pythonmum
Very Well-Known Member
Have you tried the cardboard or paper technique described by Simon Stone in his articles? This works wonders on womas and flighty hatchlings. You hold a piece of paper or cardboard over their head. They look at this and as their tiny brains wonder what to do about it, you come in underneath and scoop them up with your other hand. The paper is not a threat and not a hand, so no strikes at it. Then they are out of the enclosure and the tough part is done. With the woma, just sit there and let it explore your flat hand/lap. I use a hook for initial contact for some of my carpets when getting them out of the enclosure and then get my hands in - cuts down on the tags because a sudden hand can be frightening. I have used a bag when I'm going to bag a snake and have never been struck at that way, but never thought to use it as a handling technique. I'll have to keep that one in mind. I don't always have a bag, but there's usually a piece of paper or similar around.