Handling Questions

[Martinz21]

So I have let my new guy rest and get used to his enclosure for roughly 3 days now. He is a little spastic and I really want to be able to handle and have him be calm when I do that. How often should I handle him or should I let him acclimate a little longer?

[guidofatherof5]

If handling is what you want to do then I would suggest hand feeding as a start.
Let him learn through his stomach that you're safe.
Even resting your hand inside and letting him come to you will help him trust you. Once trust has been established the rest comes easy(for the most part)

[Martinz21]

I am going to try to get him on pinkies first I am feeding him for the first time today we will see how it goes.

[Martinz21]

With my first attempts at handling Ziggy I have been holding him over the tank. Is it okay if he falls a few times? I never hold him high off the ground I was just wondering to make sure.

[guidofatherof5]

Shouldn't be a problem.

[d_virginiana]

Better he fall a few inches than to overreact and accidentally injure a baby by trying to hold onto it. With very small ones, I usually don't even 'handle' them unless I have to until about 5-6 months when they're less fragile. I just hand feed and let them sit on my hands inside the tank.

[Martinz21]

This may sound like a really weird or stupid question but, how long does it take for babies to trust your hand and not be afraid of interacting with you? This goes out to anyone who is willing to answer

[RedSidedSPR]

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This may sound like a really weird or stupid question but, how long does it take for babies to trust your hand and not be afraid of interacting with you? This goes out to anyone who is willing to answer

As long as they take. There's only so much you can do. I have snakes that trusted me instantly, some that didnt until a year of trying, and one who still hates me after 2 years.

8 days isn't long at all. I would let him get comfortable in the enclosure first. I think that's more important. If they're comfortable in their enclosure, they'll be far less tense, which makes everything else, handling, feeding etc, much easier. Give him another week or two. Or a month. I don't even worry about handling until after few months, like Lora said.
(really I don't ever worry about handling. If they're trusting, so be it, if they're not, that's cool too. If they bite, that's just awesome.)

You can let him get used to your hand during that time without really touching him. As said, let him affiliate your hand with food. Something I do, if he's a good feeder, is hold the food kind of high off the ground, with my hand in front of it, so he has to basically climb my hand to get it. That tactic can be evolved into actually holding onto him once he gets the food, and picking him up while he's distracted by his food.

You just gotta work with him, he'll get used to you eventually.


Or he won't, and you'll have a spastic, distrusting snake forever.

[Foxrun402]

LOL "if they bite that's just awesome". That is pretty sweet when they are aggressive... Makes feeding a blast! . But I feel all snakes have their own temperament and some more trusting then others from the get go... If he runs and hides from you alot... Coax him over to you with some worm bits in your hand... Don't show fear of being bitten and it doesn't hurt anyways.... But he should just roll up and eat from your palm... This can help a little... Talk to him everyday! Leave a tv running in the background if possible... He will recognize voices and become more comfortable with being active while your around... (hopefully)

[Martinz21]

I sure he will be awesome regardless of how he turns out :D

[RedSidedSPR]

I sure he will be awesome regardless of how he turns out :D

He's already awesome. He's a garter snake.

[chris-uk]

Can't really say more than above - there are no rules, each snake is different. My quickest to accept me was a wild caught parietalis, my most skittish must therefore be a captive bred as I only have one wc. I even have one that accepts being handled by my wife but not me (the hand that feeds him).

[Sonya610]

LOL "if they bite that's just awesome". That is pretty sweet when they are aggressive... Makes feeding a blast!

Errrmmmm...yeah...just awesome. Especially when her breeder says "She is biting? She never did that before!". Yeah...I guess she liked being friendly with him and she likes drawing blood on me every chance she gets.

But hey...they are beautiful and temperamental and they have a mind of their own and that is why we like them. :)

[Martinz21]

I just took him out for a little and after about 5 minutes of being a spaz he slowed done and was weaving in between my fingers and looping his tail around my thumbs. He is awesome because he is a garter and he was awesome and chill for about 20 minutes just letting me hold him
9044

[Foxrun402]

I have to do that with Suzi my parietalis.. I let he jog in my hands until she calms down a bit then she is fine.. I'm glad he called down enough to hang out with yah! That rocks!

[Martinz21]

After I handle him and put him back in his tank we starts rubbing his head against the glass. Is this behavior bad?

[guidofatherof5]

After I handle him and put him back in his tank we starts rubbing his head against the glass. Is this behavior bad?

Probably nothing to worry about.

Just getting that stinky human scent off ;):D