How to Handle and Bond with Your Pet Snake Safely

Published in Pet Care

Dec 7, 2024

How to Handle and Bond with Your Pet Snake Safely

Whenever got hang around with fascinating, relatively low-maintenance pet snakes, just be really patient and respectful. You need to learn the proper handling of snake so that you can develop trust between the two of you. Snakes are not like pet dogs. They don't crave human companionship. The more handling you do, the more confident they feel in your surroundings, therefore, the more enjoyable it becomes for both the pet and the owner.

The present guide will teach you how to safely handle the pet snake while establishing a bond to guarantee an attempt of this nature that is low-stress for you and for your pet.

Learning About Your Pet Snake’s Behavior

Understanding your snake's natural instincts and body language is critical before attempting to handle it. Unlike social animals, snakes rely on environmental cues, not social ones. They might not show affection like mammals do, but they can identify their owners by scent and routine.

What Snake Behaviors Mean: Common Snake Behaviors

✅ Flick Out the Tongue: The snake uses its tongue to explore its surroundings. A relaxed snake will tongue flick at a typical rate.

✅ Body Coiled and Tensed Up: Indicates a state of fear or defensive mechanism. When you can handle your snake, wait until it is relaxed.

✅ Moving Slowly: It means that your snake is at ease and learning more about its surroundings.

✅ SUDDEN MOVEMENTS OR STRIKING: This would indicate fear, stress, or signals hunger. Do not attempt to handle your snake in this condition.

✅ Hiding: Normal behavior, especially after eating or during shedding.

Knowing the signs will allow you to decide when and how to safely manage your snake.

When to Handle Your Pet Snake

To develop trust and minimize stress, you should only handle your snake at the appropriate moment.

In other words, what are the best times to handle your snake?

✅ After it’s settled in: It is best to allow a snake to settle in for a week or more after you get it before handling.

✅ When it is awake and alert: Pick a time when your snake will naturally be awake, typically at the evening and night for nocturnal species.

✅ A minimum of 48 hours after feeding: You should never pick up a snake shortly after it has eaten, or (in the case) it may regurgitate its meal, which is bad for it.

✅ When it is not shedding: A snake feels vulnerable during shedding and can become defensive.

Times When You Should Not Hold Your Snake

❌ Immediately after feeding – This can cause stress and digestive troubles.

❌ When shedding – Your snake will have impaired vision for a short period of time, making it more prone to defensive behavior.

❌ If it looks stressed or defensive – Snakes that coil up or hiss are not ready to be handled.

Respecting your snake’s natural rhythms gives you a positive handling experience, making it easier to bond.

What To Know About Handling Your Pet Snake

Step 1: Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands with unscented soap before handling your snake. This will eliminate any residual food odors that may confuse your snake and cause it to mistake your hand for food.

Step 2: Be Calm and Confident

Be slow and calm so you do not startle the snake.
Come in from the side instead of the top; the sudden appearing over the top triggers the defensive response.

Step 3: Properly Support the Body

Slide your hand smoothly under the center of your snake.
Ever so trusting, but nervous at the same time.
And never grab or squeeze tightly; that can make the snake feel threatened.

Step 4: Move slowly and steadily

Move the snake slowly, and avoid sudden jerks.
If the snake goes too fast, politely redirect it instead of grabbing it.

Step 5: Observe Its Behavior

A calm snake should move slowly and wrap its body loosely around your hand or arm.
If the snake is getting tense or trying to escape, you can lay it down in the enclosure gently.

Step 6: Limit Handling Time

If you're a newbie, start with five to 10 minute sessions of handling, increasing the duration once your snake learns he is free from threat. Daily can be too much, since overhandling is stressful so aim for 3-4/week!

This means that over time, by adhering to these steps and positively associating handling, your pet snake learns to trust you.

Pet Snake Bonding: How to Engage with Your Pet Snake

While snakes do not bond like mammals can, they can acclimate to your physical presence and know that you are not a threat to them.

1. Spend Time Near the Enclosure

Don’t interact with it as you sit near your snake’s enclosure.
Allow your snake to watch you from a safe distance, allowing it to acclimate to your image.

2. Have a Consistent Handling Routine

It can be easier to handle if it’s at the same time of day and this builds familiarity.
Sudden changes in your approach might lead you to stress.

3. Speak Softly and Move Gently

Snakes have a poor sense of hearing but are still able to feel vibrations. Their senses are also heightened, so speaking calmly and moving gently helps avoid scaring them.

4. Let Your Snake Explore on You

Let your snake explore your hands and arms at its own monotona.
Don’t squeeze it too tight — give it a sense of control.

5. Offer Food with Tongs

Feeding with tongs keeps you a safe distance away!
When this happens over time, they will associate you with something good, since you are the one who feeds them, gives them heat, and treats them.

By obeying your snake’s limits and going at a natural speed, you will build up a relationship of trust with your pet.

Handling Mistakes to Avoid Often

Even well-intentioned owners can mess things up. There are many common mistakes to avoid in order to ensure safe and positive interactions:

🚫 Bouncing too soon after a feed – That can lead to vomiting and added stress.

A Snake Biting You Due To Forcing Handling When The Snake Is Defensive – This Type Of Force Handling Leads To A Snake Biting You Or Stress To The Snake.

🚫 Grabbing & squeezing the snake – Snakes consider this predator attacks.

🚫 Too long – Can create undue anxiety, particularly in new pets.

🚫 Strong scents on hands – whether perfume or food smells, your snake may get confused;

Knowledge of these mistakes will lead to a relationship of trust and not one of fear with your pet snake.

What to Do If Your Snake Bites

Accidents can occur, even with the best care. If your snake bites you:

✅ Keep calm – Pulling your hand away can cause greater harm.

✅ Loosen up its teeth – Should the snake bite down, you can carefully pour a bit of water on its head or rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab.

✅ Clean the wound – Use soap and water to keep it from getting infected.

✅ Identify what triggered the bite — stress, confuse your hand for food or fear are common reasons.

Most pet snakes are docile and non-venomous, and their bites are not dangerous, but the stakes are high and history had to be learned so as not to fall for the same trap twice.

Conclusion

Two elements that will help you bond with your pet snake are time and consistency. Learn its temperament, use correct handling techniques, respect its instincts, and you can establish a nice relationship with your snake!