Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, all.

Well, I've had Draco (my hypo bullsnake yearling) for 3 days now. I haven't really "bothered" him during this time... until today (One would think that this would be enough time for him to recover from the stress of his trip). I took him out of his hide cave and held him for approximately 15 to 30 minutes today. I try to move slowly around Draco and I am also very gentle with him. Despite this, he still spooks fairly easily. I think it is because of his small size that everything seems to scare him. Draco is very flighty (especially when he spooks). This poor little fella seems like he has "ants in his pants" even when I am handling him (He does NOT want to sit still for very long in my hands... unlike my previous bullsnake.)! Will he always be flighty for the rest of his life? Is this a "personality quirk" which I will need to permenately adjust to or is this just a temporary phase which he is going through? Regardless, I will feel much better after Draco has his first feed (hopefully by the end of next week at the latest). I am hoping that he will gain more confidence (and I am also hoping that he won't be nearly as flighty as he is now) as he grows larger. I just figure that a snake which is flighty must be more prone to stress-related illnesses (especially if the snake has a hair-trigger flight response to "normal" stimuli). I DO realize that Draco needs time to get used to me. Nonetheless, I am curious to know if his flightiness is something that I should be concerned about in the long run? Any thoughts? Man, I don't want to stress Draco too much! I guess I just need to be reassured since my previous bullsnake was as mellow as could be and he really didn't let things bother him. All replies are greatly appreciated by this concerned "dad". Thanks!

Take care,
Terry

You can't really tell much about how a snake will turn out over the course of a few days. Besides he is young, and may not have had much interaction yet. I personlly do not think that people tame snakes, they will adapt to occasional handeling when they're good and ready or they won't. Many calm adult snakes were once nervous babies. Just enjoy your new snake and be patient. Chances are he will settle down, just provide him with what he needs for now and let him get used to his new home
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Well, I would not stress about too much at this point. Draco has gone through the " fun " of traveling and now is getting accustomed to his new home. Him being flighty and seeming like he is not taking well to be handled is quite common at this point, and quite common from my experience with baby bullsnakes. I have seen a lot of baby bulls strike at me still the deli cup they were in, so since you are not reporting him biting or striking, that is good.

The breeder you got him from probably did not handle him hardly at all except for maintenance such as cleaning and what-not. Most breeders actually probably don't hold baby snakes they are selling simply due to the fact that they are tending to other duties like cleaning and maintaining the collection, and to try to tame hundres of babies is simply not realistic.

The point is, Draco simply may have not had much contact or handling up until this point. Handling to him still could be stressful, and this is also very understandable. Actually, most bulls I have are somewhat flighty, although they do not strike or bite, but my Tx. bull is never still when I hold her. All bulls I own though are very nice and do great with being handling.

Handling him for what you said, 15-30 min. , is good IMO. I would keep it like that for a few weeks. And like you said, he is a baby and to him, everything he sees must seem huge. When we reach in and pick up our baby snakes from their cages, our arms and hands must seem gigantic!

I am sure he will be fine and this is completely normal like I stated before. I would also make his items small the first few meals. You mentioned you had ordered some rat pinks, perhaps look through what you get and set aside 2-3 of the smallest ones to start him out with so that his first 2-3 meals in your care won't be so much to digest and so that he can start calming his nerves. Also, be sure to not hold him until maybe 3 days after he ate, just to avoid the possibility of him regurging.

What I did with holding snakes to tame them was just to simply handle them for 15-30 minutess while watching a favorite show. It makes the time go by quick. After time and some handlings, I think he will start getting the idea that you are not going to harm him and he will get accustomed to handling.

Take care and keep us posted!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

Thank you very much for your words of wisdom, guys. Both of you are correct. I held Draco again last night for approximately 30 minutes and he seemed much calmer than the last couple of times which I've handled him. So, I think that he is finally starting to figure me out (hopefully!). I feel MUCH better now! Nonetheless, I am NOT gonna hold him again until after a few days of his first feed. According to the various breeders, including Jim (the breeder who sold Draco to me), they said this would be the BEST option. I am hoping that he will feed. However, I see no reason for him not to because bullsnakes are well-known for their voracious appetites. I will give everyone another update after Draco feeds this week. Thanks again for all your help!

Take care,
Terry