This big chicken needs some handling advice

[Rach85]

Hi everyone..
I realise some may find this laughable, but I have a 2 year old southwestern carpet python who i've had since she was 3 months old. I copped a few insignificant tags when she was small, then she quietened down. Lately she's been a nightmare to get out of her cage. She 'S'es right up, and strikes at anything that moves.
I use a hook, and gently bring her out and try and encourage her to move on top of her tank so when shes facing away from me, and starting to uncoil from her branch, i can reach in and carefully lift her out. once she is out, she's fine. i've been trying to handle her frequently, but she just makes me really nervous. I realise it could just be that she's a bitey snake. And I know it isn't really that bad of a bite. And it doesn't hurt. It just seems to be an instinctive thing that she makes me nervous.

I also am a little unsure about using a hook. She is always wrapped so tight around her tree, I normally Let her come out of the tank of her own accord, then lift the front third of her body up so she'll climb onto the top of her tank... Ive seen some people say 'just get bitten', but surely its better not to? I guess its one way to improve my handling skills. But Just wanted some advice on using hooks. I need a bigger one as the one i have its the small retractable one from herpshop, which was fine when she was smaller, but isn't big enough now...

So basically, My questions are:
Has anyone got any other advice on handling a tank guarder?
And can anyone give me advice on using a hook?

Failing that, guess i gotta take that spoon of concrete
Thanks, Rachael

 

[carterd]

Lately it has been warmer and your snake is more active, in a strike mode, because its hoping you got food. If you dont smell like food, then he wont bite you. I let my pythons smell my hand first before getting them out.

 

[saximus]

I use a hook for all of my snakes even the small ones. For me it seems to help the snakes tell the difference between opening the enclosure for a feed or to remove them. I would say don't force it and what you're doing by letting her come out on her own is right. If you're still not that comfortable just keep her on the hook and let her come to your hand. If she's fine once she's out then you shouldn't have any more worries. It's if she was constantly agro that you might have a problem

 

[Fantazmic]

i find using a hand cream helps snakes are really smell orientated and i put my hand in and they smell the hand cream and you can see them instantly think...boring just Mum....use something like a sorbolene for sensitive skin and it wont hurt the snake when you handle them.
Also have you thought she might be hungry if they have an empty tummy the predator comes out in them and they can be really bitey.....so maybe give hr a few extra feeds might settle her down.....

and whatever you do resist the urge to pull your hand away....the snake will work out they can bail you up...i remember when we first got Elvira our jungle I said to my two sons and husband to get her out when I was at work....she had them all bluffed...i just reached in and got her out and dont take any nonsense from her...and she knows it

Good luck

Elizabeth

 

[BR88AD]

Before i get either of my two out i wash my hands with the same hand wash everytime it seems to work for me. both of them are a little cage defensive but its like they smell that soap and relax a little might be they just cant smell food so they chill either way it works for me.

 

[longqi]

Read a thread called 'pets or curiosities'
That is the method we have used for many years
It works and is very simple

 

[Wildcall]

I use a hook for all of my snakes even the small ones. For me it seems to help the snakes tell the difference between opening the enclosure for a feed or to remove them. I would say don't force it and what you're doing by letting her come out on her own is right. If you're still not that comfortable just keep her on the hook and let her come to your hand. If she's fine once she's out then you shouldn't have any more worries. It's if she was constantly agro that you might have a problem

Agree Totally... I have an Olive that in the cage is a monster (he is just sooooo food orientated!!!) anyway i just touch him with the hook and then he kinda knows its not food time and he just crawls down the hook to my hand and then he's fine... Do you feed in the cage Rach85??? My pythons are all fed in the cage and are all cage "defensive" (offensive depending on how you look at it lol) but as soon as the hook touches them they just relax and come straight out... I am by no means as experienced as alot other people on here and i have kept pythons for 5 years and im still petrified of being tagged!!! I dont ever want to take the advice of 'just get bitten' (i know im weak)...

 

[Tristan]

Read a thread called 'pets or curiosities'
That is the method we have used for many years
It works and is very simple

do you mean "THIS" thread

 

[longqi]

Just search the threads using the search engine
Enter pets or curiousities
That should find it

 

[Rach85]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Yeah alexbonner i do feed in the cage. Im trying to break that cycle by opening the cage more often to handle her than feed her. Because after she eats shes still in predator mode for a while so i dont fancy trying to get her back in her tank afterwards.. And when I touch her with the hook she looks as if shes gonna bite it. And as i have pet rats Im Really anal about not having their scent on me. so i always wait til i've showered and am wearing clean clothes til i get her out, so there's no trace of rat smell on her.. And I think if she moved down the hook to my hand, she'd bite me. so as she moves away over her tank I lift her out and kinda 'walk' her thru my hands, with her head facing away from me til she's relaxed. Because I make sure i dont smell of rats, i think its the movement or my body heat that makes her bite...
Thanks for putting the link to the other thread up, will check it now..

Here's a pic of her. when she was in a better mood than normal haha. Her name's Maiden.

 

[Wildcall]

I guess it will come down to learning from the body language of her... my guys i just know when they are about to have a hit lol ... Defiantly keep using the hook though!!! Hope it all works out!! Beautiful Python i must add

Regards Alex

 

[Rach85]

Yeah I think she's gorgeous. And I guess this is a good way to practise my handling skills. Because I'd love to one day keep some of the bigger species of python. When shes in the cage, she's the devil. once shes out, she's a sweetheart unless something startles her. At least she keeps me on my toes haha. the bites have always been defensive though. She's never bitten, held on and constricted.

 

[Widdup]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Yeah alexbonner i do feed in the cage. Im trying to break that cycle by opening the cage more often to handle her than feed her.Because after she eats shes still in predator mode for a while so i dont fancy trying to get her back in her tank afterwards. . And when I touch her with the hook she looks as if shes gonna bite it. And as i have pet rats Im Really anal about not having their scent on me. so i always wait til i've showered and am wearing clean clothes til i get her out, so there's no trace of rat smell on her.. And I think if she moved down the hook to my hand, she'd bite me. so as she moves away over her tank I lift her out and kinda 'walk' her thru my hands, with her head facing away from me til she's relaxed. Because I make sure i dont smell of rats, i think its the movement or my body heat that makes her bite...
Thanks for putting the link to the other thread up, will check it now..

Here's a pic of her. when she was in a better mood than normal haha. Her name's Maiden.

View attachment 185296

My snakes are sweet unless there really hungry, even then once they know i dont have a rat there sweet.

"Because after she eats shes still in predator mode for a while so i dont fancy trying to get her back in her tank afterwards".

But once they have had a feed that fires up there feeding response and i wouldnt try and handle one after a feed becasue they might bite and or regurgitate there rat. If you wanna stop her getting cage defensive feed her outta the cage but in a spot that you wouldnt normal place her for anything else but feeding!

 

[Rach85]

'But once they have had a feed that fires up there feeding response and i wouldnt try and handle one after a feed becasue they might bite and or regurgitate there rat'

Isn't this a good reason not to feed outside the tank?
Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question...
sounds like there's pros and cons either way, and i've just gotta decide which I prefer lol

 

[timothy]

when i get my snakes out i use a pillow case on my hand

 

[longqi]

We put the snake in a box to feed it
Then put the box into the enclosure

With chondros it is even easier
Lift out their perch
feed them
put perch back

The big retics burmese etc get fed in their enclosures simply because because we dont have big enough boxes

I think I have had one snake spew up in twenty years so method works ok

PS we dont even own tongs here

 

[Rach85]

yeah cool... thanks longqi