Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi i just aquired an asian green vine snake about a few weeks ago. he's eating great and i have kept up with keeping the humidity high in his cage. but he wont let me take him out and i dont want him to bite me. he's not aggressive but he shows signs to leave him alone like swaying back and forth, flickering his tounge out longer than usual and just keeping to the upper corner of the cage. i've been trying to touch him everyday so he can get used to us but he wont let me pick me up. we can touch him fine. this is the only snake i've ever been afraid of lol. i had a python before that would even let me open her mouth. does anyone know exactly how to take out an asain green vinesnake from its cage? lol without pissing it off.

First off it is a rear fanged venomous snake. Regardless of what people say about the mild toxicity of their venom, you never know how you will react to it. You should get 1 or 2 snake hooks. This would be a great snake to learn how to use a hook with. Midwest Tongs is the place on line to buy them. Also a good pair of welding gloves from Home Depot will protect hands and forearms. But a hook is the way to go. Hooks are great for even nasty non venomous snakes. It is much less stress on the snake than the human hand.

yes i should definately get a hook. we were already using gloves and wearing long sleeve shirts just in case. he's not aggressive but u never can be too careful. we had him out and carried him right before we got him and he was just fine. i just dont know how to get him out.

Not all wild-caught snakes become tame and virtually all vine snakes in the pet trade are taken from the wild. Vine snakes are generally considered "display animals," rather than being handleable pets.

Tim

thats true. but this one was handled almost everyday. and i do try and touch him as often as i can even when i mist the cage i stick my hand in to do it. he's not afraid of me at all. i just cant pick him up. as soon as i try he gets back into the leaves to hide. he was fine with us when we first got him. we had him out for a few hours. he just wont come out now.

Just use the hook to get him out. you should have 2 hooks for fast moving arboreal snakes. wpold not handel them at all. Only when cleaning.

I have had some slight dealings with Asian Vine snakes and I have found that the attitude completely depends on the individual. One individual had been handled everyday of its life and still bit whenever the oppurtunity arose. Another I caught straight out in the bush of India and it had absolutely no desire to bite. It may not relax ever. As said they are more animals to look at than to handle. Hope that helps.

Thanks
Mike