I adore snakes. I think everything about them is wonderful. I'm interested in getting a baby corn snake. It's still a month or so off until I can probably get enough money to get everything I'll need for it. But, I was wondering... Is it a bad thing to hold a snake? If I do get one I know I'll be in love with it and want to watch it and just be around it, and hold it too. I know young ones have to get used to being held and some may snap. But, is it unhealthy to hold a snake for more than maybe 30minutes a day? Is it possible to I dont know sit with it and maybe watch TV? Just spending time with it in general like that. lol, like I said I adore them and I probably wont be able to get enough of it. But, I'd never want to do something to put it's health at risk. (Sorry, if this is in the wrong spot.)
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handling snakes
- Thread starter Fallon
- Start date
DeadMouse
Hungry, hungry Hognose!
This largely depends on the individual attitude of the snake. Snakes by nature are not a social nor domesticated animal. I'll refer back to something I posted the other day Aggressive Behaviour.
This of course doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't handle a snake, lots of people do it all the time. But I honestly believe that if you want something to cuddle and play with, you might want to reconsider getting another kind of pet. I know a lot of people here will disagree with me on that overall assessment because of their own experiences with their snakes, and I handle mine too, just not a lot.
I am under the general opinion that a lot of people that post about the frequency of snake handling are sometimes buying snakes for the wrong reasons and can potentially be causing the snake a lot of undue stress by handling it more than it might want to be handled. To me, snakes are a lot like having fish, I appreciate them and their behaviours in the environment that I create for them. The added bonus with having snakes over fish is that I can take them out from time to time to handle them, but I do not make this an everyday habit nor a lengthy one when I do. Of course, like I said earlier, a lot of this can also depend largely on the species and attitude of the snake. Some species are very intolerant of handling while others, like corns, are usually pretty easy going. But be aware that even some corns can be pretty twitchy.
I don't mean to be wordy (as I usually always am) and I'm not trying to disuade you from getting a snake (because they really are wonderful pets) nor tell you not to handle it, cuz you really should from time to time. I'm merely trying to get you to analyze the reasons why you want a snake in the first place so that you can make a better decision about what will be best for you and your potentially new pet. After all, your most important concern is about fulfilling the needs of any pet you aquire over your own needs, otherwise you shouldn't take the responsibility.
This of course doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't handle a snake, lots of people do it all the time. But I honestly believe that if you want something to cuddle and play with, you might want to reconsider getting another kind of pet. I know a lot of people here will disagree with me on that overall assessment because of their own experiences with their snakes, and I handle mine too, just not a lot.
I am under the general opinion that a lot of people that post about the frequency of snake handling are sometimes buying snakes for the wrong reasons and can potentially be causing the snake a lot of undue stress by handling it more than it might want to be handled. To me, snakes are a lot like having fish, I appreciate them and their behaviours in the environment that I create for them. The added bonus with having snakes over fish is that I can take them out from time to time to handle them, but I do not make this an everyday habit nor a lengthy one when I do. Of course, like I said earlier, a lot of this can also depend largely on the species and attitude of the snake. Some species are very intolerant of handling while others, like corns, are usually pretty easy going. But be aware that even some corns can be pretty twitchy.
I don't mean to be wordy (as I usually always am) and I'm not trying to disuade you from getting a snake (because they really are wonderful pets) nor tell you not to handle it, cuz you really should from time to time. I'm merely trying to get you to analyze the reasons why you want a snake in the first place so that you can make a better decision about what will be best for you and your potentially new pet. After all, your most important concern is about fulfilling the needs of any pet you aquire over your own needs, otherwise you shouldn't take the responsibility.
I would like to get a snake because I find them to be beautiful creatures that I really really like. I understand that they are not a cat or dog. I cannot play fetch with it or something. they are just incredibly complex and wonderful creatures. When I do get one it will have everything it needs before I get it. But I know I'll be captivated by it just being in the same room. I love them! lol, trying not to sound too insane... If the snake seemed stressed out by being held I wouldnt do it. The health and happiness of the animal comes first, always. I dont want one just for show or to get out when people are around. I want one because i love them and i think they are awesome. But, I just didnt know if holding it could make it sick. I've heard with like some lizards you cant really hold them, they stress easy. Should you wash your hands before holding it? I dont know how sensitive they might be to certain things in soaps and stuff. Temperature changes can be bad for them too right? Like taking them out of the tank than back in...ect..
tyflier
[Insert Witty Commentary]
"Let your snake be your guide"...I tried to put it in my signature, but the UBB code for my links makes it too long, and I can't, so...
Anyhow, to the point...some snakes take handling better than others. I handle my snakes frquently. I like to play with them, and my 3 yr old daughter handles them, as well. We observe a 48 hour digestion period, and we limit ourselves to a few minutes at a time a few times a day. Sometimes, we go over our own limits. But my snakes do not seem to mind one bit. My MBK will sit in my hand for as long as I let her without getting fidgety or cruising too far. I've even taken her to work where she has hung out in my shirt pocket for hours on end, with no signs of stress. My corn, Sammi Snake, is virtually the same, though she moves around alot more...slowly and casually...checking things out, but never in a hurry or an effort to "escape". My florida king has settled down into a wonderful pet, but she let's me know when she has had enough. She gets antsy, and starts squeezing a little harder than usual, and maybe gets jumpy at sudden movements, and I know it's time to be put away.
All snakes are different, as are all snake owners. So..."Let your snake be your guide"...
Anyhow, to the point...some snakes take handling better than others. I handle my snakes frquently. I like to play with them, and my 3 yr old daughter handles them, as well. We observe a 48 hour digestion period, and we limit ourselves to a few minutes at a time a few times a day. Sometimes, we go over our own limits. But my snakes do not seem to mind one bit. My MBK will sit in my hand for as long as I let her without getting fidgety or cruising too far. I've even taken her to work where she has hung out in my shirt pocket for hours on end, with no signs of stress. My corn, Sammi Snake, is virtually the same, though she moves around alot more...slowly and casually...checking things out, but never in a hurry or an effort to "escape". My florida king has settled down into a wonderful pet, but she let's me know when she has had enough. She gets antsy, and starts squeezing a little harder than usual, and maybe gets jumpy at sudden movements, and I know it's time to be put away.
All snakes are different, as are all snake owners. So..."Let your snake be your guide"...
DeadMouse
Hungry, hungry Hognose!
Welcome to our insanity, you've obviously been bitten by the snake bug! :crazy02:Fallon said:
Sometimes you can't always tell when an animal is stressed or not. Most snakes, including corns, will usually give you some indication when they are stressed. This usually ranges from tail rattling, S coil strike positioning/striking, musking/defecating, heavy breathing, flighty behavior, etc.... Baby snakes usually exhibit these traits until they either become aquired to their habitat and/or as they become older. On the other hand, some snakes never lose those habits. It's all about knowing your animal and that takes patience.Fallon said:
It sounds like you have a pretty good understanding of what might be stressful to a snake. Once you become more intimate with your animal (not intending to open the door to jokes here
), you will better understand when and what you can do together with it.In general, you are not going to make a snake sick merely by handling it. However, handling a snake right after it has eaten or while it's digesting a meal can cause it to regurgitate it's meal which is not good and can cause further problems down the road.Fallon said:
I always recommend washing your hands before and after handling a snake or any reptile for that matter. For one, salmonella is a common problem with handling reptiles and then not washing your hands. Washing your hands prior to handling helps to rid your hands of any scent that may not be your own which might confuse your snake and cause it to strike/bite you. For example, if you have a pet rodent and you've been handling it, then you reach for your snake...guess what, you've just become dinner! :eek1: Washing your hands prior also is a good idea if you commonly use lotions or perfumes or have been handling chemicals that might prove harmful.Fallon said:
As far as temperature changes, I wouldn't think this should be a problem unless you live in an igloo or something :sidestep: Seriously though, unless they are going from one temperature to something entirely drastic, they will be fine. Always keep in mind if the snake is digesting as well, that's when temperature really plays a part in the snakes health.
Other than that, you sound like you have a good idea of what to do and what not to do overall. Good luck!
Also, isn't there a chance that you could also transfer harmful bacteria or viruses to the snake. I wash my hands before and after handling Togo.
I frequently hold my cornsnake, from 5-25 minutes a day. Sometimes I avoid it, but I've picked up on his hints when I shouldn't hold him. Sometimes when he is about to shed he is overly docile, and I don't really like to bother him. I also follow the standard 2-3 days of no-handling after feeding. I've had Togo for a few months now and he obviously dislikes being picked up and disturbed in his cage; however, once he is out he relaxes. I actually think he enjoys the exercise and freedom without a cage for the few minutes. The initial flightiness goes away after a few seconds. I would highly recommend holding a cornsnake daily, because at least in my case, it has made my pet much more enjoyable, and calm. He does not show any real signs of stress. Another point is when I go without holding him for a few days I rarely see him. Yet, after holding him, he usually spends the next few hours exploring his cage. At the very least he will have his head poked out of his jello boxes. What a goof. :crazy02:
I frequently hold my cornsnake, from 5-25 minutes a day. Sometimes I avoid it, but I've picked up on his hints when I shouldn't hold him. Sometimes when he is about to shed he is overly docile, and I don't really like to bother him. I also follow the standard 2-3 days of no-handling after feeding. I've had Togo for a few months now and he obviously dislikes being picked up and disturbed in his cage; however, once he is out he relaxes. I actually think he enjoys the exercise and freedom without a cage for the few minutes. The initial flightiness goes away after a few seconds. I would highly recommend holding a cornsnake daily, because at least in my case, it has made my pet much more enjoyable, and calm. He does not show any real signs of stress. Another point is when I go without holding him for a few days I rarely see him. Yet, after holding him, he usually spends the next few hours exploring his cage. At the very least he will have his head poked out of his jello boxes. What a goof. :crazy02:
Velvet
Totally corn crazy!!!!
The main problem with handling a snake too much (especially little ones) is that they can overheat quite badly. Remember they absorb your body heat all the time.
Personally, I don't handle mine for 3 days after being fed and I never handle even the biggest ones for more than about 10-15mins. The babies are handled for 5mins MAX.
What I do do however is take my two bigger ones out on the lawn for "walks". I let them slither around and they have a great time! Under very close supervision of course! So I am spending time with them and enjoying them but not physically holding them...
Skazzle, I always wash my hands before handling the snakes. It's good to hear you do too! Your snake is probably active after you have held him because his warm from your body heat! lol
Fallon - it is great to see your passion for snakes! But even better to see your good sense in asking what would be better for the snake! You sound like a very responsible pet owner!!!
Personally, I don't handle mine for 3 days after being fed and I never handle even the biggest ones for more than about 10-15mins. The babies are handled for 5mins MAX.
What I do do however is take my two bigger ones out on the lawn for "walks". I let them slither around and they have a great time! Under very close supervision of course! So I am spending time with them and enjoying them but not physically holding them...
Skazzle, I always wash my hands before handling the snakes. It's good to hear you do too! Your snake is probably active after you have held him because his warm from your body heat! lol
Fallon - it is great to see your passion for snakes! But even better to see your good sense in asking what would be better for the snake! You sound like a very responsible pet owner!!!
DeadMouse
Hungry, hungry Hognose!
This is an interesting remark. While it sounds logical to a degree, I have never once read any reference to this at all from the many books I have on snakes. If you could help to enlighten us on how you aquired such knowledge, either by reference from a specific book, article or web page to help substantiate your claim, that would be awesome!Velvet said:
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
OK, let me have a try with logic!
A human's body temp is 98.2 degrees. A Corn's ideal max is in the high 80s. There's about a 10 degree difference between what we give off and what a Corn finds comfortable for any length of time.
If you handle the Corn for a long time without allow it to cool off by escaping to a lower temperature zone, it could overheat and become stressed. Do this often enough and you're potentially looking at illness. It's cold-blooded and therefore needs the facility to thermoregulate, which it can't do if it's being held in contact with a human.
Having said that, temperature issues whilst handling have never caused a problem that I've ever heard of. However, it is something you need to be aware of if you want your Corn to be comfortable.
A human's body temp is 98.2 degrees. A Corn's ideal max is in the high 80s. There's about a 10 degree difference between what we give off and what a Corn finds comfortable for any length of time.
If you handle the Corn for a long time without allow it to cool off by escaping to a lower temperature zone, it could overheat and become stressed. Do this often enough and you're potentially looking at illness. It's cold-blooded and therefore needs the facility to thermoregulate, which it can't do if it's being held in contact with a human.
Having said that, temperature issues whilst handling have never caused a problem that I've ever heard of. However, it is something you need to be aware of if you want your Corn to be comfortable.
Velvet
Totally corn crazy!!!!
That's my reasoning...lol Logically, it makes sense BUT I am not sure exactly how long it would take for you to hold a snake until it got dangerously hot... ???
I do believe that its possible to hold them and get them warm enough to be stressed though and while that may not be fatal, I would prefer my babies to be as stress-free as possible...
I just prefer to be cautious.... lol
I do believe that its possible to hold them and get them warm enough to be stressed though and while that may not be fatal, I would prefer my babies to be as stress-free as possible...
I just prefer to be cautious.... lol
Matthew
-M.P. Stafford
See...I'd disagree on the body temperature thing. Mainly because of a few classes in Anatomy I've taken and because of a pretty accurate temperature gun.
The human's body temperature is 98.6°-100°F at it's CORE. That means that's what our body temperature is internally. Once you reach the outer skin, the heat has already diffused through several layers of skin, been dispersed to the surrounding tissues and has dissipated quite a bit.
The external temperature of our skin is affected by ambient temperature more than our bodies' internal temperature, afaik. If you have a temperature gun, press it against your skin and take a reading.
Depending on ambient temperature, you'll probably find it similar to my results, with temperatures ranging from 85'ish to 91'ish. 85% of the time, the temperature of the skin on my hands and arms is right around 86-88. The hottest I can make my hands is by keeping them closed and breathing on them for a couple minutes. The other time my hand temps are way up is after a hot shower.
Now, I could be off, my temperature gun could be off, or I could be a 'wee' crazy, but that's my take on it. While possibly still being a 'tad' on the warm side for our slithery friends, the typical temperature of my hands is close to the temperature on the warm side of my enclosure (it sits around 88°).
Not to mention that the snakes temperature may even be lower than my hand temperature, via ambient air temp as well. It'd be fair to say that he's affected by the ambient temp as much as my hand. Not sure entirely on that though, as there's probably a good chance that he's heating up faster than the ambient air is cooling him down.
As a quick disclaimer, none of that comes from actual experience with Snakes. Just from a knowledge on how the body works and the readings of my temperature gun.
-Matt
The human's body temperature is 98.6°-100°F at it's CORE. That means that's what our body temperature is internally. Once you reach the outer skin, the heat has already diffused through several layers of skin, been dispersed to the surrounding tissues and has dissipated quite a bit.
The external temperature of our skin is affected by ambient temperature more than our bodies' internal temperature, afaik. If you have a temperature gun, press it against your skin and take a reading.
Depending on ambient temperature, you'll probably find it similar to my results, with temperatures ranging from 85'ish to 91'ish. 85% of the time, the temperature of the skin on my hands and arms is right around 86-88. The hottest I can make my hands is by keeping them closed and breathing on them for a couple minutes. The other time my hand temps are way up is after a hot shower.
Now, I could be off, my temperature gun could be off, or I could be a 'wee' crazy, but that's my take on it. While possibly still being a 'tad' on the warm side for our slithery friends, the typical temperature of my hands is close to the temperature on the warm side of my enclosure (it sits around 88°).
Not to mention that the snakes temperature may even be lower than my hand temperature, via ambient air temp as well. It'd be fair to say that he's affected by the ambient temp as much as my hand. Not sure entirely on that though, as there's probably a good chance that he's heating up faster than the ambient air is cooling him down.
As a quick disclaimer, none of that comes from actual experience with Snakes. Just from a knowledge on how the body works and the readings of my temperature gun.
-Matt
Nanci
Alien Lover
If it were possible for a snake to reach dangerous body temps via handling, mine would all be dead. I have Chocs in particular out for 2-3 hours frequently. He's fine. As Chris says, go with what the snake tells you by its behavior. Some snakes will curl contently in your hand and flick their tongues and feel relaxed and sit that way for quite a long time. Some snakes want to move about a lot, but are still relaxed. Some snakes are obviously afraid or resistant to handling/touching and indicate this by flailing about, trying to fly out of your hands, musking, tail rattling, or freezing up stiffly. With a snake like this (Inez) I hold her for a shorter period of time, say 20-30 minutes, and try to get her to relax, and crawl from hand to hand, or just stay curled. She quite obviously does not like to be touched on about the first quarter of her body, so I minimize touching this area, though I will stroke her along her upper quarter a couple times until she is desensitized to it. She particularly doesn't like to be grasped, even very gently, in that area either, so I hold her more in the middle, which is the proper place anyway. After having her out for a short period, I put her back, but only at a time when she is calm and relaxed- if she throws a big fit, she has to stay out until she is calm again. All the other guys stay out for 30-60 minutes, or in Choco's case, quite a bit longer. If I put Choco back after 30 minutes or even an hour, he will pace along the front of his viv and reach toward the lid and sway back and forth until I take him out again- he hasn't had enough.
Nanci
Nanci
Nanci
Alien Lover
In the above picture of Inez, I am not pinching her head- she is "hiding" so I can't see her. She stayed frozen like that for ten minutes- I had to get her picture. It was the day she first learned to crawl from one hand to the other. She thought it was a new kind of milksnake torture. She's very sensitive.
Nanci
Nanci