Video - How I handle a snake that is defensive or bitey

Full Video Transcript:

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Hi, guys.

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It's Laura from real aussie reptiles here.

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Just thought I'd make a quick video

on how I can sometimes handle

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some defensive

or potentially bitey snakes.

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This is Thorne, she is in another article

I worte on handling biting snakes.

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She used to be really, really flighty

and bitey, but she settled down a lot now.

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But she's

still one of my flightier snakes.

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So what I sometimes use is just

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a simple and light, paper towel

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that you can use kind of like a barrier

between the snake's head and your hand.

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So - one, if they strike,

they're less likely to hit you, and two -

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they don't create a stressful

identification between your hand

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coming in and getting picked

up and that sort of thing.

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So what I

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often do (let’s see if we get bitten!).

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You can see Thorne just sitting in there,

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and she instantly pulles back

a little bit, so she's not sure.

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So what I can sometimes do, is gently

put the paper towel over,

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pick them up from behind,

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supporting their body, and they generally

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will then settle down

a little bit once in your hand.

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So just keep supporting them.

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Try to avoid going near the head, just

sort of let them glide through your hands

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and you can put our hand over tub or bag

or something if you needed to clean,

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and move around a lot more calmly.