved when Loki bit me properly the first time lol funnily enough that was what gave me the confidence to be calm when removing him from his enclosure :)

Sent from my HTC Velocity 4G using Tapatalk
 
If it's a strike the fright of the sudden movement can be worse than the bite itself, plus the wound bleeds a fair bit making it look worse than what it actually is. If you know other people with snakes of a similar size maybe they could help you overcome your fear. More exposure to snakes is the only way to get more confident with them. In the beginning when I had my spotted I used to shake because I was so nervous going near her. It didn't help that she wasn't nice lol.
 
My first snake was a 7-8ft coastal carpet python and she was snappy as hell. I was quiet afraid to handle her at first as I didnt want to get bit. I never used a snake hook but did put a pillow case over one of my hands and that's the hand I used to pick her up with out of her enclosure. I noticed when I pulled away is when she got more aggressive. Eventually I got bit and realised it wasn't that bad so my confidence sky rocketed. After that I got tagged numerous times and just kept continuing with the handling process and she eventually settled down. So persistence is key and trust me,they don't hurt as much as you would think. Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone for your advice. I got him out the day of his feed, no problem. I think the key is to not fumble about and just hook him and reach in. He hasn't bit at all in the last 5 years so I have no reason to believe he will bite me, just fear of the unknown I guess. I have put in the IR light which is great also. So now I can stalk him day and night!! I have also taken out his hide which may or may not be a good thing as I have read it can stress them out if they cannot be in their 'secure place' but so far he seems ok with it. Now just got to wait for him to digest his rat before it's cuddle time again.
 
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