She’s my only snake, so I did a short quarantine until she ate and pooped and no mites were detected. She’s now in a larger bioactive tub. The first few days she went to the glass and slithered onto my arms as soon as I opened it, and explored my bed and periscoped, super confident… but for the last two weeks she’s been in her hides 99% of the time. Eating like a champ, though. Temps and humidity are all fine, and the tub is large but full of plants/branches/cork. I transformed a huge tub into a front-opening enclosure:
Since she was so confident and outgoing before, I’m not sure if her attitude shift is because she’s preparing to go into shed (I checked her belly after getting her out of her hide to weigh her, and I’m not sure how pink should it be).
So, in conclusion… should I try to handle her every other day or should I wait for her to do choice-based handling (Lori Torrini style). She’s always in her little hides so the only way of handling her is getting her out of her hides and it makes me feel so unconfortable.
I’d really like to read your opinions.
go for the 50/50 of it and just limit handling unless she chooses to, which choosing to be handled is hard to say with snakes with the sentiment of them getting out and about rather than just searching for food. I like to wait a good two weeks before I start handling, whether they slither out on their own or not, unless it’s a snake I need to be doing routine checkups on from the start (sick or otherwise). I don’t handle ANY of my snakes DAILY, as much confidence as I have saying I own at least one that would be able to take so much interaction rather decently. The best (albeit still flawed) comparison I can draw is going out daily, it’s nice and fun to go shopping or to some store every once in awhile, but daily is pushing it, it’s just exhausting, and plus, snakes are nervous critters, and your lady is awfully new, hence awfully unfamiliar. It’s like cloves, you can stick a bit in a dish and take it out, but leave it in and use too much and WOAH, way overwhelming! Just give her some time, and once a week or so has passed and she’s taken a meal, feel free to start pulling her out once or twice every few days,
The downside with BPs is just that so many of them like to hide away while we are most active. So it can make choice based handling a bit tougher to get started unless they do start cruising about during daytime hours.
It’s great to hear that you’ve waited until they were eating well to handle and try changing enclosures. A lot of new owners jump the gun and that can create more stress over time.
Personally, if they were my snake, I would try to pick a time when you dedicate a bit of handling time. That way you can maybe create a time where they will be more active and alert if habit forms. I would maybe try and just take away the hide and maneuver them to a more open spot in the enclosure and just get them used to your hand on them there. No taking them out or holding yet. Just your hand in the habitat and if they want they can move away but they get to know your smell.
They’re probably getting close to shedding if you’re seeing a pink tinted belly. They are a bit more prone to being reclusive then. Maybe they’ll be back to more cruising about after but that week or two around then sometimes puts them out of sorts.
if you have a hook, I honestly use one when it comes to not spooking them when I open up a hide or lift something up. Less concerned with bites and picking the snake up, but concerned with convenience lol, I have a little lesser boy who is super duper hide-y, once every four or so days, lift up his hide with my hand or hook, and just pull him out, and handle him till he chills out then put him back after he has some good interactions. This seems to work with all my snakes so far, from Petco no sells dumped on me to a friend of a friend’s kid got bit
I’ve been sitting beside the open enclosure every night with a book for about an hour, with one hand resting in the entrance so she get’s used to it.
I guess in the end it’s my rush as a new keeper to want to earn her trust, but maybe I’m pushing it too much. I’m just worried she’ll become shy if I stick to the choice-based hands off method.
Thank you! I took it as a fun DIY project to ease the anxiety of getting my first snake. I actually have pics of the process and have thought for a while if they might be useful for someone here in a post or something.
This 50/50 approach you suggest might be the perfect in-between, thanks!
It sounds like you did most things the right way for a new owner. Quarantine before you put it in the forever home to make sure there are no mites. Lots of clutter for security. It’s feeding good. Generally you let the new acquisition acclimate to the new enclosure for a good week before tying to feed. And let it feed a couple times before trying to handle it. Sounds like you are past all of that at this point. Kudos to the OP!
BPs are normally nocturnal, so it makes sense that every time you check the enclosure, it’s in its hide. If you stay up all night you might catch it out and about or at least with its head poking out of the hide. Remember, security is the top priority of BPs, above food, water and proper thermoregulation. If it’s spending so much time in it’s hide, that just means it’s comfortable there and feels safe. They are also ambush hunters, so many times they pretty much hide in a hole and wait for a meal to come by.
I would not disturb the BP during the day. Wait until night, or at least evening, to disturb it. Would you want someone to wake you up in the middle of the night to play catch? But I bet you’re already doing that correctly.
I’m from the school of thought that BPs, and snakes in general, do not enjoy being handled. At best they tolerate it. Most of the time they want to escape from your hands and explore its surroundings, possibly looking for its favorite hide. I don’t consider letting them out to explore to be handling. But it’s definitely beneficial enrichment to do so. I would say if the BP is awake and at least poking its head out of the hide, open the door and wait for the BP to come out of the enclosure on its own to explore. It’s ok to put your hands on it after it comes out, but I bet it would rather explore than have a handling session. You’ll certainly have to handle it when you eventually put it away. I would worry more about stressing it out due to over handling than it not staying “tamed down” due to to little handing. That’s just my opinion on it. Opinions vary.
Lori’s YouTube snake content is fabulous. She truely understands snake behavior. More keepers and breeders would benefit from following her.
I am aware that they are super shy and nocturnal, so after reading all the opinions and doing a little thinking, ive decided to give Lorri’s method a go. My girl will be many years with me so I have no need to rush it. She’ll eventually loosen up. Right now it’s nighttime and Im reading a book beside her open enclosure and she’s there with her head out her hide just chilling.
Thanks for your opinion!
All of my animals are in my room including a bunch of bps. Some of them surf around at night but others not so much. I handle my guys at least once a week on cleaning day. That way I can check for sheds and anything else that might need attention. If I see one that happens to be out and about during the day (not often) I might give it a little TLC handling but for the most part they stay curled up in one hide or another with a snoot sticking out waiting for the lunch lady……
