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Bigblackdog

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OK, my license arrived, and after much reading & lurking on this Board, I bought my first snakes today, a pair of Coastal Carpet Python hatchings. About 40cm long each.

The male is a nippy little bugger and I was aware of that when I got him. He got me twice when I was first handling him so I know the 'strikes' aren't painful or even break the skin, but how do I control my urge to rip my hand back when he's coiled & ready to strike when I reach into his tank?

Do I just reach in & let him go at me?
Do I gently grab him & lift him out to handle him for (how long?)
Is there a 'best method' for getting a snake accustomed to being handled?
How can I stop acting like a little girl when I know I'm going to get hit?

Thanks for your answers.

Wayne
 
lol u do get used to it, once they are settled you should try to handle them to get them used to it - thats if you want to be able to handle them or theyre just there for show. its hard not to rip your hand back but once they nip you and it doesnt hurt u will usually not be worried next time. carpets are a nippy sort! luv em
 
What really p!sses me off is that I KNOW it's not gonna hurt, but I'm still jumpy as hell - instinct maybe?
And after long and careful consideration, I came to the conclusion that I'd MUCH rather be nipped NOW than LATER!
Especially about 6 months later...
 
ooo ouch, definitely! its a mind over matter thing right now thats all. lol.
 
That's exactly right mate. Just be gentle with them and they will soon learn not to fear you.
 
I've never been bitten by my coastal. It lunged at me once when it was really young but didn't actually strike it just head butted my hand. It's almost a year old now and i'm always scared it will bite me. Would it hurt if it bit me at that age. Is it bad that i haven't been bitten yet?
 
most of mine are pretty good but our girl bredli is a real cow (or snake for that matter)
i pick her up with a hook and then bring my hand up from underneath her...works most of the time :|
they have all got there own little character and it's well worth sussing em out before those nips turn into full blown strikes from a cranky 3m long animal :mrgreen:
keep handling them mate, a few min's a day....hopfully the boy will calm down
 
Thanks everyone.
I just had a 10 min session with 'him' ('She's' fast asleep in the lower hide).
Nerves all round, but I had him going around my hand & arm swapping from left to right without any mishaps.
The only time he got ****ty was when I put him back in his tank!
 
yeah just persistance it will pay off. and well for the water pythons i got last year ill just keep trying there bites seem to get harder every time lol
 
NSavage said:
I've never been bitten by my coastal. It lunged at me once when it was really young but didn't actually strike it just head butted my hand. It's almost a year old now and i'm always scared it will bite me. Would it hurt if it bit me at that age. Is it bad that i haven't been bitten yet?

You can't call yourself a real reptile keeper until you've been tagged at least once, even if it's only a hatchy!

LOL

:p

HIx
 
If it tags me at it's present age how bad is it gonna hurt? I'm actually more concerned about the snake than myself i don't want to injure it by trying to pull my hand away...
 
Even at a metre long I've found it doesn't hurt or even draw much blood, but thats the biggest I've been bitten by. I assume your water isn't much bigger than that.
 
jimmy_the_kid said:
Try wearing a pair of gardening gloves when you go to get him. Even tho you know it may not hurt it might make it a little easier on your mind.

Thought about it, but II want to get used to handling the reptile & getting to feel how it moves.
It's 99% psychological!

W
 
Not at all it's actually a coasty... No it's not very big at all less than a year old and just under a meter long maybe i should stop being cautious and see if it will go me or not. From what i've gathered it may never bite me at all... What does everyone do if they have a really large and aggressive snake? I'm considering a green tree python or burmese python down the track (and i mean a long way down the track i have a lot to learn first and i don't intend to put a snake through that or me) how do you go about handling them? I'm aware that a burmese python requires 2 handlers...
 
Personally I wouldn't take out anything much over 2 metres long without backup around just in case. Everyone will have their own opinions though.
P.S. A fully grown burmese would need a lot more than 2 handlers i think, do you have any idea how big they can get?
 
\Yes i have a very good idea of how big they get which is a problem coz my other half wont go near my little coasty let alone anything bigger. I'm fully aware of the implications of having a burmese python and it's a dream that will probably never become a reality especially considering how big an enclosure it would require. But how about a green tree python, how do you go about handling them when they have a habit of being particularly snappy? I'd love to have a breeding pair eventually...
 
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