My first suggestion would be to get a snake hook if you don't already have one. I don't really use mine to pick the snake up (my 14ft female won't fit in the hook and if she did she would break it). I use the hook more as a training device. If we are feeding I don't use the hook at all, but if I'm going to handle them I reach in with the hook and let them know I'm there by rubbing it on their body.



If I'm dealing with an aggressive snake, I use the hook to manipulate them into a position to be able to grab them behind the head with just enough pressure to restrain them but not choke them. An aggressive snake will usually try to turn and bite your hand, this is were a good pair of gloves come in handy. HaHa If they don't try to bite, I will slowly release the pressure and see how they are going to act. If they show no signs of aggression I will allow them to crawl through my hands, but I watch their posture to make sure they aren't going into "strike mode".



We have several dwarf burms, they have a reputation of being "chainsaws". When we first got them they were sub adults and one male was a wild caught adult. They had all been in the country for at least a year and they were all mean. I have owned them for about 1 1/2 years. When we first got them I used the techniques I descibed above. When I would pick them up, they would turn and bite my hand. Now I pick them up and let them crawl through my hands and haven't been bit in over a year.



Hope this helps,

Randy
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Randy and Michelle

Art In Scales

(719) 439-4199

info@artinscales.com

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