handling

[PointZero218]

my young boa seems to spend all it's time half inside the log in it's enclosure, i was wondering if i want to handle the snake without causing it too much distress what should i do? and how long/often should i handle him? or is it best to just leave him alone... also the snake seems to look at my hand like it's food everytime i put my hand in to do something like change the water, unless i'm just paranoid

[cb76]

how long have you had the boa?

generally when i get a new animal i would leave it alone for a lil' while to make sure it is acclimating with as little stress as possible.... usually a few weeks, longer if it is a finicky eater

after that i handle the heck out of them. socialize them so they can become somewhat trustworthy and docile animals

start of a lil at a time, a few minutes here and there. one way to tell if a snake is a lil' shy or stressed is it will keep slithering from your hands. if it coils up and wraps around your hand- hang with it.

i handle all of my animals ('cept them mean tokays)

[cb76]

oh yeah.... thats paranoia- you have no idea what a snake is thinking. no one does.

is this your first snake? i suggest deliberate movements. if your gonna pick the snake up- go and pick it up, dont be figity and tapping it. when i replace water i touch their heads, i pat their sides, i move them. they get used to that sort of thing. i let them know they are not alone

[PointZero218]

hey man, i've had him just over a week now, and he is my first snake, he has eaten and he doesn't seem scared at-all when people are around, i was just wondering how to do this without scaring him or being bitten myself.. but i`ll try what you said, thanks.

[cb76]

you may have to get bit! it sucks, but some (not all) babies can be nippy. the bites are kinda scary, but afterward you'll realize that they dont hurt too much. just a lil' bit

if you dont wanna get bitten i would suggest a snake hook of some sort. thats what i use in the begining with all the newbies- thats why my bite count is low.

is the snake eating on the regular? or is it finicky? if its on the reg, i would handle. shoot- i love handling my snakes!

good luck with all of this

[PointZero218]

it's only eaten one meal up to now, so i guess it's ok? the problem i have is like i said it leaves most of it's body inside a log so i thought it would be pretty dumb to grab him and pull him out of there lol, i should perhaps get a different hide?

[cb76]

no... logs are cool, naturalistic, etc.... before you pick him up- move the log. thats all you have to do.

i wouldnt just reach in, it may startle the snake which may lead up to a bite.

they have small snake hooks for baby snakes- these come in handy. get one or you can even make your own- before i had hooks, i had old metal hangers.

good luck!