Handling nocturnal pythons - best times?

[Marty75]

Hi everyone,

I've tried doing a search for this particular topic but hard to narrow down the returned results.

I've had my 10 week old jungle python since the Penrith expo (a bit over a week now). Seems settled in and relaxed during the night time and had a feed (smashed the fuzzy) last Thursday.

I handled it for the first time yesterday for about 5 minutes. She was nervous but didn't bite. I didn't pick her up much just let her slither around my hand. Will have a go again tonight (don't know who is more nervous, her or me ) but given that they are nocturnal is it a good idea to attempt handling when she is active at night or wake her up during the day (either before or after work) while it's still light and she's asleep?

I tipped her out of the small cardbox hide she has last night, gave her about 5 mins to wake up before handling. I've got a Sistema click clack so reach in from above. Is waking them up for the purpose of handling OK or better to wait till she's active at night (i.e. feeding mode?).

Don't want to wake her up and stress her even more than she is unneccesarily by literally tipping her out of her hide.

Thanks in advance.

Below is a pic taken during yesterday's first handling.

Marty

 

[The_Geeza]

My new hatchie is a chainsaw so it don't matter when I get her out... On a serious note they r easier to handle in the day... Night time is hunting time tho all snakes react different .... Some of my good handlers will still come at me if I go in enclosures of an evening so I just feed evenings and handle in daylight

 

[Kelly11]

I usually hold my two during day and night doesn't seem to phase them at all but all snakes have different temperaments I guess


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Marty75]

OK I'll try tonight and see how I go :shock:

 

[Kelly11]

U have a very beautiful snake, with my younger snake when I got him I use to mix it up just to get him use to me but when I fed him at night I never fed him in the tank so while I was preparing his feed I would take the opportunity to hold him, as for my other snake she was given to me months back cos all she did was bite the ppl that had her so it took a bit for her to get use to me holding her with out her biting me but she is a big sook now


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Varanoidea]

I handle mine at night because she is out exploring. That way I don't have to yank her from her hides during the day. Much less stress involved.

 

[Marty75]

She's hiding in the paper towel cardboard roll and doesn't want to come up even when I tip it vertically and try to tap it out so pretty sure she doesn't want to come out Might leave it till later tonight or even tomorrow. Thursday night will be feeding time again (will try and get some pics!)

Marty

 

[serpenttongue]

You'll find that snakes will adapt to your schedule and routines regardless of the time of day or night.

 

[Norm]

She's hiding in the paper towel cardboard roll and doesn't want to come up even when I tip it vertically and try to tap it out so pretty sure she doesn't want to come out Might leave it till later tonight or even tomorrow. Thursday night will be feeding time again (will try and get some pics!)

Marty

Not that I recommend removing your snake from its hide but if it's something you want to do, try using a hide that you can just lift off rather than physically remove the snake from the hide.

 

[mikey_mike]

I handle mine at night time only - purely because I'm sick of trying to remove them from their enclosures when they're not willing. I've taken to leaving the doors of the enclosures open for a while & letting them choose if they want to come out for a play. All's good as long as I don't get distracted & wander off leaving the enclosures open. Hasn't happened yet, which begs the question: how come I always get distracted & set fire to whatevers in the kitchen, but never lose my snakes? Just priorities I guess.

 

[The_Geeza]

Example.... My rather large 6kg bredli is a dream to handle and gets a run in the garden couple times a week in the sun ... Come evening and she's out and about and anyone is quite welcome to enter that enclosure at your peril lol... Maybe ask some GTP owners how there snake differ from day to night ... As stated before all snakes r different in there temperament .

 

[Woma_Wild]

My woma tells me when she wants out- and that's late afternoon to night times.
If I try getting her out day times, she just coils up tighter or goes deeper in her hide.
Shes done this since I got her.

Unless I really have to get her out during the day, she is left alone.
Shes fed at night too.

I've tried bringing her out on the grass during the day but she just comes back to me and looks for a place to hide- in my sleeve, under my legs, etc.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

I handle mine at night time only - purely because I'm sick of trying to remove them from their enclosures when they're not willing. I've taken to leaving the doors of the enclosures open for a while & letting them choose if they want to come out for a play. All's good as long as I don't get distracted & wander off leaving the enclosures open. Hasn't happened yet, which begs the question: how come I always get distracted & set fire to whatevers in the kitchen, but never lose my snakes? Just priorities I guess.

If you continue to do this, trust me, it's only a matter of time before you lose a snake...

Jamie

 

[andynic07]

Yes [MENTION=29458]The_Geeza[/MENTION] my GTP sleeps during the day and hunts at night. It is very alert at night and will look to strike any shadow that moves. All of my others I get out night or day if required but have to say that they are easier to get out during the night unless I find them sleeping on a flat surface during the day and can quickly grab them off before they wrap onto anything. I also have not really tried taking my BHP pair out at night yet and wonder what they would do as they have a very strong feeding response.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

U have a very beautiful snake, with my younger snake when I got him I use to mix it up just to get him use to me but when I fed him at night I never fed him in the tank so while I was preparing his feed I would take the opportunity to hold him, as for my other snake she was given to me months back cos all she did was bite the ppl that had her so it took a bit for her to get use to me holding her with out her biting me but she is a big sook now


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Handling snakes while preparing their food is just asking for a heavy-duty feeding bite...

Jamie

 

[Kelly11]

I only handle them while their food is warming up then I take them to the floor on a blanket where I sit and watch over them, there's only been one time I have been bitten while feeding them and that was with my lil guy all cause I moved as he went to strike at his food but missed and got me instead only cause I almost dropped the rat and tried to catch it before it fell so I know not to do that again


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Marty75]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I decided to leave it last night as the jungle only comes out when all the lights are off in the room and didn't want to force her out of the cardboard roll hide. I like the idea of the hides that you can simply lift up. Only went for the roll as that's what I've seen on some of the existing click clack pics.

The 'want' to handle the new jungle is purely to get it used to handling as a youngster and hopefully less bitey as she grows. I need to replace the paper towel in the click clack anyway so will try and do it once she is out.

Thanks

Marty

 

[MissScarlett]

Hi Marty!
I have two yearlings and I handle both during the day. I have lift off hides which makes it easier. I let them know Im there and do all cleaning and handling during the day I guess in the hope that the routine will let them get used to that. They are super active and alert in the evenings and that is feed time only. No hands or mucking around. Door open, rat offered, Hit!! . So far we all know the routine and it works for me. Enjoy!!!!

 

[critterguy]

My wife and I handle our woma during the day, if she does get taken out at night it's not long after a feed (days I mean, not hours) as she'll be out exploring but not hungry and mistake us for food.

Like most will recommend, don't handle them when they are hungry, that usually will end in them trying to coil your arm and attempt to swallow your hand or fingers, funny when they little, not so funny once they have some size on them.

Even ones only a few feet long can be really strong and pretty hard to remove and then get back into the enclosure on your own (usually need someone to hold the lid open).

You can usually tell if they are heaps hungry, they will go from content and not exploring much after a feed and leading up to pooing for a few days to exploring heaps and pressing on the mesh in the lid with their head regularly to try to get out to find some prey or have a explore.
Can get also get like that if not handled regularly and they want to have a explore, fairly easy to tell which they are doing when you go to touch them to pick them up.

 

[Ramsayi]

I feed all our pythons of a night.During the day you can take all of them out of their enclosures with no issues at all.Once the sun goes down every single one of them will smash you.