# How often to handle snakes?



## lawrence (Jun 11, 2008)

How often should i handle my new snake? is about once a day ok (except for feeding and shedding of coarse) whats the maximum i can handle him?


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## pied pythons (Jan 18, 2008)

what species is it?

How long have you had him? How old is it etc?


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## lawrence (Jun 11, 2008)

its a striped corn snake i have had him 3 days but i am not sure of the age


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## RepMad189 (Feb 22, 2008)

*here we go....*

Your going to get a lot of different answers to this one!! It's a matter of opinion and personnel views. There are some members who only handle there snakes when need be, or for a small amount of time each day.

Personally i keep them out for aslong as i think they are happy. Our royal quite happily curls up on my lap while we watch a dvd. My corn sits in my hoody with his little head resting on my shoulder. I'll usually only take them out if they are up and about in there viv. Don't like disturbing them in there hides.
This doesn't seem to affect them in the slightest. They all eat when they should and don't hiss or become aggressive. The only time i limit when i handle them is when they are hatchlings or generally anything thats still quite young.

Also i let any new snakes settle in for a week before handling and leave all my collection alone 3days after feeding day
hope that helps
lisa


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## lawrence (Jun 11, 2008)

Thanks, he is always happy to come out and seems to enjoy it but he never sits still i think he likes exploring though as he doesn't often sit still in the viv.


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## snakes4me (Aug 19, 2007)

hi there, if it was my snake i would leave it for another 3-4 days to settle in and only go into the enclosure to do water and spot clean then after 3-4 days try and feeding it, if it doesnt feed i wouldnt touch it as it may still be settling in then from there give it another 2 days and try again, but thats what i would do. if it eats it then she will be fine, after that only time not to handle it is the day you feed her and 48 hours after feeding. but thats what i would do. thanks


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## pied pythons (Jan 18, 2008)

well is it an adult or a hatchling?

It is general practice to leave a new snake well alone for at week prior to feeding and most people tend to leave all handling until the snake has had around 3 successful feeds.

I suggest you leave your new corn well alone for this suggested length of time to allow it to settle in before you attempt to handle it.

The reason your snake sits still in the viv is because it is fairly contented and doesn't feel threatened; snakes are not built to use up lots of energy as they are opportunistic feeders.

The reason he is lively and 'exploring' when you have him out is because he is trying to find somewhere small and safe to hide where he doesn't feel exposed. 

A happy snake is a hiding snake in my opinion; they are not ''pets'' to be handled any played with, nor do they 'enjoy' being handled.

A snake will come to tollerate being taken out, and will use you as a branch...but generally if it is over active and slithering around it is because it is stressed to some degree and searching for somewhere to go.

When in his viv, you will notice that the only time he is out and about or active (as you mentioned, he just sits still) is when he is hungry (out searching for prey), searching for a mate (when sexually mature), looking for water, or looking for somewhere to hide (this includes moving from the hide in the cool end to the hide in the hot end and vise versa)...

As repmad89 said, you will get a great deal of differing views on this; I for one am a keeper who only handles their snake to clean them out/check them over.

Snakes get no enjoyment from being handled; like cats and dogs do; so handling them would only be for our own interest - for which we see no need stressing them out for.

You have the right snake if you are going to handle it though - corns tollerate it much better than other species such as royals.

Just out of interest - what is your setup like, which you have the snake in?

Best of luck with it and congratulations on your new reptile


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## Barney_M (Apr 2, 2008)

apart from shedding and feeding all the snakes i have had are outt everyday


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## snakes4me (Aug 19, 2007)

i disagree, it differs between snakes, some will enjoy being out and wont want to go back into the viv, i think that snakes that are agressive dont enjoy us handling them which is why they are trying to defende them selfs. my two guyana red tails enjoy being handled and according to some caresheets guyana red tails get agressive as they get older but i have never had any agression off my male. i cannot say my female as i just got her. but i think once she has fed 48 hours after handle her as much as possible. if you do the more you handle her the more she will get used to you. im not trying to arguing with pied pythons and i have stuck up for pied pythons before. i.e. the het spider lol, thanks


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

It depends on the type/details of the snake. I get my corn out 2-3 times a week, one of those times is to feed her.


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## pied pythons (Jan 18, 2008)

Lol, yeah, no probs snakes4me...

It's just my take on the subject, everyone has a different view on handling snakes. It's up to you in the end, if you think your snake is okay with being handled, then by all means handle it 

I choose not to handle mine, some handle every day.

Everyone has slightly differing ideas on husbandry etc, so whatever works for you...

Although I will confidently continue to leave my snakes be :Na_Na_Na_Na:

:lol2:


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## Daredevil (Jul 10, 2007)

I get mine out about 4 days a week as i leave 2 for them to feed and sometimes one extra if they still aren't out and about. I also don't handle when shedding other than to check they are ok and i only handle them when they are out...


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## Mancunian (Mar 27, 2008)

I have a young Corn and a sub-adult Cali King and get them out to handle abiut 4 times a week. I doubt they "enjoy" it but I get them out for three reasons:

it makes they used to humans and therefore are less likely to be snappy

they get some exercise

I get to enjoy them.

I keep mine as pets. I am not a breeder. If I never got them out to handle frequently I wouldn't see any point in keeping them as pets.

But each owner has there own way and you should do what you feel is right for you and your snake.

Just to add I never handle them for 2 full days post-feeding nor when they are blue (about to shed).


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## snakes4me (Aug 19, 2007)

pied pythons said:


> Lol, yeah, no probs snakes4me...
> 
> It's just my take on the subject, everyone has a different view on handling snakes. It's up to you in the end, if you think your snake is okay with being handled, then by all means handle it
> 
> ...


thanks for understanding and i 110% agree with you, i enjoy my snakes for handling and you enjoy them for breeding. whatever who cares there still snakes lol, 
message to pied pythons- by the way i didnt see the reply i got from that gary about the female royal as i went to my mums but when i came back i noticed my post wasnt there lol, could you pm me what he said if you saw it lol, thanks


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