Reptile & Amphibian Forums

these are some rough guesstions, feel free to answer with better detail than what i put, lol.

1. caging. more vertical than horizontile for branches?

2. temps and humidty. warmer and wetter, like the amazon?

3. feeding. ive heard they have higher metabolisms, feed 2x a week?

4. handling. i enjoy handling my snakes(kings and pituophis). will i need a hook and thick leather gloves to handle him/her everytime? can they be tame enough to freehand?

thanks
greg

branches-intersecting
wetter-no, hosts bacteria...humid..yes
handling-no hook and thick leather gloves...will bite a lot but just wipe off the blood or use some small gloves..this is not a large snake so eventhough it has long front teeth for bird catching, it isnt too bad.

and 3 of them were fresh imports when I got them several months ago. I have never found them to be as nasty as a lot of people say they are. They are usually very clumsy when they strike, and usually strike half-heartedly, mostly when you are near them or starting to pick them up. They aren't as bad once you are holding them. I avoid most bites by being careful when I first pick them up (often putting a stick or glove in front of their face, or just distracting them with my other hand, until I am actually holding them). Then, I watch them carefully - if they look ready to strike, I either move out of the way, or offer a large surface, such as the palm of my open hand. They usually can't seem to sink their teeth into an area like that(especially if they are not full grown). Mine are "reasonably" tame now, although I would not hand them to a child or newby adult. Just wear gloves until you get to know their personalities and can predict their reactions. Then you won't need the clumsy gloves anymore.

i know with every one i have had and handled...they will ocasionally sit and stare really close you your wrist or finger and then open up and bite down(i believe they just have a good sense of pulse and blood flow). this is why i always keep an eye on them eventhough it isnt the worst bite. just wave your hand by them and they usually look that way and not bite the pulse they were watching. i disagree though, they do have a tendency to bite all the time..mine once tried to bite me through the screen top when i was closeing the cage and got its teeth stuck in the wire(i felt horrible). if you stay behind them they are usually pretty easy and the bites are never a big deal unless you take one in the face.

I have one cbb ATB that can be handled but I dont. I have always considered them as display animals. I think it is very stressful for the snake (and the handler!) We keep a ball python when we feel the need to handle something.

I have had quite a few over the years, both c.b. and w.c., and a few were as tame as any corn, but most kept a little (or a lot of) attitude. I have had some do the "slow bite to the hand" trick, but then I have had a few Taiwan Beauties (rat snakes) that just loved doing the exact same thing. I think once you have a particular animal a while and get to know its individual personality and quirks, you will know how it will usually act and what seems to bother it a lot.

When we had chondros and eyelash vipers, we had removable perches that we could just pull out (with forceps if needed) and insert into a temporary holder while we cleaned the cage. So we virtually never needed to touch them. But the ATBs don't perch quite so compactly and predictably, so I have gotten used to just moving them by hand, and in the process taming them down quite a bit. I have a yearling cb red male that is tamer than most of my okeetee corns (they have some attitude too!) and it is kind of fun when people seem so amazed that he takes to handling so well. But I do have to agree that if you want a snake for a "handling pet", this is not the one to get.

>>1. caging. more vertical than horizontile for branches?
>>

Branches should be horizontal. Forks are good.

>>2. temps and humidty. warmer and wetter, like the amazon?
>>

Low 80's day with a warmer basking spot, high 70's night. As humid as you can get it without being wet. Spray more during shed cycles if needed.

>>3. feeding. ive heard they have higher metabolisms, feed 2x a week?
>>

No way! Feed them every 10-14 days and they'll be perfect. Some of my adult males only see food every 3 weeks or so.

>>4. handling. i enjoy handling my snakes(kings and pituophis). will i need a hook and thick leather gloves to handle him/her everytime? can they be tame enough to freehand?
>>

Get yourself one (or 2) of those mini-hooks from tongs.com. It's the greatest thing since frozen rodents when it comes to handling arboreals. Save the gloves for the garden. Many of them can be freehanded but most will require the hook for initial removal from the cage.