Draco's Update... I Need Opinions

Hello, all.

Well, I've had Draco (my hypo bullsnake yearling) for 3 days now. I haven't really "bothered" him during this time... until today (One would think that this would be enough time for him to recover from the stress of his trip). I took him out of his hide cave and held him for approximately 15 to 30 minutes today. I try to move slowly around Draco and I am also very gentle with him. Despite this, he still spooks fairly easily. I think it is because of his small size that everything seems to scare him. Draco is very flighty (especially when he spooks). This poor little fella seems like he has "ants in his pants" even when I am handling him (He does NOT want to sit still for very long in my hands... unlike my previous bullsnake.)! Will he always be flighty for the rest of his life? Is this a "personality quirk" which I will need to permenately adjust to or is this just a temporary phase which he is going through? Regardless, I will feel much better after Draco has his first feed (hopefully by the end of next week at the latest). I am hoping that he will gain more confidence (and I am also hoping that he won't be nearly as flighty as he is now) as he grows larger. I just figure that a snake which is flighty must be more prone to stress-related illnesses (especially if the snake has a hair-trigger flight response to "normal" stimuli). I DO realize that Draco needs time to get used to me. Nonetheless, I am curious to know if his flightiness is something that I should be concerned about in the long run? Any thoughts? Man, I don't want to stress Draco too much! I guess I just need to be reassured since my previous bullsnake was as mellow as could be and he really didn't let things bother him. All replies are greatly appreciated by this concerned "dad". Thanks!

Take care,
Terry

I probably read another thread in which you mentioned Draco's age, but I don't remember it. I will guess that he is no more than a yearling (possibly an early '06?). In any event, a snake's "personality" cannot be guessed at in advance. One can try to make blanket statements about a species' temperament, but there will always be some that break the rules, lol. That said, most young colubrids are somewhat flighty. Some of the things you should look at to make him as comfortable as possible include cage temperature, set-up, and location. Some sort of hide is usually recommended, and is often beneficial with nervous individuals (though they may have quite the response when the hide is lifted, lol). The world is still a scary place, and Draco hasn't yet figured out that you aren't going to pop him into your mouth. This should come with time (one of my female bulls still hisses, rattles, and strikes...sometimes continuing her display even after I pick her up, lol, but she doesn't try to "run away" anymore)
I always recommend limiting handling to what is necessary for cage maintenance UNTIL the snake is feeding regularly. If he is flighty when you take him out, just keep moving your hands to keep him vs firming your grip to control him. (there is often a correlation between when the snake won't spit out its food because you move, and when they don't try to madly flee when you pick them up, lol).

Good luck with him

*edit* duh - you said he was a yearling in this post. that's what I get for hitting post reply, walking away, then coming back to respond (without rereading the post)

Will,

I agree with the other poster in that the main thing is to get him on a feeding regimine and settled in before you start handling him again. I also agree with him that as juveniles most colubrids are a bit flighty and are very easy to stress. Even with some of the laid back species like corn snakes, handling does stress them as juveniles, even though it might not be apparent to owners. I have seen little corns go completely off feed and not start again with only minimal handling. Remember you are a 40' tall giant that is doing very threating things to the little guy. LOL

If I remember right you got him from Jim over at Home Grown Reptiles, so I am sure he is in good condition. My advice would be to relax, let him get to feeding well, overall adjust to his new surroundings etc. and grow up a little. There will be plenty of time to handle, tame and work with him in the future.

There are exceptions to the rule, but most bulls with a little handling become completely trustworthy captives and will give you years of enjoyment.

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms

Originally Posted by John Cherry

Will,

I agree with the other poster in that the main thing is to get him on a feeding regimine and settled in before you start handling him again. I also agree with him that as juveniles most colubrids are a bit flighty and are very easy to stress. Even with some of the laid back species like corn snakes, handling does stress them as juveniles, even though it might not be apparent to owners. I have seen little corns go completely off feed and not start again with only minimal handling. Remember you are a 40' tall giant that is doing very threating things to the little guy. LOL

If I remember right you got him from Jim over at Home Grown Reptiles, so I am sure he is in good condition. My advice would be to relax, let him get to feeding well, overall adjust to his new surroundings etc. and grow up a little. There will be plenty of time to handle, tame and work with him in the future.

There are exceptions to the rule, but most bulls with a little handling become completely trustworthy captives and will give you years of enjoyment.

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms

Hello, John.

How many times do I need to feed Draco before I begin handling him again? Can I handle him a few days after his first feed or will I need to wait longer?

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions.

By the way, I sent a post addressing you & HHMoore in this forum.

Take care,
Terry

Terry,

There is really no set rule of thumb to go by. What I would suggest would be to allow him a couple of weeks to get settled in and feed a few times. Then start handling him for a few minutes a day( 5 minutes or so max.), after about three days has elapsed since feeding. He should adjust to that pretty well and do well for you.

Take care and stay in touch,

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms :eatpointe