How Do You Remove a Snake from a Garden Shed - Page 4

AstralTraveller (David) · #61 05-02-2010, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

My pets all have strange names like that...

My budgie was called Catfood, or Catty for short. The name was partly tongue-in-cheek and partly homage to one of my favourite bands - King Crimson. [Some of you may get the reference.]

AlexN · #62 05-02-2010, 05:06 PM

When I was young I had a budgie called Sylvester.. At the time I thought Tweety was too generic..

xnomad · #63 06-02-2010, 09:59 AM

Can I just be a little pedantic? Certain snakes aren't poisonous, they are venomous.

Poisonous means if you eat it or touch it, you will suffer a toxic reaction. Venomous is the correct term as you aren't going to eat the snake, the snake bites you. Venomous means injection of toxins via a bite or a sting.

If some snakes were only 'poisonous' that would be great, as I don't plan on eating any, or picking them up.

I cringe whenever I hear 'posionous snake/spider' etc, even the media get it wrong all the time.

floyd_2 (Dean) · #64 06-02-2010, 12:47 PM

I removed the bottle / milk / honey from the shed this morning. Looks like I managed to catch a slew of ants. Next time I have an ant problem, I'm going to give them the milk and honey treatment

I put on a pair of jeans, a pair of gloves and a pair of 10 holers just to be sure and checked out the shed. Looks like it was just me and my tools in there

AlexN · #65 06-02-2010, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnomad

Can I just be a little pedantic? Certain snakes aren't poisonous, they are venomous.

Poisonous means if you eat it or touch it, you will suffer a toxic reaction. Venomous is the correct term as you aren't going to eat the snake, the snake bites you. Venomous means injection of toxins via a bite or a sting.

If some snakes were only 'poisonous' that would be great, as I don't plan on eating any, or picking them up.

I cringe whenever I hear 'posionous snake/spider' etc, even the media get it wrong all the time.

Fair comment indeed.. Near on every snake is venomous to some degree, its a matter of whether that venom is dangerous to us or not. Eastern Bearded Dragon lizard produce the same neurotoxin as a rattlesnake. However they are unable to get that neurotoxin into our blood stream, so they are "Safe" to handle etc.. The neurotoxin is produced in their saliva glands, and is is quite effective at immobilizing their prey. But as they have a hard time breaking our skin, and even when they do, they rarely chew on us, producing the toxic saliva, we are largely unaware of their venomousity and as such, people do not fear them.. Most monitor lizards are venomous too.. You do not want to suffer a bite from an adult water monitor, or worse, a large lace monitor..

adman (Adam) · #66 07-02-2010, 11:24 AM

Alex, I have a 2yo spotted python that scares the crap out of me. I used to handle him/her (never been able to figure it out) when it was younger, took a couple of bites which were surprisingly painful for something less than a foot long, and have decided that I really don't want a bite now that it is about 2 1/2 feet long. It is quite bitey most of the time - which leads me to think that it is either just its personality, or its hungry!

Do you have any tips for getting it used to being handled? Whenever I need to clean its enclosure I wear my gardening gloves...

Adam

unnamed soldier · #67 07-02-2010, 01:19 PM

adman,

i have heard a few times that the antaresia are snappy lil buggers which can be a painful experience!!

does it only try bite when you are getting it out of the enclosure or all the time?? does it strike when you walk past the tank??

the most common solution I have seen offered is getting it out with a snake hook then start to handle it.. most will be cage defensive but once out are pretty happy lil snakes!!

at the end of the day the only way to get it use to being handled is by handling it!!

just be grateful you are trying to calm a spotted and not an amethystine python (scrubby)...

AlexN · #68 07-02-2010, 08:20 PM

Sound advice there... Cage protective would be my guess there.. If it is kept in its enclosure for majority of its life, it will have become fairly territorial. Getting a good quality snake hook is the way to go, this way you can get it out of the enclosure keeping it at outside arms length, and well outside striking range..

I find that most young snakes are snappy, but constant, regular handling usually tames them down a lot. I try to handle mine for 1 hour a week.. Usually the day after feeding... At that point, they are usually quite content, and not as inclined to strike...

Its funny you should mention that the bites are surprisingly painful.. A friend of mine last month bought a 5 year old Olive Python, despite my advising him that it was a BIG snake, and he'd be better off getting a hatchling or yearling so he could learn the snakes mannerisms and its temperament before it became a very large snake... On the 3rd day of having it, he decided he wanted to get it out and have a hold (again, I'd advised against this... Too early) opened the glass and basically went for the snake much like he does with his 2.5ft childrens python... Well, the 5'8" python spun around and latched onto his forearm... Made quite a mess of him... He is now very fearful of the animal, despite the whole ordeal being largely his own fault... He will not handle it, generally pays very little attention to it, and regrets buying it in the first place..

I'm trying to tell him (now that its been there about a month) that it is time to try handling again.. He wont fearing another bite..

Moral of the story is he will never know if its likely to bite him because he won't try and handle it... And the only way to ever tame it down a bit is to handle it as often as you can..