to handle or not to handle...?

metamorph0sis · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 07:40 PM

i try to handle my bci, solomon, at least every other day to keep him friendly. problem is, more often than not, he's not too keen on coming out to play. usually he would MUCH rather just stay in his cage under his hide... he's pretty shy and almost always under a hide. when i go to take him out, sometimes he pulls against me to stay in the cage when i pick him up. once i have him out, he's gentle and friendly but only ever wants to go under the couch cushions or behind the entertainment center... anywhere he can hide. it's a real pain because my apartment is small, and it's hard to find anywhere he can "play" without getting into trouble! last night he was a real bugger.

so my question is this: if he's really that opposed to coming out to socialize, should i just leave him be content in his cage? how often should i take him out, even if he doesn't want to, for the sake of socialization? i love him and i love to handle him, but i don't want to make him unhappy in the process. any opinions?
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#1stunner · #2 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 08:13 PM

my boa is like that she used to pull away when i tried to get her out the way i got her to stop resisting was by leaving her alone until she wanted to come out and i saw she was coming up to the glass and then i opened the door so she could come out now i have no problem at all gettin her out of her cage maybe u should wait till he wants to come out of the cage by himself i know it sounds stupid but it worked for me [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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gibson · #3 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 09:22 PM

I would keep on handln' that bad boy. My boas sometimes don't seem like they want to come out and once I get them out they want to hide. On the flip side when I try to put them back into there cage they always try to climb back out. Go figure. How old is your boa and how lond have you had him/her? I would keep handln' him even if it is just for brief periods just to keep him used to human contact and the smells you give off. I should handle my boas more but I try to get them out atleast 2 times a week for about an hour.
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Flood · #4 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 09:36 PM

Keep handling, you are just scaring him a bit and he will get over it as he gets comfortable with you. Think of it this way, you would probably think you were going to die if a giant ripped the roof off your house and decided to pick you up from where you feel safe to play with you. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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gibson · #5 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 09:55 PM

I agree w/samurai and that was a pretty good likeness as to what the snake might feel like. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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Flood · #6 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 10:06 PM

Does 'samurai' mean me? [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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metamorph0sis · #7 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 10:18 PM

solomon is 6 yrs old and i've had him for a year and a half... i "rescued" him from my irresponsible brother who never handled him or did anything with him for that matter. he's much less skittish than when i first got him. i think the biggest problem is that he LOVES his new big home (a 4'x2'x2' he's been in for a month now) and would be perfectly content to stay there forever. i would wait til he's out of his hide to take him out, but that's pretty much... well, never. at least when i have time to handle him. *sigh* i guess i'll just keep workin' at it! at least he's a sweetheart, i've never even gotten so much as a hiss from him, even when he's grumpy and wants to stay in his hide.
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telefrag · #8 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 10:33 PM

Well,
in all honesty, if the snake is 6 years old and has never been fully adjusted to being handled.
Then I wouldnt put him/her through the extra stress.

If the snake were younger, there would be a chance for it to relegate itself to handling.

But given its age, and it sounding like it has never been handled that much, you may be better off just giving the snake attention periodically, and not try to force excess handling on it.

We all have to remember that snakes are not dogs or cats, and most of them despite what we would like to believe would rather not be carried around by something 20 + times their size.

Im not saying some snakes dont "like" it,or they dont get used to it, but the fact remains that snakes are still wild animals that have basic survival instincts.
getting picked up and carried around by people can probably seriously stress out some snakes.
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sabre_and_barons_dad · #9 (**permalink**) 02-11-2003, 07:06 PM

Hi.... I read somewhere once...that snakes live in the present moment...due to their limited memory and all...the pretty much think in the present tense... so....if they are in their cage...most are content to be there....just like when we go to put them back...many resist going back into their cages...like someone said...go figure lol...but the point being...once they were out..they were content being out...my guy is the same way...but what I did was removed most things he can coil around to resist coming out..its not a fully sterile environment..but he has little to hang onto if I want to take him out..He loves being out...I do think with a gradual working with him..he will get more used to coming out..his age and background make it a little more difficult..like the others said...go slow so he does not get stressed...and it may help to remove some...but not all (dont want to make him feel vulnerable) of the things he can hide in or hold onto (assuming you have anything in his cage like that).. Good luck..and how nice of you to rescue him from your bro!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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Relayer · #10 (**permalink**) 02-11-2003, 08:04 PM

My 2 Peruvian boas resist a little coming out of their enclosures as well. It is natural for them to grab ahold of something when they're not completly supported underneath. Mine always have their tails around something. Once they're out they're fine and happy to be out.
I would say handle the snake often but if you happened to miss a day or two he'll be fine. I let mine go 3 days after feeding before I handle again.
Can you handle too much? Maybe, but once a day isn't too much except after feeding.
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Domingo · #11 (**permalink**) 02-11-2003, 10:33 PM

Have you tried getting him out at night. My boa is always out and about after dark, but if you just looked in there during the day, you would think he never came out of hiding. Also, if I wake him up and pry him out during the day, he is always sluggish. At night he comes right out and won't go back in. I am always up at night, so this works great for me.
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