Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you just reach right into the enclosure and pick them up? Or, do you use some kind of hook?

Just curious.
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1.0.0 Common Snapping Turtle (Aggro)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Western Hognose(hets for albino)
0.1.0 Western Hognose(RED)(66% het albino)

depends on the snake in question. I have a few females that are some of the meanest ball pythons around and i use a hook to let them know it's me, similar to conditioning a large constrictor that you are not food. I also have a few animals that are soooooo nervous that I use the hook just to let them know that some huge monster isn't comming to eat them, lol. For those animals that tolerate handling very well I'll just pick them up, remember no snake likes to be handled but some will tolerate it better than others and since I like my animals to be stressed as little as possible I take all precautions to avoid excessive stress.
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Josh Hutto
J&K Reptiles

2.3 het pied (RDR, alan bosch x 2, BHB x 2)
1.0 Spider Ball python (Ballroom pythons south)
1.0 Vanilla Ball Python (Gulf Coast)
0.1 High Contrast Albino (Gulf Coast)
1.1 het albino (ben siegel, Gulf Coast)
1.2 het citrus ghost(Gulf Coast line)
1.0 citrus ghost (Gulf Coast line)
1.1 graz pastel female
Alot of normal BP females (some not so normal)
2 various corns
0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (alan bosch)
1.0 american pit bull terrier
1.1 taco dogs (ankle biters)
1.0 grey cat
0.1 columbian red-tail boa

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

Hooks are for hots IMO. I would be embarrassed to use a hook for a ball python. Just grad them, even if they bite it is only really a scratch.
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John Vandegrift

will tear your arm off and beat you with it, but I still don't use a hook.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

adding extra stress to your animals isn't a concern to you? I personally could care less if the animal bites me but I prefer my animals to not be stressed maniacs, they eat and breed better than one that thinks it's going to die every time it has it's cage cleaned.
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Josh Hutto
J&K Reptiles

2.3 het pied (RDR, alan bosch x 2, BHB x 2)
1.0 Spider Ball python (Ballroom pythons south)
1.0 Vanilla Ball Python (Gulf Coast)
0.1 High Contrast Albino (Gulf Coast)
1.1 het albino (ben siegel, Gulf Coast)
1.2 het citrus ghost(Gulf Coast line)
1.0 citrus ghost (Gulf Coast line)
1.1 graz pastel female
Alot of normal BP females (some not so normal)
2 various corns
0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (alan bosch)
1.0 american pit bull terrier
1.1 taco dogs (ankle biters)
1.0 grey cat
0.1 columbian red-tail boa

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

How is picking it up with a hook any less sressful than picking it up with your hand?
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John Vandegrift

I don't pick them up with the hook, I use the hook just as I do with my large constrictors. I will gently move them, stroke their back, and if need be open and close their tub with the hook. This type of conditioning is proven to help with large constrictors to prevent them from going into feeding mode and to let them know that the person doing the handling isn't a threat and thus lowering the stress.

Picking up an animal without any coaking and just letting them strike repeatidly at the hand that is grabbing them only intensifies their fear and conditions them to continue this in the future.

If it makes me a pu$$y for using one and not stressing my snakes so be it, I'll continue to do so for as long as my animals live quality almost stress free lives.
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Josh Hutto
J&K Reptiles

2.3 het pied (RDR, alan bosch x 2, BHB x 2)
1.0 Spider Ball python (Ballroom pythons south)
1.0 Vanilla Ball Python (Gulf Coast)
0.1 High Contrast Albino (Gulf Coast)
1.1 het albino (ben siegel, Gulf Coast)
1.2 het citrus ghost(Gulf Coast line)
1.0 citrus ghost (Gulf Coast line)
1.1 graz pastel female
Alot of normal BP females (some not so normal)
2 various corns
0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (alan bosch)
1.0 american pit bull terrier
1.1 taco dogs (ankle biters)
1.0 grey cat
0.1 columbian red-tail boa

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

I use a hook, but mostly to block my face when opening enclosures that are face level, and since i'm only 5 foot, that's almost all of them. lol

i prefer to use a hook also because i can gently slide the cook under them and pull them out, which i believe is less strassful than a big arm [big to them anyways] coming in and a hand wrapping around them.

I do someone object to the "no snakes like to be held" bit though. maybe they don't like to be handled, and moved around and stuff, but i've had some snakes that would just wrap around my arm or my hand and just sit there for hours. probably my warmth though. but when they start to wonder away, i put them back in their home.

rambling sorry.

A hook or a hand can be stressful. Like Josh I use my hook a lot as more of a “hey, its me.” Kind a thing. Unless your animal fits in the hook then IMO I think a hand is way better and a hell of a lot more comfortable.
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Dave

www.DNReptiles.com
Myspace/DNReptiles
Myspace/blog

for jumpy/nervous/bitey specimens I quickly cover their head/neck with the palm of my hand and then pick them up.

Maybe it's the sudden darkness, maybe it's another reason entirely, but this always works to calm them down.
Balls, corns, pines, mountain kings, they all calm down with an open hand on their head/neck region.

Hook? Sorry, no venomous or large boids here.

Good Luck.

BB
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"Have you hugged your drummer today?" --- Me

to keep the little bit of dust they collect from getting on the floor and clogging my vacuum. Seriously, I use a hook if I am field herping but rarely in the reptile room. I usually just reach in and pick'em up with no probs. If they look a little feisty, I'll just lightly touch them on the head before I pick them up. And yes I do get bit, but not very often.