Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After looking at pictures of these beautiful snakes I am considering getting one, but I have a couple of questions. I do have several kings so I am not an amature. I read they do not like to be handled much cause they are shy. How true is this and are they aggressive, or do they bite? For the people who own them any regrets cause they are a little pricey? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

They definitely do not enjoy handling. They will spend most of their time hidden. In the spring and fall they will come out in the morning and evening to forage (especially when hungry). Some will strike repeatedly others are less aggressive. It's not a sure bet either way.

I happen to like them alot but I know they are not everyone's cup of tea. They are expensive (but less than they used to be) but they're real pretty.

Regards
John

>>After looking at pictures of these beautiful snakes I am considering getting one, but I have a couple of questions. I do have several kings so I am not an amature. I read they do not like to be handled much cause they are shy. How true is this and are they aggressive, or do they bite? For the people who own them any regrets cause they are a little pricey? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

I'm with John. They vary quite alot in temperament. I don't have any problem handing my adults to my four and six year olds to hold and admire. They young animals however can be difficult for me to hold onto. I have also found that handling young animals very much can throw them off food for a while which can be nerve racking with a pricey animal. They spend alot of time in hide boxes or under bedding. They don't like to eat in front of you. They can freak out and strike repeatedly if startled. I happen to love them just the unpredictable way they are and keep several. I highly recommend them as interesting CAPTIVES. I do not recommend them as PETS.
Kayvon

A fascinating species. An interesting (but pricey) project. Not a great handling snake. At some point I'm going to try to refine my photographic technique to get better mandarin pictures. They're notoriously hard to photograph.
Regards
John

Hi!
I'm a multi-forum lurker and was also looking to see what others had to say about mandarins...
I have had my pair of almost yearlings for about two months, they are lovely, but very energetic when disturbed! After some time had passed allowing them to settle in, both ate live pinks for me and on the second feeding both took F/T pinks from tongs after a minute of wariness (had previously only eaten live!)
When handled for cleaning they DO NOT sit still and have, I believe, musked on me ;p. Frequently when this happens there is much tail rattling display to try and frighten me off. While cute, I try not to bother them too much, but am around enough to attempt to accustom them to me presence. They are still so small I fear that they may escape while handling because they are so squirmy, and I'm hoping, like some others have had theirs do, mine will mellow with age!
I think I've been very lucky so far and I'd love to hear anything, personal experiences etc. as well, that anyone may wish to share!
Steph.S

Hello Steph.S

Congrats on the new pair of mandies. If they are eating f/t then you should be in good shape. They are the spookiest things but undoubtedly beautiful. I think once you get passed the primary problem of getting them to eat you can really start enjoying them. If you are around them enough you should get to observe their morning and afternoon prowling (mostly in spring and fall). I'm at work during the week so on the weekends when I spy on them they are very unhappy to see me watching them (but that's their tough luck). I have only one mandarin (an older wild-caught long-term captive male) that is completely unphased by my presence. He never strikes or runs or anything. I think he's just lazy (thus my respect for him). They truly are beautiful animals and one of my favorite species.

Regards
John

Hi!
Nice to get a reply!
I'm surprised to hear that your wild caught is the laziest and most accustomed to your presence, that is really something awesome, since I hear wild caughts are often very sensitive to captivity and have been known to die commonly! You are really lucky I think!
Mine are somewhat of little spazzes! I cannot wait to see them at their full size! Yours is beautiful, and very unique! I can honestly say the colors and pattern are much different than most others I've seen, it is lovely!
Curious to know, have you ever been musked on? I was musked on by a ratsnake (unknown species) and it was the nastiest, most unbearable, and unremoveable smell I've ever encountered. When my little mandarins are unhappy, they leave a similar scent on me and I'm curious to know if when they are larger, that smell will be as horrid as the ratsnake I handled a year or so ago? Hopefully they will be more accustomed to me by then eh? lol
Thanks for the reply!
Steph S.

Hello Steph. It's always good to hear from other mandarin keepers. Yes that wild caught is fairly odd with respect to behavior. I'll attach his photo to this message.

Thanks for the compliment on the photo of that other snake of mine. He is a good looking snake.

The mandarins aren't very malodorous. I have other ratsnakes that are more likely to stink. But I don't really notice it much. Enjoy your new mandarins.
Regards
John