Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can coachwhip snakes be tamed to be pets like bullsnakes? i hear they are mean snakes that cant be tamed.

The coachwhips I've come across (which is quite a few) have all been hell-bent on opening me up good. I tried to tame one down and feed it over the course of two weeks but just ended up returning it to the place I found it. Even if you pick it up when it's cold and lathargic it will still come at you or wiggle frantically once warmed up.

http://forums.kingsnake.com/viewarch.php?id=1081023,1082099&key=2006

You might try directing that question to the Coachwhip/Racers forum. Be sure to go to the above link to see a cute little girl holding her pet coachwhip...I love that picture.
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python (both gorgeous)
1.1 Ball Python (normals, he said proudly)
3.3 hatchling ball pythons (normals)
1.1 Ball Python (het for albino)(gonna make my own albino)
1.1 Corn Snake (Okeetee, Sunglow x Snow)
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake (Blairs)
1.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.1 Pueblan Milksnake (normal)(Apricot)
1.1 Andean Milksnake (Inca phase) (het)
1.0 Bullsnake (normal)(my garbage disposal snake)
1.1 Bullsnake (red bulls)
1.1 Black Pine Snake
1.1 Southern Snow Pine (snow)(red phase snow)
1.1 Mexican Pine snake
1.2 Checkered garter snakes (albino pair & het female)
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback (Hondo)
0.1 Spouse (WC)(hates the herps,and not real crazy about the dog)

That's deffinitly the tamest one I've seen. Did you guys raise it all the way up or bludgeon it into submission over time?

Very pretty snake I must say, they just have one hell of a fight or flight complex.

If you go to the coachwhip forum you will find some pics of some very handleable animals. I would not call this the norm. I have a pair of Red Western coaches. The female (pictured below) is the devil but the male is handleable. Still very flighty and nervous, but not the bloodbath that the female inflicts!

Jeremy

If its not a juvenile then I would let it go. Your only real chance at a tame coachwhip is a captive bred juvenile that is handled often. Coachwhips are awesome but seriously don't appreciate being handled!

I'm amazed at the color on that thing every time I see it Jeremy. Randy W.

The trick is knowing how to handle them. I have two red westerns, both are reasonably tame. Don't grab them, they don't like that. You have to be very gentle with them, and watch your movements, any quick movements with your hands are likely to be followed with a strike. Talk to sighthunter, he's the man as far as these things go.

Kevin