First WC snake handling! I was so scared -.-

[J@50n]

This is my WC Eastern Garter Snake, everything went well between us except he pooped on my carpet :mad: . But all in all it was VERY successful, no bite marks or anything :D

http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/5469/dscf6362.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/804/dscf6362.jpg/)

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/8508/dscf6363.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/688/dscf6363.jpg/)

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/9616/dscf6368.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/dscf6368.jpg/)

I love my Char Char :)

[guidofatherof5]

A gift from Char Char.
How sweet.:D (metaphorically speaking)

[RedSidedSPR]

Nice! Glad it went well.

Ya know, since he didnt bite you this time, he probably never will. The carpet-crap was simply because it was his first time, and he's not used to you at all. Handle him every few days and that stuff will stop.

Also, don't worry about him biting you! :) it really doesn't hurt. You probably wouldn't even bleed. I've been but by a lot of snakes, and except for a few species, even the big snakes, they don't hurt really. Their teeth are TINY.

If he were to bite you, try not to jerk away. This is important because you can injure his inward-facing teeth.

[katach]

Remember they can sense if you are nervous or scared. Try to be calm and they will be calm as well.

[RedSidedSPR]

Where did you here that? I never heard that...

[snakehill]

That applies to all animals pretty much!;)

[katach]

Can't say that I remember where I heard it. To me it's not so much they know what we are feeling, it's that they can sense the change in our body movement. When we are scared or nervous our pulse goes up and we get warmer. I guess it's just personal experience that I have to back that up.

[snakehill]

If a horse knows you are nervous or unsure you are in trouble! They will take advantage of it! Snakes too I guess!;) (They will sense it I mean)

[guidofatherof5]

I think most animals can sense how we are feeling.
They are in tune with it as it could mean life or death to them if they read it wrong.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah, I don't doubt it, Ive just never heard of it with snakes. Cool.

[kibakiba]

With my mom, my snakes get nervous when she's scared. They can tell. They don't want to be anywhere near her when she's scared. Even Mama, who usually likes to sit with my mom, will shy away from her if she even feels a tiny bit of fear.

[RedSidedSPR]

Huh.... Didn't know that.

[kibakiba]

It is really interesting. Snap knows right when to strike, just to scare me. She struck through the glass enough to make me jump because I wasn't expecting that.... It triggered a panic attack... Haha. Evil little snake.

[d_virginiana]

Snap sounds devious :p

Houdini is the same way. If someone doesn't really know what they're doing handling snakes he gets all jumpy when he's normally really calm. I think maybe he senses the hesitation...

[RedSidedSPR]

My flame has such funny attitude. He's very calm now, and doesn't seem to mind me to much, but if your holding him and he wants down, he's gonna tell you.

I was holding him today, he was just sitting in my hand letting me snap some photos, and than got tired of this, and just very casually, turned, and bit my finger. Dodnt freak out, wasn't defensive. He's just like "'nuff of this, put me down. I'm done."