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Handling my snake when it's time. how to?

G

Glock23

SMR SG Corn Snake "Rogue"
Hard tight do i grip him so he cant run away and where at. I feel that if i grip my finger and pull and it doesnt come out thats about the same tightness BUT a snake's body isn't as firm so im wondering how to properly grip my snake

(god that doesn't sound right... :eek1: )
 
What I've always found, with ANY species, is that if you grip firmly enough that you're restricting movement, the snake fights it more than with a looser grip. Not so much with an adult corn that's familiar with you, but if you try that with a more high-strung species, you're going to get bit.

How old is your snake? If it's older, it's going to be big enough that there's almost no way it could get away from you as long as you're paying attention. Occasionally, mine will go a little nuts and just freak out while I'm holding him and that's when you really have to have some good reflexes, but normally they're fine. Just let the snake climb over your hands and arms like they're climbing on tree branches or something. Let him go where he wants (within reason) and you'll both be happy.
 
I think the amount of pressure you describe is too tight. Hold it as lightly as possible- let it slide through your fingers and increase the pressure gradually until the snake can't move. That is the right pressure. Most snakes would rather not be restrained in the upper third and especially around the head and neck. I would start by picking the snake up by the middle, with your thumb and index and middle fingers, or if it's coiled up, just pick up the whole clump. If I pick a snake up while it's still coiled, I usually cuddle it to my chest and wait till it pokes its head out. If I pick it up by the middle, it will generally coil itself around my hand and hang on. Most snakes want to hold on to you, they don't want to fling themselves out into midair. But Inez is an example of a snake that wants to fly away no matter what- so I hold her just tight enough to restrain her.

Inez_02_2007026cr800.jpg
 
Another wild snake. This one was pretty active- but I could still let her have a lot of freedom of movement.

greensnakesm.jpg
 
Glock23 said:
Hard tight do i grip him so he cant run away and where at. I feel that if i grip my finger and pull and it doesnt come out thats about the same tightness B
Click to expand...

Ooh, at first I thought you meant out of joint! Maybe you _do_ mean the right amount of tightness.

Glock23 said:
im wondering how to properly grip my snake

(god that doesn't sound right... :eek1: )
Click to expand...

Hehehe.

Nanci
 
The guy I got my first snake from explained it really well to me. Basically, he told me that you should never actually "grip" your snake. Let him/her glide through your fingers, as Nanci said. If (s)he starts to run away, just hook a finger under the middle and bring him/her back to where you want. As TrpnBils mentioned, I've found that when you grip a snake, they make the assumption that it's a predator. Essentially, it scares the crud out of them.

Also, I don't know if you've heard this yet, but if you get an hatchling (ever) with a little bit of attitude who starts rattling the tail and such, call their bluff (provided they aren't poisonous, of course). If you back away when your snake starts rattling/musking/striking, you encourage that behavior. It's extremely unlikely to happen with your first corn, but I just thought I would mention it. :)
 
vBulletin Message
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Nanci again.

I love it when you use pictures Nanci, so easy to understand for a simpleton like me :rofl:
 
:-offtopic I love that little fish-eyed snake (just below Inez). And the green one. What kinds are those? I had a bright green baby snake when I was a kid...bought it from a flea market in north Texas. It didn't live long and I never found out what kind of snake it was.


Ok, back on topic :) ...I also find that the more pressure I use to hold a snake, the more the snake wants to escape. I hold them very lightly and let them slither through my fingers and around my arms, with just enough pressure that I can feel the texture of the scales slipping over my skin. If the snake is very fast or active, then I use a tiny bit more pressure...enough that I can lightly feel the snake's muscles moving but I do not restrict movement...I just slow them down a little. Does that make sense?
 
The snakes pictures are:

Inez- Nelson's Milksnake
WC and released Penninsula Ribbon Snake
WC and released juvenile Black Racer
WC and released Rough Green Snake (like Mike's Kermit)
 
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