Handling a youngin'

[Topaz]

We haven't been holding our 3 month old baby garter very much because folks on this forum said it's not good to handle such young babies. Well, my b/f picked her up she bit him maybe 5 times (too tiny to cause any damage, it was more cute than anything.) But I"m wondering when should we start handling her so she will tolerate handling better.

[reptile3]

When I got Kyle, my red sided.. He tried to bite me a few times


But I handle him every couple days, not for a long time. He is about 3 months also!

[gregmonsta]

The trick is making the little booger think that it was his idea to leave the tank . If you put your hand in and wait a while it may just get curious and climb on ... also, I find that they seem to be more tolerant if you pick them up whilst they are climbing and you can lift them from below (at a point where their body bridges a gap - while transitioning from a water bowl to the top of some other object for example).

[Zephyr]

Try handling them before a meal, or feeding them in your hand. That way they learn to associate you with food, aka something good. Then work from there.

[Stefan-A]

The trick is making the little booger think that it was his idea to leave the tank . If you put your hand in and wait a while it may just get curious and climb on ... also, I find that they seem to be more tolerant if you pick them up whilst they are climbing and you can lift them from below (at a point where their body bridges a gap - while transitioning from a water bowl to the top of some other object for example).

Has worked for most of my snakes, but some just decide to floor it when they realize that you're lifting them.

[gregmonsta]

lol that can happen too ... we just have to get used to each little beasty in turn