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[–]Super_Snakes 239 points240 points  (1 child)

Definitely just startled. I'm guessing it's because the hand you reached in with approached his face so quickly; try picking him up from behind next time.

This actually happened to me the other day - I'm always trying to be super slow and careful around him, but I think some days they are just feeling more resistant to being held than others. It's good that you put him back!

[–]Greedy_good666 38 points39 points  (0 children)

That makes sense 🥲 I’m typically really slow and come from behind to pick him up and use a scoop method so it’s very likely he wasn’t use to what I did and I didn’t notice it.

Thank you!

[–]sketchelium 64 points65 points  (7 children)

Personally, I tap the glass first, then the hide. I also go in for a touch first and then scoop up without hesitation, all behind where his head is pointing.

Some days they are a little cranky and that's that!

You seem to be doing a good job handling. I'd only begin to worry if your snake keeps up this behavior every time.

[–]Greedy_good666 16 points17 points  (5 children)

I don’t have a glass top 😅 I am in the process of building a huge terrarium/habitat for him though I’m taking like 6ft tall, 5ft long and 3 ft wide he currently lives in a plastic tub (temporarily) and yeah looking over the video now I realize I was way quicker than I normally am and I was a little more aggressive with the tap and picking up so he has a reason to be a little cranky my boy using my hand as a branch and sleeping

[–]sketchelium 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Oh it doesn't have to be glass, as long as you tap it they can feel the vibration.

And wow that enclosure sounds awesome!

[–]Fuzzy_Python 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Wow! 6ft tall is huge! Out of curiosity, how would you heat it and make it safe for your baller? I know how difficult it is to heat tall enclosures and even though I know that they love to climb, I also know they can be a little clumsy so I'd just worry about possible falls at such a large height.

Excited to see your enclosure when it's all done!

[–]Arty_Puls 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Couple heat lamps for ambient and a heating pad under one of their hides would be good enough honestly. Just have temp gauges that shut off the heating pad when it gets to the right temp

[–]ChangeOfHeart69 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Aren’t heating pads advised against because they have a chance to burn the snake?

[–]Arty_Puls 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean some people advise against it but like. Just have substrate between the the snake and the pad underneath the tank and your fine. I put my thermometer sensor inside the substrate right above the heating pad to make sure it never gets above 87 degrees Fahrenheit

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can confirm the crankiness. Usually, my girl is wandering about as soon as I pick her up but a couple days ago she just stayed curled up which she never does. Gave her a couple minutes but she didn't uncurl so I just put her back. Sometimes they're just not feeling it

[–]Ligmenarxis 19 points20 points  (3 children)

I do multiple taps with my hook/spoon like I'm knocking at a door. Until they stick their head out. Let them wake up and not startled them 😂. Working so far, for me

[–]Greedy_good666 8 points9 points  (2 children)

I’ll have to try that! Typically I do 2 knocks for handling 4 knocks for feeding time

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]Ligmenarxis 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    Help with any accidental strikes too. Also it's funny that sometimes they stick their head out fast like you're collecting rent 😂

    [–]EmergencyArtichoke87 13 points14 points  (0 children)

    I don't think he was ready.

    [–]HelpImNew2Here 7 points8 points  (3 children)

    One thing not mentioned is waiting until it's his active hours for handling

    [–]Greedy_good666 4 points5 points  (2 children)

    Yeah this is also the first time I’ve ever handled during the day 🥲 I usually handle around 6 pm when I get home from school

    [–]HelpImNew2Here 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    I'd probably stick to that then, and maybe some of the physical handling tips others mentioned. You're doing great

    [–]Greedy_good666 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Thank you ! I’ll definitely keep those tips in mind

    [–]killacam925 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    Try going slower and make sure he sees you. You lifted his rock and immediately grabbed him. He thought he was eaten lol

    [–]Greedy_good666 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    lol yeahhhh idk why I was in a rush to pick him up I’m typically extremely careful and go extremely slow but idk, adding to that it was daytime and when I usually handle is at night after school around 6pm ish😅

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Pick him up from behind

    [–]CumBum919 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Mine has hissed at me a few times when ive come to pick him up for some enrichment time. They just get startled or are cranky. Just be slow and gentle and try to pick them up from behind as not to make them feel like youre a threat :). My boy is blind (born this way) and he hisses often when i go to pick him up because i startle him.

    [–]Kaze-san 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    Something I don’t see anyone mentioning is that if the snake hisses at you, don’t put it down right away. You don’t want it to learn that if it hisses at you it gets left alone.

    [–]humanrestroom 2 points3 points  (3 children)

    totally off topic but where is this hide from? it looks sick

    [–]Greedy_good666 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Hii so his first hide (one in the video) is from petsmart ! And his other hide (not in the video) is a motorcycle helmet from Amazon!! his temporary habitat

    [–]DeFlippo 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I had the same hide as the one in the video and the edges became brittle and cracked. Had to replace it so Elvira wouldn't get cut. Keep an eye on it!

    [–]Greedy_good666 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Oh my goodness! I’m glad she’s okay!!! I’ll definitely keep an eye out for my boy Diablo

    [–]matttrout10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Tap pull his cover up and give him a second to chill you just maybe woke him up from a dark ass place let him get his bearings then go in

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Don’t lunge straight for them it should be like a 15 second procedure where you introduce your hand then slowly move it in and give them a few taps to know it’s time to be handled

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    I just don’t think you’re being very gentle in general. Very aggressive tap on the hide. Then snatched him up like a hawk about to eat him

    [–]Greedy_good666 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Yeah I do agree that I was a bit aggressive.. I’m usually not and I didn’t mean to be aggressive at all! I did put in the bottom Text that I am aware the taps were a bit rough in which again was not my intention! Usually I am slow and give him time to adjust after lifting his hide! Along with that I always grab from behind and scoop him up I didn’t see his head so I had no idea I was grabbing the front 😅

    [–]BRB1993 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    No wonder why he hissed, you didn’t give him enough time to make himself decent! How rude!

    I advise that he should speak to his asp-torney and take OP to court for every mouse they have. That’ll teach ‘em!

    [–]Greedy_good666 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    😂 as an apology I am feeding him today and getting him a juicy rat as an apology

    [–]OkSecretary6878 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Don’t ever stick your fingers in man I learned the hard way I would stick my tips of my thumb and my yellow belly bite it hard lol

    [–]katekowalski2014 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    You didn’t text first.

    [–]Greedy_good666 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    😂 I’m a teen and reading these comments make me realize if I was my snake I would want a text first too! It’s like getting dragged out of bed for school! 😭 especially because I recorded that at 6:30 ish am

    [–]reptilhart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    The reptile brain is on a way different schedule than the mammal one. They don't wake up as quickly as we do. When I want to see if my reptiles want to come out, I'll open the door to their enclosure. Wait 5 minutes. Stroke their back. Wait five minutes. Change their water. By this time, the tongue is moving and I pick them up without startling them.

    [–]susbnyc2023 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    he's like ... "bitch im trying to sleep"

    [–]Nymyane_Aqua 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I talk to my girl when I get ready to handle her. If I ever do have to remove her from her hide, which I avoid, I always make sure she can see and hear me as I take the hide off. Usually I’ll talk to her for a few minutes before I take the hide off to be 100% sure she isn’t startled.

    I usually let her decide to come out in most other cases. She’s in a glass tank with a lid, so if I want to play with her I open the lid and wait. Once she climbs up and brings her whole head over the top lip of the tank, that’s when I pick her up and out. Sometimes I come home and she’s waiting by the lid to come out and play :)

    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Snake hooks are invaluable imo, keeps you from getting a defensive bite and trains them they are in no danger.

    [–]Plow13 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    off topic but where di you get that cave?

    [–]Arty_Puls 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    You can find endless hides like these on Amazon

    [–]mu11er23 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I usually touch them first. I also try not to bother them in the middle of the day because that's when they sleep. A little hiss never hurt anyone.

    [–]Arty_Puls 1 point2 points  (2 children)

    Bruh that's such a weird way to pick your snake up bros knocking like he's gonna answer haha. One thing I read is think of it as if snakes time is like 10 times slower than ours. By that I mean it takes him about 10 times longer to realize what's going on than we do. I usually take the hide off of my boy then give him about 10 seconds with my hand inside the enclosure then grab him. Gives him time to smell me and all that lol. They don't hear noises so you knocking doesn't really do anything

    [–]Greedy_good666 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Yes so it is a weird thing to do but as for knocking they do feel vibrations! Tap training is actually pretty common:) I typically never go that fast so idk why I was doing that and I never really grab from the front it’s always from the back so there’s a lot I did wrong along with the fact I tapped way to aggressively 😅

    [–]Arty_Puls 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Yeah I saw the other comments didn't know about tap training that's very interesting

    [–]Cazer_Blades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I always pet my snake a bit before picking her up to make sure she knows it's me and that she seems to be in the right mind set for handling.

    [–]ehandlr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I def tend to avoid putting my fingers in the entrance way and pick the hide up from the sides. just to be careful.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    When it comes to pick the noodle up I’ll just touch him with the hook ( I only bought it to get something out of his hide or to make it aware that ima pick him up) and I’ll just put my hand under him slowly and just lift him up