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How long & often do you handle?

Axe

Axe

Hideously Addicted!
How long and often do you guys handle all your corns?

I usually take the lid off the tub, talk to 'em for 5 minutes to reassure them a lil and get them used to my voice (and realise that when the lid comes off it doesn't always mean food), then I'll pick 'em up and let 'em crawl through my fingers for 10-20 minutes, all the while talking to them, then put 'em back and move onto the next snake.

This is the schedule pretty much every day except for 48 hours following feeding. (These are hatchlings btw, ranging from 12-16")

So, how often, and for what kinda length of time do you guys all play with your corns?

Also, what kind of precautions do you take, or how do you handle snakes differently that tend to show aggressive tendencies (tail rattling, striking pose, etc.) or snakes that are just hyperactive and do not want to be touched?
 
I handle my corns every day, like you, except for when they are digesting. I just open the viv and pull out the snake as I think my hovering around makes them nervous. I play with them a bit for about ten minutes or let them curl up inside a pillow case on my lap while I work. If a snake is in a bit of a mood I let them be for a while before trying again and I tend to think that a majority of hyperactive snakes calm down as they get used to being handled.
 
I try and take Suzy out daily (except when digesting). Sometimes I let him come to me, other times I just pick him straight up.

I let him move all over hands, arms, lap - pretty much do what he wants. Sometimes I let him "wander" around the floor or couch. He often sleeps in the fold of my shirt or my sleeves, or relaxes on my hand - depends how active he is.

Duration: 5 - 30 mins - you can usually tell when he's had enough or wants to keep exploring

BTW Suzy is 3 months old and, on last measurement (a few weeks ago), 14" long.
 
I take my older one out every day (apart from digesting periods), she usually lays round my neck and gives it a squeeze if I move too fast or breathe too much :p or do something that she doesnt want me to do. Shes pretty relaxed and will stay out for hours...I put her back when she feels a bit cool or is getting agitated. My younger male is a bit more tempermental and can squirm away easily. I usually handle him over a shoe box or something similar if he's in one of his moods so that if he squirms away he will fall in the box and wont escape too easily. If they look like they are going to strike or rattle their tails leave them be for a while. Dont hover around them as this stresses them out and causes the behaviour in the first place (just had my first animal behaviour lecture today!!) PS, Axe snakes cant hear you so they dont need to get used to your voice...just your scent! ;)
 
Good point on the deaf bit.. I completely forgot about that! :D

Force of habit from handling the dragons ;)

Everbody must think I'm nuts now for sittin' talking to deaf animals :confused:
 
Axe said:


Everbody must think I'm nuts now for sittin' talking to deaf animals :confused:
Click to expand...

LOL, well I didn't want to say anything last night when I read your post but.......(just kidding)

Hey if you want to talk to them thats great:D Just remember that it's more for you then them.

I talk to my snakes too:)
 
Well, even though they can't HEAR you, I guess the vibrations in the voice might get them a little used to you. As everybody's voice print is different, and therefore everybody's vocal vibrations a lil different, I dunno, I guess it can help get them used to you when you're in the herp room talking and they "feel" you talking (at least, that's my excuse, lol). :D
 
I, for one,...

Think that they definately can feel the vibrations of our voices. They are very sensitive creatures. While I do not have any scientific basis for my believing this... I do think that they can discern "safe" vibrations (my voice) from "unsafe or unknown" vibrations like someone else's voice, the dog barking, the cat meowing...

I talk to my snakes all the time... and hubby just looks at me with that tolerant look that says he loves me in spite of myself!

So, Axe, just keep on talking!:)
 
Hey, I wasnt putting people down for speaking to their snakes...I do too! ;) But what I meant is that they cant get 'used' to our voices because they cant pick up on the vibrations of our sounds. They can feel if we walk near them or play music with a hard base but our voices are way too low down the frequency chart for them to register it. They know us by scent.
 
But don't they feel the vibration of our voices while we're actually holding them? After all, isn't our voice vibrating through our body that which makes us sound different to ourselves than we do to everybody else?
 
Hmmmmm

Rachel said:
But what I meant is that they cant get 'used' to our voices because they cant pick up on the vibrations of our sounds. They can feel if we walk near them or play music with a hard base but our voices are way too low down the frequency chart for them to register it. They know us by scent.
Click to expand...

I am curious why you believe that they can't pick up our vocal vibrations... have you read some study or something? Seriously (not trying to sound sarcastic here, merely curious)... because I really do believe that they can and do feel the vibration of our voices, as well as a whole range of other low and high range sounds. Their survival depends on that sensitivity. We may be anthropomorphising to think they can discern one voice from the next, but I believe that the level of sensitivity they posses certainly allows for it.

And, no, I don't have any scientific study to quote for this. Just observation made from keeping many species of snakes over the course of the last 30 years. :p
 
its

Obvious that snakes would be able to pick up vibrations from our voices when we are holding them! Or even relatively close to them. It's just a given.

You speak, it vibrates through you and your snake in your hand can feel it. Now, they may not like it, or they may like this or it might be nothing to them and they have no idea who or what is making the vibration but I wouldn't say they can't hear them. If I scream next to my snake.....he moves.

This doesn't mean I believe they are listening to me. I just believe they feel something when we speak good or bad.

bmm
 
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Great article...

really makes ya think... and wonder. This ole world is full of marvels!

It's pretty neat to share our homes and lives with these little marvels, isn't it?
 
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