Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought some and was wondering if they calm down with age? Or do they stay nasty? Thanks

Chris
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0.0.2 Gila Monsters
1.2 KSB
1.0 Leopard Gecko -Dudly
1.0 Pacman Frog- Frigity
1.1 Rats -Killer(albino)- Twitch (babies are dinner)hehe

I have one female that's soon going to be about 2 years old and she started off friendly but has turned nasty and nothing will seem to change her mind otherwise. I've heard they get fiesty prior to shedding so maybe that's it. Otherwise you may have to take a few bites initially to attempt calming them down. Either that or use hooks and accept the fact that they are just acting like the wild animals they are. Either way, they are great animals and I enjoy mine tremendously. Good luck and post some pics.
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Sincerely, Jason
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www.members.aol.com/northeastsnakes

Taming your Snake

A lot of people have written to me about advice on how to tame a jumpy or nervous snake.
With this in mind, I decided to add this section that contains my secrets to taming that I have used on all my snakes. Some of my snakes were tame right off the bat, but with a few of them I was not so fortunate and had to spend a lot of time with them. I hope this helps anyone having problems taming down their snakes.

The first thing you need to realize when taming a snake is that it is not going to happen overnight. It takes a lot of persistent work to get a wild animal to trust a human. Even if your snake is captive bred…it is still a wild animal, born with all the instincts of its wild born counterparts, like any animals dogs cats ect. One of those instincts is protection or self-preservation. If threatened, it will act accordingly to protect itself, which may include hiding, balling up, and yes, even biting. Most balls would rather hide than bite you but if it feels threatened enough, it will bite.

The taming of a snake centers around one aspect...TRUST. If the snake doesn’t trust you, it will not feel comfortable around you. You must gain the snake’s trust and let it know that you are not going to harm it.

Well, with that is said, let’s get into the taming process.

The biggest mistake most people make when they get a new snake is that they want to handle it right away. Transporting the snake and transition into a new home is a very stressful experience for a snake.
Handling the snake on top of that is going to add more stress, which is not good for the snake.
A stressed snake is less likely to eat, more susceptible to illness, and definitely more likely to bite.
The best thing you can do when you bring a new snake home is get him/her set up in his new home, preferably away from the main traffic in the house, and then LEAVE IT ALONE...Don’t feed him/her, don’t handle it, don’t bother it in any way. Let him/her get used to it’s new surroundings and get comfortable in his/her new home. I always like to let my snakes acclimate to their new surroundings for at least a week. Do not attempt to handle it during this time. Once he/she is comfortable with his new home he will be better able to deal with the stress of human interaction. Let’s face it... if you were confronted by a creature ten times bigger than you, it would be a bit stressful on you.

Well, now your snake is comfortable in his new home...the next thing to do is feed him.
After all he has gone at least a week without food. So when all is said and done, you should not try to handle you new snake for about 10 days...A week to get used to his surroundings, and a couple of days after he feeds.

O.K., now your snake is comfortable in his/her home, and has had a good meal.

NOW it is time to start interacting with the snake.

RULE #1 in snake handling: Always wash your hands before and after handling any snake!

The first thing to remember is not to jump right in and swipe him/her up. Take your time with him/her.
Most snakes are fine once they are out of the tank in your hands, it is the initial encounter and being picked up that they are uncomfortable with. If he/she is particularly jumpy, you may want to try just putting your hand in the tank near the snake. Also, remember to move slowly, and always let the snake see you coming. A startled snake is more apt to bite you. Try gently stroking the snake’s body with your fingers, but stay clear of the head and neck. Generally snakes are very head shy and will become very jumpy if you get near it. After petting the snake for a bit, leave him/her alone for a while. Try and keep the initial sessions short until he/she becomes comfortable having you near him/her. After the first day, try to spend more time with him.

Notice that we haven’t picked up the snake yet. Depending on the snake, it might take a few days for him to even get used to being touched, or he/she may not mind from the start. Once he seems O.K. with being touched, then and only then should you attempt to pick him up. Gently slide your fingers under the body by the tail.
Lift up on the tail with one hand and then put your other hand further up the body towards the neck to support the snake’s weight and gently lift him/her up. Once in your hands he/she should be fine.
Once you get to this point you should try and handle him as much as possible to get him used to the fact that you aren’t going to hurt him/her. He/she may remain a bit hesitant for a few days to a week but if you are persistent and handle him/her a lot and are very gentile with him/her, it will come around.

Keep in mind what I said about this not happening overnight. This whole process could take up to 2-3 weeks with some snakes…Others may take only a few days to a week. It all depends on your snake. It is important that you learn how to read your snake and figure out when he/she has had enough.
Your snake will give you subtle signs that can clue you in on the type of mood he is in.
Don’t push him/her too far...This will only prolong the process. If it looks like the snake REALLY wants to be left alone, it is best to let it be…it is better for both of you. He/she will feel better, and you probably won’t get bit.

Now, I don’t claim to be an expert, and this is definitely not the only way to go about taming a snake, but this has worked for all the snakes I own, and for many of the people I have helped out.
I hope this helps you out