When it involves pet serpents, the large majority of serpent bites occur during feeding time. Many of these are the outcome of incorrect feeding techniques.
Among reptile nerds like myself, these are typically described as dumb feeding errors or SFEs. I myself made an SFE several years ago with an or else docile rainbow boa, yet I have not duplicated the mistake ever since. Normally, one SFE is all it takes before a snake caretaker adjustments their strategies!
The good news is, there is a basic remedy to this. Actually, there are numerous options, yet the simplest and also most reliable way to avoid serpent bites at feeding time is to use a serpent hook. Words “hook” scares some caretakers away from utilizing these products, yet truthfully they are totally risk-free.
If you’ve ever before enjoyed an episode of the old Jeff Corwin Program or something similar, you’ve most likely seen a snake hook in action. Generally, it resembles a golf club with a rounded component at the end as opposed to a chauffeur or putter. You can get them at reptile programs, purchase them online from business like Midwest Tongs, or make your very own if you’re crafty.
One more method to avoid bites is to pick a family pet serpent that has a track record for being accommodating and also hesitant to strike. Corn serpents match this classification, as do sphere pythons. That’s why those 2 species are amongst the most prominent snakes in the leisure activity. A healthy corn snake or round python is very reluctant to attack its proprietor, and also normally will only do so if a stupid feeding mistake takes place (see definition of SFE above).
A lot of keepers transfer their snakes into a separate tank or “feeding bathtub” at meal time. The concept is that this avoids the pet from connecting the cage door opening up with food, consequently reducing the probability that the serpent will certainly attack its proprietor inadvertently. I directly don’t use this option, yet it’s worth consideration.
The secret to success here is to “think” like a snake. These animals utilize view, fragrance and (occasionally) temperature to identify their victim. So if, as an example, you put your hand right into a serpent’s cage after taking care of a rodent, that serpent would have three indicators that prey neighbored– it would scent the rodent, find the temperature from your hand, and also see the motion of your hand. These are prime conditions for a dumb feeding mistake.
The option I suggest is basic and nearly 100% reliable. Utilize a snake hook to initially raise the animal from its cage. Raise it from the mid-body area to offer the proper support. Once you have actually raised the snake with the hook, it will certainly realize that it’s going to be taken care of and not fed. After that you can simply reach in with your hand and manage the snake as regular.
