Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I have this small yearling vanishing pattern sinaloan milk. Got him from a reptile store. Yes, I trust the owner of this store. He got the snake from someone he knew who just wasnt' able to feed him very often. I go to his store to just look sometimes and this little guy is just a pretty thing I had to buy him.

"Spot" is eating and shed since I've had him. My concern is Spot is such a spaz when I handle him. He wants nothing better then to fling his tail at me. Poo in my hand, fling his head everywhere and just get away. Course I keep holding him and don't put him back in his 5 gallon tank (YES...thats plenty of room for him) untill he calms down.

He has hides, fake plant, water, light for warmth. I'm just concerned he will be like this all his life. I'm assuming its cause he hasn't been handled much. I do have a honduran milk.."Zorro"...that was a spaz when he was a baby but is great now. But with Spot being a small yearling will he eventually calm down??? How often should I be holding him? I do have other snakes and know not to handle them after feeding, in shed...etc. I'm just trying to get Spot used to handling him daily but is that to often?

I don't regret getting him. Guess I'm just not used to a snake being such a jumpy little thing.

Well, guess I've babbled on long enough. Thanks for any replies and just letting me vent.

Typical behavior for a hatchling and yearling, especially if it has not been handled a lot. The snake will calm down in time and I would not sweat it. I have had sub-adults that I got from people who did not handle them a lot that would do the same thing along with bite me for the first two months I had them. They are now some of the nicest snakes I have to handle.

Same story here. All of my milks came to me without being handled by the previous owners. To say they were 'squirmy' would be a huge understatement, but they're all quite handleable now.

Yes, Sinaloans can be rather nuts as babies. So can just about any milksnake type out there. Behaviorally speaking, yours is normal.

Even adults are not as laid back when held as many kingsnakes and cornsnakes. Just a common quirk with milksnakes. They still do very well in captivity.
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Mark

n/p
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I second that. I have a king and a hybrid that's 75% milk 25% king, and there is a BIG difference, even though I handle the hybrid 5 times more than the king!

"Spot" didn't spaz out today when I got him out of his cage! He flung around a little but not like he has been. Thanks for replies. He's doing good. Eating 2 pinkies a week. He's so pretty.

I think that is the very reason most of us put up with their being spastic and flighty..LOL!

Because they are so darn pretty!

It will only get better with time, you'll see.

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