Training You: "HANDLING" Your New Snake

[@luwildy]

I've been watching so many videos about handling snakes and taming them down and what not and every other person is saying to just pick them up for fifteen minutes regularly until they get used to it and I really really love your way of doing things I feel like you have so much respect for your animals

[@MaliciousMollusc]

I mean, I still establish contact (touch) with my snakes at least once a week. But the rest of the week except feeding, I let them be. They know I'm there because they see me moving around though which kinda puts me in the environment, if that makes sense.

[@luwildy]

@@MaliciousMollusc it does thanks so much. I was really just meaning a lot of people over do it and they say like if they seem scared just keep doing what you're doing linstead of backing off. I like Loris approach and retreat method a lot more than just grabbing them when they're clearly terrified. I got a leopard gecko about a year ago and I tried to take the advice of just taking them out a lot when they're young and I noticed it really freaked him out so I've kinda been trying some of this stuff with him too and I think it's helping a lot. Instead of getting him out I will just move stuff in his tank or sit outside of it and talk to him and since I've started doing that I notice he doesn't hide every time I walk in the room and will sometime come to the glass to see what's up. I've been hand feeding him his whole life so because of that he does have a sense of trust. When I try to remove him from the enclosure he allows it but I wouldnt say he's necessarily relaxed so that's what ive been trying to work on. He's very relaxed and curious when I move stuff in the enclosure and is coming right up to see what Im touching and doing. I'm trying to get the best info before I get my snake and hopefully have a more trusting relationship with my snake right from the start.

[@MaliciousMollusc]

@@luwildy Yeah, I tried that old method before on a Cali King.... only made it worse. Imagine a King Snake that has the temperament of a Bull Snake or a Rat Snake I'm pretty lucky it's kinda cold where I am so the snakes tend to cuddle for warmth whenever they go outside. My larger boas (Acrantophis) tend to get very cozy lol

[@Shades1535]

@@MaliciousMollusc My MBK girl is pretty aloof and enjoys her alone time but she has never once bitten or hissed at me. My rat snake boy is so gentle and a sweetheart.

[@micaiahborchers8914]

​@@MaliciousMollusc I def agree doing stuff in the same room as the snake is a great way to get them used to you. I don't like grabbing a snake that's obviously trying to get away from me. What looks like "calming down" is just learned helplessness and/or freezing (fight, flight, or freeze) in fear. Both my royals' enclosures are in the (warm, furnished) basement so when I go down there to take care of the millipedes or read or just to see if either snake is out and about, I only open the door of an enclosure and engage about once out of every four or five visits. Only if they seem fairly calm and curious (tongue-flicking, approaching me, not trying to get away, not of that S-shaped ready-to-strike coiling) do I lift them up from behind and take them out for a few minutes. I find slipping a hand beneath the midsection to be a lot more calming than grabbing from above like a predator (bird of prey) is. Once they're in hand, they start slowly, methodically exploring like ball pythons do and if one gets all tense and panicky, just pop him back in the enclosure. It works well for these guys but I imagine if there was more striking, more space-making behaviors, etc. I would try some of the choice-based handling techniques Lori talks about. It's important stuff to know and put in practice.

[@MaliciousMollusc]

I've been trying a more passive, hands-off approach for a while now and I noticed a difference in how my snakes (both old and new) behave. They seem to be more approachable and less likely to spook.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Well said, as always. :)

[@coalblooded]

I now have a new channel to binge, so thank you for all of this incredible information!!

[@jessika9488]

thank god I found this channel, thank you so much. I just got a snake and wasn't sure what I should do in terms of training handling

[@The_Snake_Room]

Preach!!! 🤘🏼

[@snakemannn1744]

Man Lori ,,, u is a jewel ,,,, This is great education much needed to be posted and shared majorly ' 🏆🏆🏆

[@spiritkeeperequinesanctuar6009]

Excellent!

[@19Trent69]

I Like the ideas you put forward... and I myself am trying these techniques

[@Healingsimplifiedpodcast]

Alright. Your creativity and YTs are top notch. Now the pvc and hooks. How? Can you share the hooks? Genius 👍🏻

[@LoriTorrini]

For the perches? I made a video about that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faDbpIRufZqkq6s

[@Healingsimplifiedpodcast]

@@LoriTorrini of course 🙏🏻

[@Shades1535]

3:25 New target? Where can I get one? :)

[@LoriTorrini]

They were 3-D printed and sent to me to test out. I will ask the person who made them if he’s ok with me sharing his information.

[@PrettyPoodleChosen1]

Can you make a video instructing on how to encourage choice based handling for fossorial snakes like kenyan sand boas?

[@LoriTorrini]

Even fossorial snakes emerge at times and they come out to eat. Take advantage of those times when you not be then tend to come out and take advantage of feeding times to encourage them to interact more. You can feed them on a target or on/in something else and gradually move it further and further away from where they hide until they’re coming all the way out to eat. Then, you can work on moving it eventually out the door. Take note of when the come out at other times like to drink or cryptically bask. Cameras are helpful for surveillance when you can’t watch them so that you can figure out what they’re doing and when.

[@PrettyPoodleChosen1]

@@LoriTorrini thanks I will invest in a camera then. Have yet to view when he is surfacing.

[@micaiahborchers8914]

Hands-off is hard, I think, for a lot of people. I don't feel the need to engage with a frightened animal; I lose all enjoyment by knowing they're hating every second of it or that I'm teaching them to fear me. Flooding isn't socialization. For folks who feel the need to handle their pets, I'm not sure snakes are right for them much less royal pythons specifically. It's just consent. If one of my boys doesn't want to be handled, he communicates it fairly clearly.

[@deltaspartan9316]

Can you do toys for snakes people have toys for cats and dogs and many other pets but I have yet to find anything on snakes for that

[@LoriTorrini]

Watch the videos in this playlist for ideas. kzbin.info/aero/PLNbZzsRecQ2YFk327ZD0q4yyQVlXf8uQW

[@gerald4055]

👍😊

[@carothordgray]

Hi Lori. Thank you for your sharing your wonderful journey with animals. I am interested in how and how often people handle their babies/juveniles. I am waiting for basic trust and familiarity to develop before handling my babies, the same way I deal with our rescue parrots really. Is that ok? I've only ever adopted older snakes before and when I was a kid, was given larger and tamer snakes; so this experience, while super exciting, is new to me. Should I be handling them despite their nervousness? There are so many conflicting opinions.

[@LoriTorrini]

I advocate desensitization to handling after they’re used to your presence and proximity and then slowing working up to touch and then Subam ding on their terms. It is the least intrusive minimally aversive way to develop that type of interaction with them. I explain this more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYi0dIJtl7KBbtU

[@ab22w]

What if the snake is in their hide almost 24/7. I have a ball python and it is different than say a corn snake I used to have which was always moving around it's space, so I am unsure how to do this when it's in it's hide almost all the time? Thanks for any help

[@LoriTorrini]

I have a playlist specifically for shy snakes and videos about snakes hiding. I will link it but you can also do a search for them. kzbin.info/aero/PLNbZzsRecQ2bfPt03xjMlisZJg6OmNTCi&si=f0e0RL-dYtXZUnXT

[@marcelpraha6421]

Does this really work on ball pythons? They are known to be the least intelligent

[@LoriTorrini]

Yes. Have you watched the Royals are Ranch series? From your question I’m guessing this may be the first one of my videos you have watched. I have an entire weekly series about training and behavior of Python regius. The species is very sensitive and easily stressed. They are not unintelligent and they learn quickly but may be hesitant to perform behaviors out of shyness or fear.

[@marcelpraha6421]

@@LoriTorrini thank you for the answer. I agree and I think, they are quickly stressed. I will watch your series about that topic.

[@LoriTorrini]

@@marcelpraha6421 Thanks for commenting. This is an educational and science-based channel, when a commenter states something purported to be factual I ask that you please cite the source of the information. Please list the reference or references for “known to be least intelligent”. I am not aware of any peer reviewed papers that have published findings on the intelligence of Python regius. Thank you.