Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted earlier (http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1389189,1389189) about my ball being really scared of me. I've been handling it a little every day and am gradually handling it more and more. This may be a dumb question, but what should I be doing when I "handle" it. Is just holding it ok? Should I be moving it around in my hands? Also, after feeding it how many days should I wait before handling it again?

Is it possible that some other issue could be causing the snake stress? Aside from temps and humidity, do you have one or more hides in the enclosure to provide a sense of security for yer critter?

Handling it every day is great as long as it isn't during shed or within 24 hours after eating. As you may know, balls are nocturnal. I've found my ball is much more inquisitive and calm when I take her out at night.

When I first take her out, mostly because she's only 3-months old, I cup her in both my hands gently. I've read that you're not supposed to try to uncoil them if they are balled up.

After holding her relatively still for 10-15 minutes this way, I might rub her sides or gently climb up her spine to her head.

As she gets more comfortable, her coils loosen up considerably. I pick her up by sliding a couple fingers under her coils. That and rubbing her sides tends to send her a-slithering. I also gently grasp her in my hands and let her crawl through.

Sometimes she's quite hard to control when she really gets curious or catches sight of the dark crease in between couch cushions.

At the very least, you're a big heater that any ball should appreciate. Just keep in mind that younger snakes are at the bottom of the food chain, most predators come from above, and familiarity will come with continued handling.
Sometimes I write about my ball here

Great to hear you are handling her now. I agree with what the last poster posted. If you show her that you are not nervous, then she will sense that, and relax. Good luck.

I read your previous post and all of the replies you have gotten. How is your cage set up now? I have all 4 of mine in glass aquaria with screen tops - not the greatest in the world, but there are some things you can do to improve the humidity. Covering 80% of the top as "melindaste" suggested is probably the best advice you have gotten on humidity control yet. Lamps, particularly those that give off any significant amount of heat, definitely have a drying effect. If you go to a different UTH you must ensure that it cannot get so hot that it may burn your snake. Also, what are you measuring humidity with? I have those little cheap plastic dial hygrometers in my cages - but DON'T use those for actual measurements!! They are cheap junk; I just use mine as a quick reference (like a dummy light in a car). They're that cheap. An indoor/outdoor weather monitoring station (can buy them at Radioshack) is a much better instrument, particularly because the indoor/outdoor types can measure temps & humidity in two locations at the same time.

As far as what you should do in your handling sessions... that is kind of up to your snake. Nippy snakes are usually in possession of jumpy/nervous handlers, so do your best to calm down (I'm not immune to this either BTW and I grew up keeping snakes... right now my boa makes me jittery [shame on me ]). Once the two of you are able to calm down enough that your snake wants to calmly move around on you, let him. Before that, you should probably keep him mainly in your palms and get him used to the idea that you aren't going to eat him.

Remember that when you have control of his head, you pretty much have control of where he is going. Also, make only slow, deliberate, and non-threatening movements while handling him. If you are familiar at all with horses, their tolerances are fairly similar (my horsey-people friends think that's hilarious). Also, you need to be cautious about how you move around the head; you should approach the head from below and/or behind whenever possible. These kinds of movements will be perceived by the snake to be less confrontational - and so should be less inclined to generate a fear-strike response.

My male is so ridiculously tame it's pretty unbelievable - to me! When I first got him as a tiny hatchling (mailed to me) he was so terrified that he kept striking the glass so often I was afraid he would give himself brain damage. The first night I had him home, I turned off all the lights and kicked everyone out of the room. The next day he stayed in his hidey hole... but with what I paid for him, I had to check on him! I gently lifted him up, looked him over (saw that he had not in fact damaged himself) and set him back down. Next day, I did the same thing. Day after that, I started taking just a little longer, holding him in my flattened palm (other hand poised to catch him if he got 'froggy'). By the end of the week I had worked up to holding him for about five minutes. Then my husband (who is selectively deaf) decided he wanted to see the new expensive snake and took him out and handled him while playing playstation for half an hour (AAAAH!). He put him back when it was obvious he was getting stressed. After that however, he has been puppy-dog tame ever since.

Every snake is an individual, so the best thing you can do is learn to read your snake's body language, and learn what he will tolerate. Build from there.

I personally wouldn't worry about not handling your snake just because it is getting ready to shed - you just need to bear in mind that he cannot see as well and so make your movements that much more slow and deliberate. I would not handle him for a minimum of two full days after he eats to prevent regurgitation (STINKY BAD!!!!); I usually give my animals a good four days after feedings just to be sure.

Best of luck to you! I hope ths helps!!
~Rebecca

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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa '04
1.1.1 Ball Pythons
[1.0.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1.0 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

Great post.

I also think we just may have evidence here for the effects of Playstation on taming snakes.

Regards,
Seren
Seren's blog (with some pics of Ella, ball python hatchling)

He would be too proud of himself... of course maybe that would make the snakes more interesting to him again
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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa '04
1.1.1 Ball Pythons
[1.0.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1.0 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

Just let the snake cruise around and explore your hands and arms. Once it's big enough you can set it around your shoulders to chill there, but don't expect them to really stay there. My juvenile female seems to like just sitting in my lap.

Just pay attention to the snake's body language. If it stays coiled up all the time, put it on your lap while you're reading a book and ignore it. If it doesn't uncurl after a few minutes, put it back and try again in a day or two. If it starts exploring, gently pick it up, letting it coil around your fingers to stabilize itself. Some snakes like stroking; some don't. None of mine seem to enjoy being stroked, but the boys seem to mind it the least.

I usually don't like to handle mine for at least two or three days after they eat, or until the bulge is completely gone (when I first switch to a larger prey item it sometimes takes longer to digest). As far as shedding...I'll handle mine up until they are obviously very blue, or I'll leave them alone if they seem uncomfortable. My babies seem more uncomfortable being handled when they're going into shed, even a week or two before hand, so I find myself leaving them alone the most. The adults seem to care the least, and they also go into shed much less often.

Hope this helps! Good luck, enjoy your snake

~jenny
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