I have feeding doors on my burm cages. They are on the side, separate from the main doors. The snakes camp out by these feeding doors when it's close to feeding time, which is on a strict schedule. They know the food is coming in through there, so when that thing opens, they go crazy. All other doors have little to no effect on their behavior.



I always use a hook to get their attention. They are always a little excited at first when i come in the room, but once that hook touches them, you see a switch flip. They know it's time to come out and there is no food around.



I never reach in their cage without a hook. If this is started when they are small, the reaction to the hook will be stronger when they are older and bigger. Most people think they only need hooks when the snake is bigger, but it's best to start habbits when they are young.



If the snake is on the floor, i always put my hand on it's back somewhere to let it know i'm there and i'm going to pick it up, that way it's not startled when i do.



The best habbit is that i don't ever handle the burms without my wife around. I have not been bitten in over 5 years, and i plan to keep it that way, but just in case, it's always nice to have that second person around to help out. It's also better to have 2 people carry a large snake. i think it's more comfortable for the snake.



There are several more, but i have to work and this post is getting long.

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