scared

[staciles1996]

i am a new snake owner and i have a spotted python hatchy. she is great but is rather cage defensive. i go to take her out and she coils up and strikes at me. i no she probably wont bite because it is more of a head butt when she does it, but my nerves kick in and i freak out and jump back every time. i dont like it when i do because i worry she will do it when im holding her and i will drop her. i have almost done it before. its gotten to the point where im scared of her because she does it and my nerves are so bad that i shake.

any suggestions on how to calm my nerves so i wont freak out every time she does it.

 

[Red-Ink]

Take the bite... you'll realise that it's not a big deal. Sorry not very constructive or elaborate but i think that's the best way to get over the fear...

 

[HonestPirate]

I would suggest leaving her alone for a couple of weeks to let her settle in- you need to go into her enclosure after she has settled and just pick her up- at the size you're talking there is NO risk. Noone can tell you how to calm your nerves; but if you can't handle her at this size you are going to struggle when she is an adult and has a crack. Babies are always a bit snappy. You just need to go in there and pick her up and make sure she is fully supported and able to grip onto you so she feels safe. These are things one must expect when you decide a snake is the pet you want. It's not for everyone; sometimes the cool factor takes precedence over the reality that a snake is a wild animal that is prone to striking at times. Accept it- expect to get tagged eventually, and then you'll really know if herping is for you or whether it is not.

 

[Bel03]

I was the same when my brother got his snake, years ago, it was the first hatchy i had handled, & even though i knew its bite wouldnt hurt, i 2 actually became 2 scared to even attempt to hold her cause i also couldnt control my nerves......i found that a 'bundy' before hand worked for me....... not sure how old you are, or if you even drink.......if you dont, perhaps try a cloth over your hand, let her strike that until she is over it, then try lifting her out.......but as others have said, it really doesnt hurt, & it is something you have to be cautious of even in snakes that have 'never' bitten.......they dont enjoy cuddles like our furry friends, & at some point will probaly 'tell' u so!

 

[moosenoose]

Get yourself a venomous snake

 

[staciles1996]

I would suggest leaving her alone for a couple of weeks to let her settle in- you need to go into her enclosure after she has settled and just pick her up- at the size you're talking there is NO risk. Noone can tell you how to calm your nerves; but if you can't handle her at this size you are going to struggle when she is an adult and has a crack. Babies are always a bit snappy. You just need to go in there and pick her up and make sure she is fully supported and able to grip onto you so she feels safe. These are things one must expect when you decide a snake is the pet you want. It's not for everyone; sometimes the cool factor takes precedence over the reality that a snake is a wild animal that is prone to striking at times. Accept it- expect to get tagged eventually, and then you'll really know if herping is for you or whether it is not.

i have had her for a while so she is settled in. she is really good on some days but others she can be really stuborn and refuse to let me touch her. once i have taken her out she calmes down a lot and is great. its just getting her out that she doesnt really like

I was the same when my brother got his snake, years ago, it was the first hatchy i had handled, & even though i knew its bite wouldnt hurt, i 2 actually became 2 scared to even attempt to hold her cause i also couldnt control my nerves......i found that a 'bundy' before hand worked for me....... not sure how old you are, or if you even drink.......if you dont, perhaps try a cloth over your hand, let her strike that until she is over it, then try lifting her out.......but as others have said, it really doesnt hurt, & it is something you have to be cautious of even in snakes that have 'never' bitten.......they dont enjoy cuddles like our furry friends, & at some point will probaly 'tell' u so!

lol to young to drink and never really been a fan, but i have tried using a cloth yesterday and it worked well. i just worry that it will scare her or she will stress. and how often should i take her out. i take her out every afternoon when i get home from school so she can get used to me. is that to often?

 

[david.dix]

i had the exact same problem with spotted python i did the exact same thing shaking n that. People used to tell me to handle it more and it will stop biting over time but the more i seemed to handle it the more angry it got i swear. i ended up selling mine i couldn't take it, some pythons are just crabby.
maybe try using gloves and have a snake hook in your other hand or something.

 

[staciles1996]

i had the exact same problem with spotted python i did the exact same thing shaking n that. People used to tell me to handle it more and it will stop biting over time but the more i seemed to handle it the more angry it got i swear. i ended up selling mine i couldn't take it, some pythons are just crabby.
maybe try using gloves and have a snake hook in your other hand or something.

she isnt really angry or anything and is usually really good, i think she is just really defensive, and being so young probably doesnt help.

 

[Shotta]

when i first got my childrens python yearling (about 2 months ago) i was afraid of it biting me so i used a snake hook to lift him out of his enclosure and i gently but slowly rested him on my hand while he was still on the hook i did this for about 15 to 20 mins every couple of days for a few weeks and he eventually came off the snake hook on his own and now my confidence has grown aswell hope this helps

 

[Defective]

like red ink said...take the bite, its nothing. my stimmie had a munch on me just because my cat got to close and i directed her at me instead of the cat (she would have got the cat) they soon get over it....and you'll be more confident

 

[HonestPirate]

.....she is really good on some days but others she can be really stuborn and refuse to let me touch her. once i have taken her out she calmes down a lot and is great. its just getting her out that she doesnt really like

Yep. You pretty much accurately described the routine of a python owner. Doesn't sound at all like anything out of the ordinary. Try dragging me out of bed when I'm not in the mood and I guarantee I'll bite. Maybe a bearded dragon is a better way to start off- get used to the confidence needed to pick up your reptile; and THEN graduate to smaller pythons. Sounds like you weren't necessarily prepared for what owning a python really means ?

 

[Kimberlyann]

I have so many snakes and i jump when my bubba olive strikes at his food, cause he will jump at it a couple of times before he grabs it, im ok when they grab it but not when they jump at it haha. Do you feed your little one in his tank? Thats usually why they strike cause they think its feeding time, i use a hook with all mine just to lift them up from a coil so i can grab a hold of them

 

[Tinky]

Same as Kimberlyann above. Use a hook to get them out.

Have never been big on the idea of feeding in a seperate tank, (worried about moving them back into their normal enclosure post feed). But whatever works for you and yours.

 

[staciles1996]

where do i get hooks from and for how much

 

[Bel03]

lol to young to drink and never really been a fan, but i have tried using a cloth yesterday and it worked well. i just worry that it will scare her or she will stress. and how often should i take her out. i take her out every afternoon when i get home from school so she can get used to me. is that to often?

Maybe try handling every 2nd or 3rd day so as not to cause any stress to your little girl........it does sound as though it is more so just a 'im small & you are big & scary' deal, so maybe with size she will become more exceptable with you getting her out......then again, maybe not, so just be prepared for that also. The cloth shouldnt scare or stress her anymore then your hand does, its more so for you, so as when she strikes, it wont hurt & you learn not to pull away.

Yep. You pretty much accurately described the routine of a python owner. Doesn't sound at all like anything out of the ordinary. Try dragging me out of bed when I'm not in the mood and I guarantee I'll bite. Maybe a bearded dragon is a better way to start off- get used to the confidence needed to pick up your reptile; and THEN graduate to smaller pythons. Sounds like you weren't necessarily prepared for what owning a python really means ?

It does sound like normal behaviour, just a bit cage defensive & that is probaly all. However i dont really agree that from what the OP has written it means she wasnt prepared or hadnt researched properly. She has said that she is fine once she is out, she is just nervous of the striking.......this seems quite normal to me also, i dont know anyone who at some point in time wasnt a little jumpy when they were first tagged. It also seems to me that the op is more concerned that her snake will get hurt, or that she may be causing it stress by pulling away.......i think she has done the right thing by asking for advice, even if others cant help with her confidence, reassuring her that it is quite normal is a good place to start!

 

[graphitebeans]

Hey, my spotted python is a lot like that as well - get a little snake hook and use it to lift her out. Will do wonders, and she'll prefer moving onto your hand than staying on the chilly hook (or so I've found, anyways)

 

[staciles1996]

thank you bel711 for understanding. i think its because im only new at this stuff. i love my snake and i would never consider giving her up. i have done tons of research on many different types of snakes.

 

[killimike]

Perfectly normal behaviour, as has been said. Some good advice offered too.

Probably good to ask the question of people here rather than stress over it, but two threads is way overkill.

 

[staciles1996]

yer i wasnt ment to, i wrote it in one and red the other thread and thought it suited it because it had herp help. i forgot to delete the other one

 

[longqi]

Its just a baby who is scared still of these hot sweaty hands reaching out to grab it
It will be equally scared of a metal hook dragging it out

Use a tea towel handkerchief or something similar over your hand
Just pick it up gently and let it sit there on the cloth
When it is ready then it will slither around and investigate

It may try to bite the cloth but will not be able to bite you through the cloth
It will very quickly understand two things
The cloth is no danger
The cloth is not food