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Inside this bag here I have an adult Stimson’s Python.
I’m transferring it in a soft breathable bag because
that’s a good way to transfer pythons that way they feel secure,
they’re hidden and they’re not going to *** around as much.
So, I’ll get the Stimson’s Python out,
he’s quite a friendly snake this one.
.
When getting him out first it’s important just to see
where the head is and then lift the body gently underneath
and not near the head.
.
So, when handling a snake the important thing is to be gentle
and support its body weight.
As you support the body weight of the animal,
it feels comfortable and it becomes less and less stressed.
Also important when you’re handling a snake it’s important
not to handle mice beforehand because the only time I guess
a friendly snake might lash out and bite unless it’s stressed
is if it can smell the scent of mice on your hands.
According to the snake his main sense organs are the tongue
which he’s flicking out to pick up scent and also
his heat sensing pits.
He has got vision, he can see particularly if objects are moving
but it’s not his primary organ.
So, by flicking out that tongue if your hand smells like a mouse,
tastes like a mouse and is warm like a mouse he might think
it’s mice and you might get an accidental bite.
But otherwise if you support their body weight and you
don’t handle any mice beforehand you should be quite alright.
The individual temperament of every snake
can be quite different.
Some snakes might be naturally a bit more nervous.
Other snakes might be a lot more docile and friendly.
Sometimes bites may occur.
What to expect if you cop a bite from one of these snakes.
If it’s a bite because he’s a little bit stressed
or a little bit scared, it’s typically a bite and release.
So, he’ll typically quick bite, release.
It might bleed a little bit.
It looks a lot worse than it is and typically be treated
just like if you cut your finger, you’ll be quite alright.
The only time a snake might bite and hang on as if it smells
mouse or food on your hands and then it will bite and wrap up
thinking it’s a mouse and then you may have a little bit
more time trying to unravel the snake and enticing him to let go.
But, typically if it’s stressed it will just bite and release.
With a little bit of handling bites might not occur.
Bites are more common in juvenile snakes because as a
hatchling python they’re only quite small and everything’s
a predator to that animal.
Whereas as they grow older and with frequent handling
like in captive snakes, if you can purchase a captive one
that’s been handled all its life they do become quite amiable
to handling, just like the one I’m holding.
Typically lifting a snake out of the enclosure gentle handling
like this can easily occur every day without any stress.
But if it was to be passed around to person to person
I’d limit that to more kind of once a week or so.
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