Video - How I handle a snake that is defensive or bitey
Today is a quick video on how I can sometimes handle defensive or potentially bitey snakes, featuring my flightiest Rough Scale Python, Thorne.
For a in-depth article on using fear-free handling and positive interactions, please read my earlier article on how to 'stop my snake biting'.
Full Video Transcript:
00:00:00:18 - 00:00:01:03
Hi, guys.
00:00:01:03 - 00:00:03:15
It's Laura from real aussie reptiles here.
00:00:03:15 - 00:00:07:16
Just thought I'd make a quick video
on how I can sometimes handle
00:00:07:23 - 00:00:10:24
some defensive
or potentially bitey snakes.
00:00:11:21 - 00:00:17:17
This is Thorne, she is in another article
I worte on handling biting snakes.
00:00:18:06 - 00:00:22:10
She used to be really, really flighty
and bitey, but she settled down a lot now.
00:00:22:10 - 00:00:24:29
But she's
still one of my flightier snakes.
00:00:24:29 - 00:00:27:02
So what I sometimes use is just
00:00:27:02 - 00:00:29:28
a simple and light, paper towel
00:00:29:28 - 00:00:33:26
that you can use kind of like a barrier
between the snake's head and your hand.
00:00:34:27 - 00:00:38:25
So - one, if they strike,
they're less likely to hit you, and two -
00:00:38:28 - 00:00:42:28
they don't create a stressful
identification between your hand
00:00:42:28 - 00:00:44:18
coming in and getting picked
up and that sort of thing.
00:00:45:21 - 00:00:46:20
So what I
00:00:46:20 - 00:00:50:14
often do (let’s see if we get bitten!).
00:00:50:14 - 00:00:53:19
You can see Thorne just sitting in there,
00:00:54:02 - 00:00:56:12
and she instantly pulles back
a little bit, so she's not sure.
00:00:56:28 - 00:01:00:23
So what I can sometimes do, is gently
put the paper towel over,
00:01:01:29 - 00:01:03:28
pick them up from behind,
00:01:04:03 - 00:01:07:24
supporting their body, and they generally
00:01:09:00 - 00:01:11:24
will then settle down
a little bit once in your hand.
00:01:11:24 - 00:01:14:21
So just keep supporting them.
00:01:14:21 - 00:01:18:28
Try to avoid going near the head, just
sort of let them glide through your hands
00:01:19:21 - 00:01:22:27
and you can put our hand over tub or bag
or something if you needed to clean,
00:01:24:03 - 00:01:26:14
and move around a lot more calmly.
