Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is question I've been curious about for a long time.

Have you ever noticed how tight your BRB squeezes when handled?

It's pretty amazing to me and I notice the difference when I've handled other peoples ball pythons, boa contrictors, or large pythons. I'm not saying this is a bad thing or any problem, just an observation I've made with my experiences of handling and holding other boa and python species. I've never held a chondro, so I don't know about them.
It's fascinating to me just how much power these BRB's posess and I'm sure they squeeze a rat/mouse prey a lot harder than handling.
Happy Herping,
Uncloudy

*Now all I need in my collection is a beautiful Brazilian woman who will hold on tightly to me to compliment my BRB*

I only have one that squeezes really tight. I had to learn to not allow her to separate my fingers when passing through. This one snake is not comfortable being held and holds on as if her life depended on it. All the others I keep don't really wrap around me like she does. I bought her as an adult and she just doesn't take to handling as well as the others. Of all the snakes I keep she is the only one I don't trust. She is not nearly as predictable as my others. This gal can lunge and strike with no warning that I recognize.
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When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teachers appears.

Mine are all very strong, did get my hand nailed and coiled on one time. Felt like my hand was being crushed, could not get her to peel off. Had to submerge her into cold water to get her to let go. OUCH!!!!!!!!!
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
12.4 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.1 Ball python
1.0 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Uncloudy,
...As Linda posted the ones that seem the least tame and comfortable being held are the ones that are most likely to squeeze when being held. It is like they are afraid of falling. Big stout adult Colombian Rainbow Boas can squeeze even harder than big BRBs. They are really muscular.
Jeff

>>This is question I've been curious about for a long time.
>>
>>Have you ever noticed how tight your BRB squeezes when handled?
>>
>>It's pretty amazing to me and I notice the difference when I've handled other peoples ball pythons, boa contrictors, or large pythons. I'm not saying this is a bad thing or any problem, just an observation I've made with my experiences of handling and holding other boa and python species. I've never held a chondro, so I don't know about them.
>>It's fascinating to me just how much power these BRB's posess and I'm sure they squeeze a rat/mouse prey a lot harder than handling.
>>Happy Herping,
>>Uncloudy
>>
>>*Now all I need in my collection is a beautiful Brazilian woman who will hold on tightly to me to compliment my BRB*

My BRB is very tame and trustworthy. I'd have to agree with possible fear of falling because the tightest squeezes are when taking her out of her cage, feeding container, or walking around.
When handling, like sitting down watching TV with her, she doesn't grip quite as hard as she begins exploring her surroundings.
Happy Herping,
Uncloudy

Although I wouldn't say that the ones I've held (including mine) have a super-tight grip, they definitely hold on tighter than, say, the ball pythons and boa constrictors I've been around. It's something I've noticed ever since I first started going to shows, and yeah, it is fascinating, isn't it? I find that the carpet pythons tend to hold on pretty tight, too, and I have a hard time handling them compared to my BRB.

You mentioned never holding a GTP before. I had the oppurtunity to hold a beautiful tame adult at a show, and it was hands-down the most memorable and unique handling experience I've had. The GTP felt light as a feather, nimble, precisely balanced, and incredibly confident. Being arboreal, he was right at home maneuvering around my hands. When he raised himself above my hands and looked me straight in the eyes, that was the instant I became *hooked* on snakes - even though I had been researching them for months before that.

They are just such a diverse and magnificent group of creatures. Thanks for sharing your observations!
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::i believe in joy > http://www.winds.org/nekomi/hope.html

::my homepage > http://www.winds.org/nekomi

My Growing Zoo:

1.0 Husband (Byron) ^_^
0.1 black cat (Shade)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Zia)
1.2 Cockatoo cichlids (A. cacatuoides yellow-gold)
1.1 WC Cockatoo cichlids (A. cacatuoides blue Peru)
3.3 Pygmy corydoras (C. pygmaeus)
2.0 Endlers' Livebearers (P. sp. Endlers)