Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read several times that most hatchlings tend to be "squirrely" until they are 1 year or older, although some never calm down. Most breeders do not handle their snakes as much as a hobbyist who has one or two snakes as pets...

After the snake is one year or older, which morphs has experience shown to be the calmest, and which tend to remain biters more than the others. I'm planning on getting an albino tangerine, and I hope to be able to handle the snake frequently.

I handle an albino Nelsoni frequently, and he does not seem to mind the experience at all. I've had several different albino Nelsoni, and I've never been bitten... All were pretty calm right from the beginning.

Thanks for your input!

Dan

Personally I have never noticed a difference of behavior in one morph or another.

Although I have noticed a difference in snakes kept in a rack versus snakes kept in a a clear cage such as a fish tank. In my experience snakes kept in an clear tank tend to accept handling better. I have had super calm snakes that were kept in fish tanks, yet after moving them into a rack they became pretty nervous when handled. I have also had snakes do the reverse, being nervous when handled when kept in a rack, but relaxed after being kept in the fish tank. I guess being in the tank they are able to see people more often and are not so startled.
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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

I've heard people say from time to time that this type, or that morph "seems" to be more mellow than another one, but that is only because that PARTICULAR owner/breeder's certain line of that morph may be genetically predisposed to have a better temperament. However, there is something to be said about them gradually becoming much more manageable around one year of age or so.

Also, handling technique plays a very big part in just how comfortable the snake feels when it is being handled by you. Generally, I find that if you can keep them from frantically whipping from side to side while also musking, in an attempt to escape your firm grasp, you can keep them from biting too, this is when they are most apt to bite. Using very slow deliberate movement with your free-hand, and not letting it see your hand approaching from the front or side is key. Moving your free hand slowly only when the snake is moving also helps a great deal. When the snake is sitting there motionless, this is NOT the time for the big "MONSTER HAND" to come swooping down on it,....the snake will always perceive this as a threat and BOLT!,.....which in turn makes you frantically grab it off the floor, makes it frantically whip from side to side, musking and biting..etc...

So in short, if you can keep the first "bolting" response from ocurring, the other ugly chain of events won't likely happen either...

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I think it's more of a individual, a bloodline or paticular clutch thing than a morph thing. I have had clutches from a paticular pair of hondos before that will bite and chew like crazy when sexing them and then most from the next cutch from different parents will bite but not chew nearly as much as the clutch I sexed just before them. The next year the babies from the same pair of adults that chewed like crazy the year before will be calmer when sexing them and the same with others. Then again some females just seem to have unusually wild babies every year. I have never noticed a paticular morph over the years to be especially calmer per say but have heard some say they have.
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Randy Whittington

I agree with the previous posts, in that time and technigue are the most important factors for Hondurans calming down. I also agree that they are individuals, with different personalities. I don't think that there is any scientific evidence out there that would prove that one color morph is calmer than another. In our experince if you get bitten by an adult Honduran, you smelled like a rodent or you startled it and even then a bite is rare.
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Thanks!

Joe Exposito
Thoroughbred Exotics, LLC
www.thoroughbredexotics.com

i agree that certain individuals and lines are very tame even as hatchlings. all of my adults are tame enough to handle easily. i have a 2002 doug beard tangerine albino and a 2003 snow from terry dunham that have been calm and docile since the day i got them. the albino has never bred, but the snow has passed the calm gene on to several notable babies. i do think hypos are crazy as babies and some anery's are just plain mean. still, 6 years now, and i still haven't been bitten by a honduran. kd

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