I'm not knowledgeable in GTPs you're right. All I know is from what I have read. I just don't understand why I can't handle mine when there are quite a few people who do handle theirs. What makes mine different than them? You are the only one on this thread who told me no I shouldn't handle him. One person even posted a video. Thanks for your advice, but I take everything people say with a grain of salt.
GTP handling question
- Thread starter sidneymysnake
- Start date
sidneymysnake;4591888; said:
Are you taking a vote or do you accept the possibility that different levels of experience will yield different quality of advice? I found Miguel's advice to make the most sense only to be countered with "well other people are doing it."
It seems to me that nature didnt make these snakes sturdy enough for handling, but you seem to want to ignore nature and fondle it anyway. Good luck.
Oscarum monstruoso;4591929; said:
I'm just saying there is more than one way to do something. Some people say don't handle reptiles, there is no reason to do it. There isn't a reason but a lot of people do it anyway. Obviously they are sturdy enough to handle otherwise people wouldn't be doing it. To be honest I have seen more people saying it's okay to handle than people saying it isn't. As I said earlier, most of the info I have found has said wait until the snake is older to begin. I figured if the snake wants to wrap around us, there would be no harm in taking him out, seeing as if I tried to get him off I would probably be doing more damage. My question has been answered, we can handle him now if we are careful in doing so. As shown by videos and calling the breeder we got the snake from. There is no need to carry on this debate. I said that I respect his advice but that I would be taking it with a grain of salt, as I do with any advice that I get, especially when I don't know the sources credibility.
Young GTP's should be handled with extreme care, if one does not want to risk spinal injury.
Snakes do not need to ne handled. Owners need to know how to handle them for the cases when handling is a necessity.
Arboreal snakes ( and terrestrials, as well, though on a less noticeable level ) do not like to be handled. It just stresses them.
They move around your hands and arms in search of a way to escape, and one can be led to think that they are comfortable being handled.
Well they are not.
Of course you need to handle them, now and again, for a lot of purposes. For instance when a couple of months go by and they don't defecate. In that situation, to avoid an impaction, you handle them and they will release their poo most certainly on the ensuing night.
But again, snakes are not supposed to be handled as if they were cats or other cuddly pets, since they are no pets nor are they, ever, domesticated.
They simply do not need the "human" contact.
Now you can take my advice with a grain of salt or a spade of sugar. It is up to you.
I am only thinking about good GTP husbandry and the interest for the hobby in gaining one more knowledgeable keeper.
Miguel
Snakes do not need to ne handled. Owners need to know how to handle them for the cases when handling is a necessity.
Arboreal snakes ( and terrestrials, as well, though on a less noticeable level ) do not like to be handled. It just stresses them.
They move around your hands and arms in search of a way to escape, and one can be led to think that they are comfortable being handled.
Well they are not.
Of course you need to handle them, now and again, for a lot of purposes. For instance when a couple of months go by and they don't defecate. In that situation, to avoid an impaction, you handle them and they will release their poo most certainly on the ensuing night.
But again, snakes are not supposed to be handled as if they were cats or other cuddly pets, since they are no pets nor are they, ever, domesticated.
They simply do not need the "human" contact.
Now you can take my advice with a grain of salt or a spade of sugar. It is up to you.
I am only thinking about good GTP husbandry and the interest for the hobby in gaining one more knowledgeable keeper.
Miguel
Thanks guys for the advice. I don't plan on taking him out every day, but I do want to be able to take him out and know that it's not going to hurt him. I plan on making him handleable so I won't get killed every single time I take him out. I want him to be decently used to it. Miguel you keep saying all this stuff like I'm an idiot, when I'm not. I know quite a bit, just not when it comes to arboreals, specifically GTPs.
I kept a pair of them for years. Handled them fine. Babies are delicate. Mine would sometimes be active while handling and other times would just chill out like a BP.
Ive been doing this for 20 years with all reptiles and hope thats enough experience for some of you on here. Plenty of my snakes would just curl up and chill for an hour easy on my arm or hand or whatever. No human being can say whether that snake is stressed or not if its just chilling out. Ease up on the guy. Some ppl come on here talkin like they are doctors. A lot of us on here have kept snakes for many many years with different results. Miguel is not the only guy on here with good advice.
I know exactly where Miguel is coming from with what he is saying, of course it leaves nothing bad ever happening if you dont handle the snake. However plenty of us do it all the time and have had no issues. Its how you do it and how often.
These snakes are tougher than most think, stretching out in trees, winds, dropping from trees or to other branches. Their are safe ways to handle them and its just like using your body like a tree. Ive had snakes that I couldnt get off of me and back into the cages. Every time I finaly almost got it off it would turn and climb right back up on me, my big boa does that now.
Gtp usually are head shy, are more delicate than a big boa or such, and should be handled with more care. I dont want to bash all that Miguel and his followers have said. I think its the way things are said on here that bug me the most. So many comments with little snippy snap remarks.
Be careful with your snake bud, let it do the moving around on you if you hold it, its not the big Boa kids pose with at the fair for sure. I try not to hold anything to young too soon though, just a little too fragile.
Hey you could always get a boa or somethin to handle more if thats what your after. Others are just trying to say as well that its not going to be like a cat or dog, dont go pickin it up and putting it back 3 or 4 times a day. Also like Miguel did say, if its trying the entire time to reach away and get off of you, as if it would just assume fall off of you, then just let it go, in that since it is like and cat, and it will let you know normally with a tag. The more you get hands on with snakes the more you can read if its just curious and movin around on you, or it wants the hell off of you. That does not mean to go hold a snake as much as you can to gain that experience, it comes through the years with patients.
Take care and good luck. Im not saying Im a professional either. Im just saying, lots and lots and lots of us have many years with reptiles and some of us have had different experiences and will answer you accordingly. Miguel is a very caring and smart reptile keeper as well so dont think Im totally bashing him here because Im not. Can you dig it.
Ive been doing this for 20 years with all reptiles and hope thats enough experience for some of you on here. Plenty of my snakes would just curl up and chill for an hour easy on my arm or hand or whatever. No human being can say whether that snake is stressed or not if its just chilling out. Ease up on the guy. Some ppl come on here talkin like they are doctors. A lot of us on here have kept snakes for many many years with different results. Miguel is not the only guy on here with good advice.
I know exactly where Miguel is coming from with what he is saying, of course it leaves nothing bad ever happening if you dont handle the snake. However plenty of us do it all the time and have had no issues. Its how you do it and how often.
These snakes are tougher than most think, stretching out in trees, winds, dropping from trees or to other branches. Their are safe ways to handle them and its just like using your body like a tree. Ive had snakes that I couldnt get off of me and back into the cages. Every time I finaly almost got it off it would turn and climb right back up on me, my big boa does that now.
Gtp usually are head shy, are more delicate than a big boa or such, and should be handled with more care. I dont want to bash all that Miguel and his followers have said. I think its the way things are said on here that bug me the most. So many comments with little snippy snap remarks.
Be careful with your snake bud, let it do the moving around on you if you hold it, its not the big Boa kids pose with at the fair for sure. I try not to hold anything to young too soon though, just a little too fragile.
Hey you could always get a boa or somethin to handle more if thats what your after. Others are just trying to say as well that its not going to be like a cat or dog, dont go pickin it up and putting it back 3 or 4 times a day. Also like Miguel did say, if its trying the entire time to reach away and get off of you, as if it would just assume fall off of you, then just let it go, in that since it is like and cat, and it will let you know normally with a tag. The more you get hands on with snakes the more you can read if its just curious and movin around on you, or it wants the hell off of you. That does not mean to go hold a snake as much as you can to gain that experience, it comes through the years with patients.
Take care and good luck. Im not saying Im a professional either. Im just saying, lots and lots and lots of us have many years with reptiles and some of us have had different experiences and will answer you accordingly. Miguel is a very caring and smart reptile keeper as well so dont think Im totally bashing him here because Im not. Can you dig it.
sidneymysnake;4593240; said:
He means well bud, its just how he says things sometimes but that comes from a long time of keeping animals and helping others and that means repeating yourself a zillion times and thats not your fault. Everyone MUST keep in mind that our true emotions and attitudes dont show easy online like they would in person. Unfortunately this is all we get. He wants you to be happy with your animal, but is also looking out for the herp comunity because so many ppl screw it up. I think your going to be ok, you sound like you care about the situation, just keep that up and your ahead of most keepers. Miguel doe mean well though and I dont think he is calling you an idiot. Were all different. Some of us just flat out dont mix well with other now and then online, it happens.
First of all, and this goes for the OP as well as for Jason, I was not bashing anyone , nor was I considering the OP an idiot.
My initial advice was ill received and I reacted to that, period.
Secondly, I understand that OP was not knowledgeable in GTPS ( as per another post on this board ) and so I was trying to convey a strong message about the problems inherent to the handling of this species.
As said already, it is obvious that you need to know how, and to handle, your GTPs. There are occasions, in their husbandry, when holding them is a must ( i dwelved on some of the reasons for that, already )
When they are young, and OP's GTP is young, as I understood, you should avoid handling to the utmost.
Being a Biak locality type, you should be even more carefull handling them, because you will get tagged ( there are tamish BIAKs out there, but they are the exception).
A non experienced keeper gets bitten by a GTP ( it does hurt ), he/she jerks her hand, teeth get broken, snake falls on the floor.
From broken teeth a whole lot of very complicated problems derive, as any keeper knows.
Captive kept Snakes ( all snakes, in my opinion ) need to be handled, the owner must know how to handle them, BUT it is all related to Owner/husbandry needs, never for the snakes.
The snake does not want, nor needs to, get handled.
I know that there are other keepers who like to handle them ( even watch tv with them curled on their lap ), but being knowledgeable keepers they know that it is not for the "pleasure" of the snake that they are doing it.
My initial advice was ill received and I reacted to that, period.
Secondly, I understand that OP was not knowledgeable in GTPS ( as per another post on this board ) and so I was trying to convey a strong message about the problems inherent to the handling of this species.
As said already, it is obvious that you need to know how, and to handle, your GTPs. There are occasions, in their husbandry, when holding them is a must ( i dwelved on some of the reasons for that, already )
When they are young, and OP's GTP is young, as I understood, you should avoid handling to the utmost.
Being a Biak locality type, you should be even more carefull handling them, because you will get tagged ( there are tamish BIAKs out there, but they are the exception).
A non experienced keeper gets bitten by a GTP ( it does hurt ), he/she jerks her hand, teeth get broken, snake falls on the floor.
From broken teeth a whole lot of very complicated problems derive, as any keeper knows.
Captive kept Snakes ( all snakes, in my opinion ) need to be handled, the owner must know how to handle them, BUT it is all related to Owner/husbandry needs, never for the snakes.
The snake does not want, nor needs to, get handled.
I know that there are other keepers who like to handle them ( even watch tv with them curled on their lap ), but being knowledgeable keepers they know that it is not for the "pleasure" of the snake that they are doing it.
jason longboard;4593532; said:
I do have a passion for the hobby, I know there are a ton of people that shouldn't own reptiles and give us all bad names. I own about 20 snakes at the moment. Boas, balls, corns, milks, and a burmese (lives out of state until I can move out of FL). I get what you are trying to say, and thanks for the advice.
