Building trust

[guidofatherof5]

He seems more confident around me now and doesn't go and hide when i stick my hand in the enclosure like he used to do.At feeding time he is improving,he doesn't mind eating out in the open anymore and when i feed him in his hide he doesn't drag the food away but just sits there then flicks his tongue at me and gives the "come on pink monkey thing more food chop chop" look.

You truly understand snake language now. It's all about them.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I'm still a bit apprehensive of handling him lots though,when i had to move to a holding container to clean his substrate he leaped onto the ground and nearly got away.Are there any safer ways i could handle him?

[guidofatherof5]

Not sure what you mean.

[NickB]

My two are funny in that they are nervous of me if they see me about the room but if I open the lid they all come out and say hello. I guess they think I might be feeding them. I can vouch that feeding them gains trust though, I always prefer to strike feed with tongs and the amount of trust it gains is brilliant. My female trusts me so much more now than when I first got her when she would musk on me constantly.

[chris-uk]

I'm still a bit apprehensive of handling him lots though,when i had to move to a holding container to clean his substrate he leaped onto the ground and nearly got away.Are there any safer ways i could handle him?

Not really (I assume you mean hooks or nets or something), you just need to keep building the trust and learning how to read him. Garters are quick little buggers, the more you handle them the less likely they are to escape you.

[ProXimuS]

I'm glad to read this post, as I'm still getting my little dude used to being handled, and have been a little afraid of handling him too much and making him scared. But, he always seems to calm down pretty quickly and will stay still and then only wiggle a little bit if he decides to move. He's also stopped pooping on me as often as ge did about a month ago(when I found him)

I want to start tong feeding him. Is it possible to try too early? Again I've been afraid of scaring him and maybe making him afraid of the tongs.

[Invisible Snake]

The best way to gain trust of any living creature, man or animal, is through their stomachs lol

With patience and repetition you can gain some trust from your snakes, the younger the snake the better the odds are.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I put my hand in the cage and wiggled my fingers to get his attention and as he got closer he got really exited and was like "WORMS AT LAST!".He reached my hands and realized it wasn't food so he turned around and went back to his hide.He so funny.He loses all fear when he thinks he's going to be fed lol

[EasternGirl]

Here is my advice that I always give people asking this question....each day, put your hand slowly into the enclosure. Just set your hand in there...and leave it there for a couple of minutes, without moving it. This is a slow...step by step process. Each day...move your hand slowly...a little bit closer to the snake. Give the snake a chance to come over and investigate your hand...without moving it. Then, when the snake seems secure...try petting him. Stroke him on the back..not near the head or face. Do this for a few days...then try scooping the snake up gently and just holding him in his tank. Do that for a few days...then move on to handling out of the tank. This worked wonders for my very skiddish wild caught eastern, Cee Cee. She used to strike and flee when I would try to put my hand near her. Now she crawls right out into my hand and lets me hold her. Mind you...it took almost a year to get her to the point she is at now. But, I swear by this method.

[katach]

You have to remember also, the snake is going to be as calm as the handler. If you are nervous or stressed at handling they will be too. When handling keep calm, move slow, and breath. Snakes are sensitive to your movements, they can feel the heat of your hands. If your pulse goes up because you are nervous or scared, the heat production will go up.