Hi! Since you seem to have a lot of experience with snakes, I have a question. I’ve searched up handling and saw a website that said you can only handle snakes once a week/once every two weeks. It seems a bit excessive, so is this true, or can you handle snakes more often then that? Thank you!
Hello! This is one of those “it depends” questions, to be honest. My experience is with ball pythons only, as well, so if you’re concerned about another sort, then it would be safer to assume that this isn’t accurate for that species.
It mostly depends on two things: A) the individual snake, and B) the acclimatization you’ve done already. I would say that once or twice a week is a good starting point, and only for a few minutes each time -- fewer than ten, probably more like five. Gently hold the noodle, let it squirm around a little if it wants, and keep an eye on its body language; if it starts getting extra-coily, then you may want to pop it back into its home.
Over time, the handlings can be increased in both frequency and length, as long as the individual snake is still up for it. For a while, I was handling Jormungandr every couple of days, for upward of a half-hour each time. He was content to noodle slowly around on my arms the whole time, and I had worked him up to it, so all was well. Mortimer is more timid, and even if I currently had the time to do that much snake-handling, I don’t think he would work up to quite the same level.
It’s a process to build up their experience and trust, and they’ll do a lot of the work of telling you how okay they are with coming out for playtimes, if you’re able to recognize and respond to those signals.
Note that handlings shouldn’t happen for about 48 hours after a meal. If needed, you can gently move the snake around to e.g. get at something in the enclosure that needs to be cleaned up, but no having them out just to spend time with them. Their little tummies will be full!
And, again, this is all ball-python-specific. I know almost nothing about other species!
