Can I handle him yet???

[Maize411]

I got Striker this past Sat. at the reptile show in PA...I am very anxious to take him out and get him used to me...Since now that it is Tuesday and I do want to try and feed him either tomorrow or Thurs... Can I take him out today or do you guys think I should wait and try and feed him first..wait the 2 days after feeding and then try and take him out....what do you guys think?? :shrugs:

 

[Tula_Montage]

After seeing the video of him being a bit spazzy in his new home, I would leave him alone for now. Hes obviously stressed out. I usually don't bother new snakes until after their first feed.

 

[Corny Noob]

Yeah I figure the only first handling possible is getting the snake into the seperate feeding tub and then back into the enclosure.
You especially don't want to handle him too much right before his feeding and stress him out to the point of either not wanting to eat, or eatting and then regurging.

 

[Flagg]

I usually don't handle new hatchlings much at all for the first couple months. Just enough to get them in the feeding tub.

My meanest striking hatchling that I got last summer I almost never handled and now she is the tamest most docile of all of them.

 

[Jcapicy]

Strikers

My new boy is a striker, but i think it is due to being in a hatchling box for a few months with little interaction except for feeding.

he is still a little rambunctious but seems the more i feed him the more docile he gets. my girl on the other hand has never as much as struck let alone bit anyone.

 

[Maize411]

I know hatchlings can be a bit fiesty..but Striker isn't a hatchling...He is much bigger and longer then Maize...I'm estimating he must be about 2 ft long..that is only an estimate of course..but he is full of energy..hopefully he eats for me tomorrow..this is going to stink a bit because Maize is also due to be fed tomorrow..which means both my snakes will not be able to be handled for 2 days

Well thank you for the advice everyone..I'll give him some more time to adjust and I'll try feeding him tomorrow...I'll let you all know how it goes..

 

[Jimmus]

...this is going to stink a bit because Maize is also due to be fed tomorrow..which means both my snakes will not be able to be handled for 2 days

lol i know the feeling

 

[Relentless]

I also got mine on Saturday, do you think it will be ok to feed him today?

 

[Jimmus]

I also got mine on Saturday, do you think it will be ok to feed him today?

I got mine on sat and fed them tonight with no problems. However they have not been handled at all except for a quick photo shoot, and they had'nt been fed since the 22nd april! They were cruising around their cages for food with little signs of stress for the past 2 days!

If your snake is showing signs of stress and nervousness it wont hurt to wait a couple of days to feed him.

 

[Nanci]

this is going to stink a bit because Maize is also due to be fed tomorrow..which means both my snakes will not be able to be handled for 2 days

This is why you need at least four or five snakes!

Nanci

 

[GregF]

We got our snake from Kathy Love and she says in her care guide (written in first person snake), "After about 3 weeks of small meals and very little handling, I should be acclimated and ready for normal-sized meals and some gentle handling." I've never heard anyone else recommend such a long settling in period but we stuck to it and Slithers has now taken to being handled very nicely.

I would also think that it's pretty stressful for them to be dragged out of their hide in order to be handled. We had to dig around in the substrate a couple of times to find Slithers at feeding time and it pretty well freaked him out. Luckily, it didn't kept him from eating.