Hi Everyone!
This is my first time using a forum (and my first time owning a snake!) so please be patient with me
6 Days ago I purchased my very first snake (black and yellow hatchling jungle python). After much discussion with my partner, we had decided to name him "Zeus".
Zeus is roughly around 2-3 months old and incredibly cute (Will attach pictures at some stage, but for some reason it will not allow me). A little snappy but I hear that is quite normal. I try to handle him for about 20 - 30 mins and so far he has been really good! Struck out at me a couple of times due to quick movements from me, but no bites until this morning. As much as I try not to flinch away I cant seem to stop myself Luckily when he bit me today it was so quick and he didn't latch on that I never had a chance to flinch (so scared I will hurt him). Please tell me the flinching will stop after more contact. As much as I love snakes, I have to admit I am a little scared of him biting me as I never know when to expect it. I try really hard to keep my movements to a minimum so that he can get use to me but sometimes even then I can see him eyeing me off. Pretty sure he is annoyed with me the last couple of days due to me spraying water in his enclosure trying to keep the humidity up (this is something I'm having a really hard time doing! Any ideas on how I can constantly keep up the humidity? Will put more details down further). Have also been told not to spray water and just leave bowls of water. Will take this into account and cease spraying water in enclosure. (I apologise for this as I was told to spray water in there to keep up the humidity so I took the owners word for it).
He has refused to come out his enclosure last night and this morning was in a bad spot so required moving regardless. I sit the hook next to him or under him and leave it there hoping he will crawl on it like he has done previously but this hasn't worked) I have just been told snakes generally do not like handling so will leave him be. Maybe only a once a week handling instead of daily? (Once again, I apologise that this was the incorrect thing to do. I had been told to handle him daily unless he was shedding but as I have been told otherwise, I will leave him alone)
When I get him out of the enclosure on his hook, and place it over my outstretched hand, he inspects it, then rather climb up the hook away from my outstretched hand, but then only my other hand and curls around that. I wash my hand with soap before hand and also use the some special reptile hand sanitiser before and after handling. Maybe I shouldn't use the hand sanitiser before hand??
Zeus' enclosure
This is currently pretty big and I was worried as I thought it would overwhelm him, but he seems to love it. I constantly find him in different spots sleeping.
Roughly 1.5m high, 1.2m long and 60cm deep. Has big tree branch in the middle with lots of vines around it. 2 hidey hole rocks and 2 water bowls. 4 live plants and a few fake ones. 2 pieces of drift wood and ground is made up of bark, black sand and a few pebbles.
Temperature is roughly 30-32 degrees throughout the day and about 26-27 degrees at night. After I spray the enclosure with water, humidity sits around 30% but drops off to about 5% after a couple of hours. And I am at work all day so cant be there to constantly keep spraying it. Plus, Zeus gets even more grumpy when I spray water around. Seems to dislike getting water drops on him.
I apologise if I am doing anything wrong. As I have mentioned, this is my first snake and I have tried to do as much research as I can, read as many forums as I can and have discussion with pet stores that stock reptiles and a friend that owns snakes, and have tried doing as they have told me (eg was told that I need to handle them daily unless they are shedding and spray water in to keep humidity up. Mainly around the live plants and on the bark). I will take on board all advice given and follow it as I want Zeus to be happy and healthy.
This is my first time using a forum (and my first time owning a snake!) so please be patient with me
6 Days ago I purchased my very first snake (black and yellow hatchling jungle python). After much discussion with my partner, we had decided to name him "Zeus".
Zeus is roughly around 2-3 months old and incredibly cute (Will attach pictures at some stage, but for some reason it will not allow me). A little snappy but I hear that is quite normal. I try to handle him for about 20 - 30 mins and so far he has been really good! Struck out at me a couple of times due to quick movements from me, but no bites until this morning. As much as I try not to flinch away I cant seem to stop myself Luckily when he bit me today it was so quick and he didn't latch on that I never had a chance to flinch (so scared I will hurt him). Please tell me the flinching will stop after more contact. As much as I love snakes, I have to admit I am a little scared of him biting me as I never know when to expect it. I try really hard to keep my movements to a minimum so that he can get use to me but sometimes even then I can see him eyeing me off. Pretty sure he is annoyed with me the last couple of days due to me spraying water in his enclosure trying to keep the humidity up (this is something I'm having a really hard time doing! Any ideas on how I can constantly keep up the humidity? Will put more details down further). Have also been told not to spray water and just leave bowls of water. Will take this into account and cease spraying water in enclosure. (I apologise for this as I was told to spray water in there to keep up the humidity so I took the owners word for it).
He has refused to come out his enclosure last night and this morning was in a bad spot so required moving regardless. I sit the hook next to him or under him and leave it there hoping he will crawl on it like he has done previously but this hasn't worked) I have just been told snakes generally do not like handling so will leave him be. Maybe only a once a week handling instead of daily? (Once again, I apologise that this was the incorrect thing to do. I had been told to handle him daily unless he was shedding but as I have been told otherwise, I will leave him alone)
When I get him out of the enclosure on his hook, and place it over my outstretched hand, he inspects it, then rather climb up the hook away from my outstretched hand, but then only my other hand and curls around that. I wash my hand with soap before hand and also use the some special reptile hand sanitiser before and after handling. Maybe I shouldn't use the hand sanitiser before hand??
Zeus' enclosure
This is currently pretty big and I was worried as I thought it would overwhelm him, but he seems to love it. I constantly find him in different spots sleeping.
Roughly 1.5m high, 1.2m long and 60cm deep. Has big tree branch in the middle with lots of vines around it. 2 hidey hole rocks and 2 water bowls. 4 live plants and a few fake ones. 2 pieces of drift wood and ground is made up of bark, black sand and a few pebbles.
Temperature is roughly 30-32 degrees throughout the day and about 26-27 degrees at night. After I spray the enclosure with water, humidity sits around 30% but drops off to about 5% after a couple of hours. And I am at work all day so cant be there to constantly keep spraying it. Plus, Zeus gets even more grumpy when I spray water around. Seems to dislike getting water drops on him.
I apologise if I am doing anything wrong. As I have mentioned, this is my first snake and I have tried to do as much research as I can, read as many forums as I can and have discussion with pet stores that stock reptiles and a friend that owns snakes, and have tried doing as they have told me (eg was told that I need to handle them daily unless they are shedding and spray water in to keep humidity up. Mainly around the live plants and on the bark). I will take on board all advice given and follow it as I want Zeus to be happy and healthy.
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