Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you guys have a techniq for picking up your snakes? Sometimes when i go to pick up my eastern king he gets shocked and excited. Is this natral for king's?

with my hand or a snake hook if warranted. Just to let them know I'm there and prevent a reflex strike.

tapping is a good approach. if the snake is sleeping/spacing (which ever it is that snakes do) tapping gives the snake a chance to see what's going on. don't pick it up until it has a few tounge flicks to recognize that it is you, not some predator. baby kings (and all baby snakes) are more prone to biting than adults. it would be very rare for a properly cared for adult king to strike.

I try never to put my hand in their face, and I don't hesitate either. I just put my hand right in the middle of their body and pick them up. I haven't been bitten yet. Most of my snakes aren't full grown yet either. Knock on wood! LOL! Derek

It's surprising but true. Sometimes if you hesitate it can really frighten some snakes who are used to just being picked up and securely/gently handled.

I was wondering...how likely is it for them to strike? Or is that even a question that can be answered. I haven't felt threatened by mine. I just try to be gently with him and let him know I am going to pick him up. I am a new snake owner, and really don't know as much as I would like.

If you have the smell of mouse on you, you might get struck. I have a female cornsnake that struck at me through the glass during feeding time. I have a very small red milk that has struck at my hand, but it was so small, it didn't hurt. I have never actually been struck at with any of my larger snakes. I own 20 snakes, and never have bitten, except when I was helping my scarlet king with some stuck shed. She was small, so that didn't hurt either. Here is the milk that strikes. What kind of snake do you have? Derek

He is an albino California King. I have let a child hold him, and he was fine. I am so new to the world of snakes! But I love him. He is very cool.

Sometimes snakes that bite are ok once they are pick up. They bite while they're being picked up. If you own snakes, you may get bitten sometime. I expect to be bitten one day. Derek