Handling help

[Macca2301]

Hi,

I have owned pythons for 2 years now and never had a problem with them and have one that is hard to handle and need help. i had a phobia with handling this one and it is doing my head in an it is apparently very placid but can not get it out. I live in west syd near penrith and would pay fuel cost to get someone to help me with handling his first time out. think i will be fine once i get it out once. please help needed otherwise may need to sell it.

Luke

Cant believe with this many views no one can lend a hand in syd of all places.

 

[Schnecke]

Many people (like myself) will view this post, but not be able to offer any help in regards to coming to you, as many of us live hours away.

Hoping that by bumping this up for you, someone locally to you may see it.

My advice would be to contact the person you purchased from, they may be willing to help out, as they would have known the snake for a minimum of 6 months before selling it to you.

Good luck.

 

[Chris1]

so whats it doing?
does it strike at you, or just wrap its tail around a log and hang on?
(you said apparently placid but can not get it out,..??)

if its massive i can understand u being a bit nervous, if its not massive, well, i hate to say it, but getting bitten from time to time is all a part of snake ownership. suck it up and get in there,...either try pulling ur sleeves over ur hands, or use a towel to get it out. ive found the more confidence u lose the more cranky snakes gain,...

if its strikes when u open the door try letting it hit a rolled up towel before wrangling it out a few times and see if that helps break the habit,..

i have a diamond who enjoys biting, after a few hits to a towel over a few consecutive visits to her cage (ive learnt to read her moods) im safe for another few months hahaha.

 

[Raddy318]

if the snake is fine once out just use a snake hook to get it out,
do not be affraid of it, dont be scared to take a wack or two, as soon as you experience it you will be like 'ehh no big deal' it hurts, dont get me wrong, but not what people make it out to be

 

[Macca2301]

Firstly Schnecke/Chris and Raddy - Tks for getting back to me. I understand if people are not locals. I did end up ringing the owner who i got to know quiet well prior to getting the snake from melbourne and he had only bitten his owner 5 times since a hatchy and the owner said he was very placid and had only bitten once in the last 12mths he had owned him. He is curretly 18mth old and i let him settle for about 3-5 days after the flight and he has been very aggressive everytime i open the enclosure he wraps his tail around the branch in the enclosure and strikes at anything within reach. I have tried to get him when he is unaware and quiet and he hisses alot and then its on for young and old. The reason i am nervous is i love snakes but had a phobia of them and because i have had most of mine from hatchy's dealing with a angry snake didnt phase me and my 2.5 yr old hisses but is easy to handle. All of mine are great for handling now except this one. I had alot of confidence until this one and am strugling to manage the snake. I have tried a hook but cant get him off the log and stay out of reach. I think he will be a great snake after a few handles but would be great to get someone with more experience to lend a hand.

Regards,
Luke

 

[Raddy318]

id let the snake settle in a little bit more, 7 days at the minimum

wait, read it wrong.
maybe it is going into shed? or hungry?

 

[Macca2301]

Yeah no take all of my snakes out of there enclosure to feed so they dont confuse feeding with handling. I couldnt get this one out so feed it in enclosure the other day. He shed the day after i received him a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Raddy318]

has the snake pooed since youve had it?

 

[Macca2301]

Now i come to think about it not sure.

Yeah Raddy he has recently pooed

 

[mysnakesau]

...... I have tried to get him when he is unaware and quiet and he hisses alot and then its on for young and old. ......... I have tried a hook but cant get him off the log and stay out of reach.........Luke

Part of the problem could be because you are sneaking up on him unwares. Snakes can't hear you coming so to suddenly grab them or touch them without them realising you're there, is asking for defensive behaviour. Snakes will never be tame pets. They tolerate us but will always remain wild animals. So to suddenly grab him, he is going to think a predator is after him and will whip around and strike at the offender. You need to let him see you before you reach at him. It might not make any difference right now, but eventually he will learn that your hand isn't going to hurt him and the defensive behaviour will lessen. Keep your movements slow and learn what it is that sets him off, and try to avoid those movements - moving too fast, touching him too much, holding him rather than letting him sit your hands, wiggling your fingers at him, poke your tongue out at him - are just examples of what could set him off. You are a giant compared to him. Try imagine the world through his tiny eyes and learn that he is striking because he is scared. I grant you some snakes are just down and out right aggressive. I have two jungles that just don't want to get to know me while others will. Your fella has just moved from what he knew as his home. New smells, new enclosure and everything is different. So I will forgive him for being a little peed off right now.

As for untangling him from branches - don't. Pick times to get him out when he is easy accessible - on the floor in a hide box is good. Lift a box off him and pick him up, or put a hide box in there where you can take the whole thing out while he is in it. Then when you put him away let him leave on his accord. Try not to touch him as this will cause defensive behaviour - moving off fast or striking. Animals are a learning curve for their entire life. Have some patience and learn to read him.

 

[DeadCricket]

What type of python is it. Though at 18 months most pythons really aren't going to hurt much if they tag you. Probably best to get bitten once and once you get over the shock and realise it doesn't really hurt, you will gain a lot of confidence.

If you have had a couple of hard days with him, I would leave him alone for a few days and let the tension between you settle. Make sure he is awake, alert and can see you coming. Approach slowly and lift from about half way down his body.

If he is stuck on a branch. Try bringing your hand up to about 30cm away from the branch. Stop still and wait. If he is curious, he will come to you.

Another idea is that I use the same handwash every time before I handle my reptiles, whilst being good hygenically it also lets them learn a safe smell that is very different from a food smell. I also use cold water so my hands aren't so hot.

 

[Macca2301]

Thanks mysnakesau and understand your comments. It is very hard to ever see him on the floor of the enclosure. He seems to sit on the same part of the top branch all the time against the wall. Will just hope he settles a bit in the next few weeks and starts to wander around the enclosure more. Thanks for getting back to me.

Hi Dead Cricket,
He is a jungle python. I would like to try to slowly lift him off the branch but as soon as i touch him he goes into defensive mode and hard to get close then.

Thankyou all for your help. I have never had a snake that is this hard to get out of his enclosure or be as agressive. I have him in a square enclousure from the snake wisperer with branches and think if i can get him out will place him in a flat enclosure without branches until he is able to be handled freely and that was easier to get out as he cant coil on everything.

If anyone is in the syd area and can lend a hand please contact me.

 

[mysnakesau]

Another option for a more gentle approach to getting him out would be to install his branch so that it can be removed. So instead of having to unwrap him and annoy him, you can pull the branch out with him on it.

A jungle python? You have chosen a very challenging snake for earning brownie points with. My two jungles are exactly the same. It seems to be very typical nature of jungles to be like that. Good luck with calming him down. It can be done, but not an easy project with that particular python.

 

[DeadCricket]

Try not touching him but moving your hand about 30cm away and just staying still. If he is curious, he will come to you. Just be still, patient and not threatening. Think like as tree, act like a tree..... Be the tree! You and the tree must become one!

 

[Chris1]

lol, sounds like typical jungle to me too,...mine are nuts, touch them and its like a mouse trap going off,...they bounce 20cms in teh air by which time theve turned around and are all teeth, lol

best thing u can do is wait till hes curled up in a hide if u need to get him out to clean the cage,...(hook or towel) and accept that not all snakes tolerate handling,...

Try not touching him but moving your hand about 30cm away and just staying still. If he is curious, he will come to you. Just be still, patient and not threatening. Think like as tree, act like a tree..... Be the tree! You and the tree must become one!

lol, if it was mine you'd have some lovely bite pics to post!!! so have the camera handy!!!

 

[43nickw]

ihave 6 jungles most of them are cage protective i touce them with the snake hook to let them know im their then support the head with hook and lift snakes out supporting its body. still get hit now and then though, bloody snappy jungles, have other snakes but they have better manners

 

[Herpaderpa]

43nickw... thats exactly how I get mine out... touch them with the hook, then carefully hook them a few inches from their head so they are encouraged to start moving through the hook... I then grab them behind the hook and move the hook away from my hand as the snake travels through it. This way they naturally unwrap themselves from the branch. Once I get them out, no matter how cranky or hissy they may be they tend to settle down.

I definitely agree with using the same handwash before handling as well. I wash my hands as normal and then throw on a bit of that hand sanitizer and let it dry thoroughly. That way I know I dont smell like food. I dont put it on my hands at feed time.

You may need to take the branch out until you gain confidence. Or as someone suggested, put a branch in there that you can easily remove snake included. If Im not feeling confident I also go with the pull the sleeve over the hand trick. Though the sooner you get bitten and find its not that bad... the better

Good luck...

 

[Macca2301]

Thanks all for the tips. I just cant believe he was a pretty placid snake and now its a very agressive/cage defensive snake. I have 2 other jungles and one is quiet calm and the other is a bit jumpy but when out is very settled. When i first got the jumpy one he wanted nothing more but to have his way with me and after 10 mins a day with him quiet now. This one tha is the problem child is a bit bigger than him though lol.