a few quick snake questions

[orbproductions]

Hi,

I just need a few direct snake questions from you guys. Cheers in Advanced!

1. How do i go about getting my snake out of it's tank? I know never to grab it out, but people say i should use a hook of some kind. But should i only get it out, when the snake is out and about exploring, or is it ok to lift up it's hide to get it out?

2. Same with feeding, do i bust open it's hide, to feed it, or wait to it is wandering around?

3. i had a swag load of more questions to ask, but i've forgotten them all now. i was thinking of like so many last night.

oh well, this will have to do for now.

 

[Emzie]

is its non venomous just stick you hand in and pick it up.

If i need my snake out for cleaning ect i get them out of there hide but usually they are a bit more crappy if i just woke them.

an i usually feed after work before bed sort of time so they are usually out wondering

 

[Auzlizardking]

1. How do i go about getting my snake out of it's tank? I know never to grab it out, but people say i should use a hook of some kind. But should i only get it out, when the snake is out and about exploring, or is it ok to lift up it's hide to get it out? I use a cloth place this over the snake and pick it up - once out side of the enclosure I know there fine - once you get to know your snakes it will get easier - most young snakes will bite every now and then - like us snakes have different moods again you get to know your snake over time.

2. Same with feeding, do i bust open it's hide, to feed it, or wait to it is wandering around? Again I use tongs and put the rat/mouse with tongs at the front of the hide.

 

[Wench]

i pick mine up with a hook then put him on my hands, hes fine with that i bought a lil hook on ebay for 10 bucks, it retracts into a tiny lil thing and its just the right size for him its great. if hes resting when i want to get him out i move his hide so hes out in the open and then wait awhile and he'll usually start moving around looking for somewhere to hide again and i pick him up then hehehe.

it depends what type of feeder your snake is i reckon. jasta will eat no matter what, whether hes active or in his hide, i just gotta show him the food first and hes good to go. altho ive now started putting him in a different tub for feeding so sorta cancels that out.

 

[orbproductions]

hi,

what is the purpose of putting him into another tank to feed?

Is a plastic coat hanger good for a hook, well i will bend it, so it's longer and make sure there's no sharp edges on the hook area. i also like the throwing a cloth on it, that seems like a good idea also.

 

[Dave]

hi,

what is the purpose of putting him into another tank to feed?

Is a plastic coat hanger good for a hook, well i will bend it, so it's longer and make sure there's no sharp edges on the hook area. i also like the throwing a cloth on it, that seems like a good idea also.

Hey,
I made a hook out of a coat hanger, mine was plastic with a white knob on the sharp point. If you go to herpshop you can get some nice ones for about $20 or so too.

 

[Sturdy]

i hook mine out an hes fine.

as for feeding i try an time it so that hes in the basking spot when fed.

the warmer the better for feeding imo

 

[Wench]

i found hes not biting me anymore at all since ive been putting him another tub for feeding. i had trouble with him the first few weeks i had him, he used to just tag me over and over again so i changed everything pretty much coz i had no idea what i was doing wrong.

its set up as a clickclack still, its his old home lol. i have it resting on the heat cord aswell but i put him back in his bigger click clack after hes finished eating neway and he goes and hides straight away in the warm spot.

ah well everyone does things differently obviously do whatever works well for you and isn't stressful for ya snake. ive found this works for me and jasta so im sticking with it, he doesn't bite me anymore and i like it that way

 

[nikay11]

I have always fed my reptiles in another tank that way when your hand goes into the cage they don't assume its feeding time. All of them now recognize when I do put them into the new tank that its feeding time!!

 

[Ramsayi]

I have always fed my reptiles in another tank that way when your hand goes into the cage they don't assume its feeding time. All of them now recognize when I do put them into the new tank that its feeding time!!

I dont understand that logic.

If they are conditioned like that wouldnt they then become excited at the prospect of food everytime they are taken from their enclosure,especially if they can smell food?

All our snakes are really placid during the day.After dark however is a different story when they will all try to take your hand off.Guess what time of the day they always get fed?

 

[Chris1]

with my new baby bredlis i lift their hides, pick tehm up, (get bitten a few times if i dont grab em quickly enough)

to feed , while i'm getting the mice ready i take the cool side hide out so they go to the warm cave and get warm fro a while.

tehn i put down 2 sheets of newspaper, 1 for each snake, put the snakes down and doink them in the head with mr mouse till they grab it,...(one likes a tug o war otherwise it drops it) tehn flip the other half of the newspaper over them to form a cave so they feel secure enough to eat.

once theyve finished i approach from behind so i dont get as hammered, give them a bath, dry em off and pop em back in their click clack.

 

[Slytherin]

I gently touch the side of my little 7mth old MD when I want to pick him/her up and then, gently but confidently (without hesitation), pick Snakey up in my hands. I have removed the top of the hide and done the same thing, but I always make sure Snakey knows its me, is fully awake and knows its not feeding time (no mouse smell)

When I want to feed, and if Snakey is asleep I gently touch the side and wait until he/she is awake then introduce the mouse on tongs. I find Snakey can tell the difference between feeding time and handling time, just by the smell. (I have been feeding only during the day and handling at night at this stage)

Not all pythons are as calm and placid as mine, so I suggest finding out what suits you and your snake the best.

 

[Dave]

I normally feed during the night, if I'll be away I'll feed in the day, since I wont be here tonight I fed my bredli today, she was in her hot end hide so I got the rat on my tongs and carefully put the rats face just near the hide box hole, I then moved it to the middle and she started to take her head out, then I just carefully brought the rat closer to her and she took it. But mine seems to feed no matter what.

 

[orbproductions]

Hi,

Another question. Ok i fed it last night. Only had it for a week and i think cause it ate it mustn't have been as stressed as i thought it would be. Ok well it was under it's rock, but having the pinkie out near it;s hide didn;t make it come out or anything. so after about 20mins, of moving the rat around and then watchin some olympics, i lifted the rock off the snake. then left it for about 5 mins. i then tried to give it the pinkie, and after about a minute or so it took it.

Ok here my problem. Once it had it, i had taken a large stick and it's main hide from the tank. Of course this rock needs careful placement in the tank, and i don't want to disturb it while it was eating. So i jsut made a smaller hide, out of cardboard, and put it on the hot side. Then today in the morning it was in the hide, so i then put the rock back and the stick back.

is this ok to do, like taking stuff out of the tank for a day. is it gonna piss is off somehow, like always changing it's environment???

 

[gman78]

What sort of snake do you have?

 

[orbproductions]

it's about 7month old murray darling.

 

[Chris1]

it'll be fine, i'm constantly re arranging things, taking caves out to make em move to the other side etc,...

 

[daniel1234]

Woohoo, Go the MD's. Mate if its eating, its gotta be fine. My MD did not eat for a couple months before I worked things out. They are a lovely snake and look nice when they grow up (course you knew that I'm sure) My Cuddles is so gentle. You pop a mouse in her enclosure she slides off her hide and looks at it, thinks for a bit and then gently bites down on it and drags it behind the hide where she coils around it proberbly just to get a good hold on it to push it into her. Getting her out of her hide is not hard but it is just a fake cave used in fish tanks so it is quite airy and lets alot of light in. My Childrens has a commercial reptile hide and you need to let his eyes ajust to the light before picking him up. He is also more likely to attack his food in the traditional way. Unless Cuddles is on top of her hide I will bring her, and Snoopy, out into the open and leave the food in veiw. I proberbly don't need to, esp with Cuddles, but I love feeding time. Floyd my Bredli has a hide but hardly uses it and is always out some how, but I usually hold the rat by the tale and dangle it in front of him to strike (he is 4 ft long though). Different snakes, different temprements, its about getting to know who they are and who you are with them.

 

[orbproductions]

yeh it didn;t seem to be snappy at all yesterday after it's feed. like i jsut sat there for about 15mins, looking at it, pretty closely and it didnt care, just kept sticking it's nose into little gaps between the other rocks, then i think it was trying to like get it's head to my face, but of course glass, os it was having no lucky. haha.

Also i never knew how straight and tall they can actually get. like it just was like up over 1/2 of it's body straight up in the air, straight as a board, just looking around, i had no lid on at this stage, and i was like it's gonna get out, haha, but yeh it eventuall gave up, a little too small to reach the top at the moment.

i'm gonna take it out this wedensday for a hold. so can't wait.

 

[serpenttongue]

Hi,



1. How do i go about getting my snake out of it's tank? I know never to grab it out, but people say i should use a hook of some kind. But should i only get it out, when the snake is out and about exploring, or is it ok to lift up it's hide to get it out?

If it is actively moving around the enclosure then in most cases the snake will come out onto your arms when you open the enclosure. In these cases it's okay to lift it out with your hands.

Other times, when it may be coiled asleep or on a branch in ambush position, i would use a hook. Hooks are good to use just to touch the snake gently so it doesn't flinch the way it might if you're using your hands. Also, snakes are less likely to go into feeding mode when handled with a hook.

2. Same with feeding, do i bust open it's hide, to feed it, or wait to it is wandering around?

I wouldn't bust open it's hide to feed it. If it is accustomed to it's surroundings and has settled in well, then it should come out of the hide by it's own accord when food is introduced into the enclosure. I personally just throw a dead rat into the enclosure, whether i can see the snake or not. Either way, the snake will be onto the rat within the minute. If your snake is actively moving around then hand it the rodent. If it is in it's hide, then leave the dead prey by the entrance to the hide.