Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, well i posted a message a day ago about feeding my snake, one quick question

I know that snakes eat large foods(in proportion to their body atleast) and that they shouldnt be handled very much after eating

I fed Zorro a smalll pinky last night, and am just wondering how long i should wait before handling him again.

Also--

A lot of other mexican black king owners say their kings arent afraid of handling at all, but mine always seems to run from my hand unless i move verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwly...is there anything im doing wrong?

LAST QUESTION--

i know the more snakes are handled during child hood, the more docile they become later, how much handing should go on each day? i dont want to totally freak him out, but i dont want to reject him either

thanks

-seano
-----
Out from the night...when the full moon is bright
Comes a KINGSNAKE known as Zorro!

He has pitch black scales, and makes a Z with his tail
A Z that stands for Zorro!

Zorro! The nigrita so cunning and free!
Zorro! Who makes the sign of the Z!

I always wait at least 2 days after they eat before handling them. As for disposition, I'm not familiar with MBKs, but some snakes are just grumpier than others of the same species. Regular gentle handling usually works to lighten them up, but sometimes it just takes patience and perseverance.

BTW, just to make sure your earlier accident didn't cause any sensory damage, watch him to make sure he's using his tongue normally. Any snake will flick his tongue regularly in order to keep aware of his surroundings, especially if he's not in his usual environment (i.e., when you're handling him and he's out of his enclosure). If he sticks his tongue out at you alot, he's probably fine!
-----
MichaelB

Snakes are individuals. I have a Mexican Black that was calm from the start. My Desert King was a total opposite. He'd run & hide, bite, strike, musk, etc. After four weeks of breaking him in with daily gentle handling, he's a totally different snake.
As far as how many days to wait for handling after feeding, I'd say a minimum of two days, with three being even better. Daily handling is fine, other then when in shed or after being fed, just keep it at very short sessions to start, and increase the length of time handling after about a week. That's worked well for me.

Steve