getting over the fear

[luke_84]

i got a hatchling jungle (approx a months) from codered only a few days ago and was fine with handling the little ones then, but now ive got it at home im scared to pick it up...
i know it doesnt hurt as i was bitten when i first went to look at them, i know its stupid and that it doesnt hurt but there is something in the back of my mind that stops me each time i go to try and handle him....
any ideas???

 

[IsK67]

Go the way of Nike.

IsK

 

[luke_84]

IsK - i dont get what you mean?

 

[eladidare]

Go the way of Nike.

IsK

exactly!

 

[IsK67]

IsK - i dont get what you mean?

Wow. Their advertising must not have been that good after all.

NIKE - Just Do IT!

IsK

 

[tomc1992]

gday luke
i use to ahve the same problems with my two spotted python hachies they would bite and strike at me everytime i went near them i found the only way to get over that fear is to literally just man up and shove your hand right in there and try to pick them up and they wont bite u after awhile of realising you just want to handle them. they will become kind natured snakes in no time

 

[luke_84]

hahahaha, i get it...
just having a blonde moment...i even searched nike on wiki

 

[Chris1]

i wore a glove till i managed to control the pulling back reaction (not to mention the instant sweats and shakiness )

i didnt think i'd be scared before i got him,...but the whole striking thing was really intimidating considering he was only about 40cms long @ the time.

 

[luke_84]

i just tried again and my heart starts racing and my palms get all sweaty......
its stupidm, i know he cant hurt me,its just that he comes at me so fast and scares the daylights outta me, i wasnt scared when i didnt own him and now i am....i feel like an idiot
what kinda glove can i use to help for a few days???

 

[Hsut77]

My wife got 'soft touch' gardening gloves (bunnings) to get over the fear, now she handles the snakes more than I do, minus the gloves :lol:

 

[5potted]

i've never been bitten while trying to pick my python up... he got me once during feeding thou and it wasnt that bad... more of a shock... wat i used to do is i'd go into the cage (mine opens from the top) and i'll move the equipment he's lying next to or under then he'll just sit there for a while and eventually slither away and as he's moving i put my finger in one of the loops he's made with his body furtherest away from where he's head is now moving and as he's moving away his body will touch my finger... so really he's initiating the connection... at that point he's concentrating too much on continuing to move away then coming back and stricking so i then move my finger under his body and pick him up... i've never had a problem.. not saying its going to work for you but its worth a try?

 

[Chris1]

i just used a cotton gardening one, if u have a leather one that would be better so his teeth dont get caught in the weave,...

once i got past glove stage came long sleeves pulled down over my hands stage so he got used to the feel of my hands,..

 

[carinacat]

im like that 2 luke_84. i was bitten by a spotted and it scared me so much that i couldnt handle him anymore. i took him back and swapped him for a her and even though she has never attempted to bite me m still very nervous and wear thin gloves. its not that the bite hurts its just scary when they strike. i kno exactly how u feel i also feed my spotted in a different enclosure so she doesnt mistake me for a rat.

 

[Python08]

Hi Luke_84, I have only had my little water Python for a bit over a week.. got over cocky and have been bitten about three or four times...... I ride a motor bike so what I have started doing is putting one leather glove on so he can't sence the heat, then pulling his hide out of the tank, then either letting him slither out or gently picking him up, I find he hasn't even tried biting the glove.
As most guys have said it doensn' hurt but i'm more concerned about pulling back which i have done every time at the moment, and i don't want to hurt him...
Good luck.

Cheers

 

[Just_Joshin]

if people are too scared to pick up a snapping hatchy, then what are you going to do when he gets bigger.....especially given that he is a jungle. Don't go using bloody gloves.....it's a silly thing to do and may only lead to harming the snake....what if he gets teeth caught in the thread/fabric??

Either leave it alone or just get over it and do it.........show it the flat of you hand, they rarely strike when you do this and even if the do, there is nothing to grab

 

[snakecharma]

my thoughts exactly if ya cant handle it now ya better get a big hook lol

i have a jungle from when i first started and he is a wild one i tell ya (not actually wild lol) he is a nasty piece of work but i know he aint good to handle so he gets the hook and bag treatment a fair bit, but he seems to be settling down abit thankfully. the rest of my collection are great including 3x high yellow jungles i just got my hands on

start with the glove but dont get too attached lol

cheerz

 

[Nelly]

As stated above, use the very flat of your hand. It's a super super super super difficult thing to do... and you feel like a douche bag for not being able to. Wait until the snake is under a hide or similar, then simply lift the hide up and slowly (not too slowly, you still need to be reasonably quick) put your hand down into the enclosure as if you're going to high five the snake's face. If it bites, you will not see it coming as the face will be behind your hand in the line of sight. You'll feel it... but it will be like somebody tapping you on the shoulder (if that). It's nearly impossible for a python to penetrate the skin in this manner.

Most of all... you really really really really need to be calm. If you're stressed out you'll make jerky movements and the snake will get more stressed. I remember I used to shake like a leaf when I was attempting to deal with my python... but you'll only get better with experience.

If you're seriously still getting absolutely petrified of the little one... use a tea-towel on your hand (just single layer, the teeth won't be able to get through... they're tiny) and cover the snakes head. Bring in your other hand and pick the snake up with the other end of the tea-towel. It will most definitely stress out and start flipping about and possibly hissing, but you need to be calm. Wrap the snake up into a ball (it may want to do this anyway as their first instinct is to hide) and cup it with your hands in a cave-like manner (still with the tea-towel between you and the snake). After a while, you can wrap it up in a ball and then start introducing a bare hand as the top of the cave. This way, they'll familiarise themself with your smell.

No amount of people telling you "Oh, it won't hurt"... "Just man up"... "Try this technique" will ever really help you. You need somebody there to show you... then you can be more confident that these techniques will work. See if you can find a local member in your area that can help out (I was down Liverpool way last night... but that doesn't really help now!).

Good luck!

 

[blair55]

if people are too scared to pick up a snapping hatchy, then what are you going to do when he gets bigger.....especially given that he is a jungle. Don't go using bloody gloves.....it's a silly thing to do and may only lead to harming the snake....what if he gets teeth caught in the thread/fabric??

Either leave it alone or just get over it and do it.........show it the flat of you hand, they rarely strike when you do this and even if the do, there is nothing to grab

best advice so far
gloves cause clumsy handling
u cannot tell how much pressure u are applying to the snake
if your that worried dont handle him
use a snake hook to remove him while cleaning

 

[arbok]

i just got my little stimi and when i opened the bag to get her out and put her in the enclousure... i was a bit weary but as soon as i picked her up a felt a wave of calm i found it the most relaxing thing ive ever done in my life (cant wait til i can actualy handle her for more than a minute!), she had a strike at me once and yeah there fast and its a bit nerve racking, but i think its more shock than anything.
i know now when shes settled in i wont hesistate to handle her at all...
so if i were you, i would just go for it forget the gloves etc. better to get bitten now than when hes older!

 

[sweetangel]

if u want gloves that are still thickish but will also allow you lots of feeling, try horse riding gloves. u need to be able to feel the reins so this will allow you to feel the snake i guess... never acctually tried it... thought it would be a good idea though.