G’day all,
As a new snake owner (which is currently refusing to feed!) I spent a lot of time on the net, reading books, talking to keepers and on this forum going through old threads researching the ins and outs of keeping reptiles in captivity. It seems that this hobby, like many others, is one of many divided opinions. On this day it’s the subject of handling that I hope others will help me out on.
I won’t lie, I was surprised to read that many veteran herpers do not handle their reptiles unless needed due to the belief (fact?) that reptiles stress easily and simply do not ever enjoy being handled. Others, in many cases also veterans of the hobby, argue quite strongly that snakes, once used to it, have no issue with being handled on a regular basis. Others still argue that their snakes LOVE being handled. Let’s ignore the latter category and focus on the two first shall we?
Some on this site argue that any handling of snakes when unnecessary is a form of animal abuse. It’s an extreme view based on what I’ve read but not an entirely uncommon one. The thing that surprises me is how vehemently people who oppose snake handling attack other experienced keepers who do. As a newbie to the reptile scene I’m a little confused at the vitriol of these opinions. Not because I think it’s the wrong position to have, but because how else are we going to share with the world that snakes are not killers in the night than to educate them by example. The best way is of course to show people. It’s a little difficult when you have a “don’t ever touch” policy.
In Feb when I last visited the Australian Reptile Park the showman there took the time to educate us about the dangers of touching snakes in the wild but also definitely took the time to promote reptile keeping as a hobby and specifically saying that snakes can be quite amenable to handling. He said this after having stuffed a BHP down his shirt saying it was “happy” there due to the heat. Yet, I’ve read on this site that anyone who thinks that snakes enjoy being held because of their proximity to a heat source (the body) is an idiot. The same show also involved kissing a saltie and draping a large python over a young girl’s neck and insisting it loved kids. All obvious showmanship aside, were his opinions not one of a professional herpetologist? I certainly took it to be and loved the show. Many reptile keepers at the parks/zoos I’ve visited since said that they handle their snakes regularly. I only tell this story to point out that people who research reptile keeping will not necessarily arrive at the same conclusion as others.
The reason for my long winded intro is this: is it true that if you have any expert knowledge of snakes you would never handle them just for the sake of it? Are people wrong if they want to handle their snakes occasionally? How can we expect people to become interested in the hobby if we keep the animals out of arms reach?
As a new snake owner (which is currently refusing to feed!) I spent a lot of time on the net, reading books, talking to keepers and on this forum going through old threads researching the ins and outs of keeping reptiles in captivity. It seems that this hobby, like many others, is one of many divided opinions. On this day it’s the subject of handling that I hope others will help me out on.
I won’t lie, I was surprised to read that many veteran herpers do not handle their reptiles unless needed due to the belief (fact?) that reptiles stress easily and simply do not ever enjoy being handled. Others, in many cases also veterans of the hobby, argue quite strongly that snakes, once used to it, have no issue with being handled on a regular basis. Others still argue that their snakes LOVE being handled. Let’s ignore the latter category and focus on the two first shall we?
Some on this site argue that any handling of snakes when unnecessary is a form of animal abuse. It’s an extreme view based on what I’ve read but not an entirely uncommon one. The thing that surprises me is how vehemently people who oppose snake handling attack other experienced keepers who do. As a newbie to the reptile scene I’m a little confused at the vitriol of these opinions. Not because I think it’s the wrong position to have, but because how else are we going to share with the world that snakes are not killers in the night than to educate them by example. The best way is of course to show people. It’s a little difficult when you have a “don’t ever touch” policy.
In Feb when I last visited the Australian Reptile Park the showman there took the time to educate us about the dangers of touching snakes in the wild but also definitely took the time to promote reptile keeping as a hobby and specifically saying that snakes can be quite amenable to handling. He said this after having stuffed a BHP down his shirt saying it was “happy” there due to the heat. Yet, I’ve read on this site that anyone who thinks that snakes enjoy being held because of their proximity to a heat source (the body) is an idiot. The same show also involved kissing a saltie and draping a large python over a young girl’s neck and insisting it loved kids. All obvious showmanship aside, were his opinions not one of a professional herpetologist? I certainly took it to be and loved the show. Many reptile keepers at the parks/zoos I’ve visited since said that they handle their snakes regularly. I only tell this story to point out that people who research reptile keeping will not necessarily arrive at the same conclusion as others.
The reason for my long winded intro is this: is it true that if you have any expert knowledge of snakes you would never handle them just for the sake of it? Are people wrong if they want to handle their snakes occasionally? How can we expect people to become interested in the hobby if we keep the animals out of arms reach?
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