How to handle your reptile

Handling your pet reptile is the most important and enjoyable task you need to complete on a daily basis and it is also the most common thing done incorrectly. You may think that handling a snake or lizard will just come naturally but let’s be honest. It is not natural and it is not a common occurrence! In fact, it can be downright scary the first few times you do it. But don’t let this deter you from considering a reptile as a pet. The following is a quick how-to guide for handling reptiles and remember the more you do it the more comfortable you and your pet will be. 

    The first thing you need to know is the warning signs. Warning signs let you know that either your reptile does not want to be handled or you are doing something wrong which is hurting or making your reptile feel threatened. Reptiles can not bark, growl, meow or yelp to let you know it is hurt. All they have is body posture and hissing. And yes I said hurt. A lot of people think that you can’t hurt a reptile, but just like all animals they do “feel”. Warning sign include but are not limited to: 

• Deep breathing to where you can see the body size increase
• Hissing
• Over-activeness (reptiles that are normally very docile will move or squirm a lot)
• Lizards claw you and will not stop trying to get away
• Lizards thrashing and swinging their tail
•  Snakes wrapping their bodies around your arm, leg or neck (depending on how you are holding it) and squeezing
•  Snakes coiling into an S shape
•  Snakes jerking their body as soon as you touch them

    Second, you should know what the reptile knows. Contrary to popular belief snakes and other reptiles DO get to know their primary caretaker and are always going to trust that person the most, especially when out of their Reptile Cage or in situations that they are not used to such as being handled by new people or around other animals. If you are anything like me, I bring my reptiles to my kid’s school once a year for show and tell. This is extremely stressful for the snakes; new smells, new environment and a lot of unknown people can cause even with the most docile of snakes to lash out. 

    Third and most important is the basic do’s and don’ts of handling reptiles. 

Do: 

• Handle them as often as possible
• Support them at all times (their entire body)
• Always move slowly and calmly
• Be aware of your surroundings as people coming up behind you may startle them
• Let them get comfortable on you
• Wash your hands before and after handling and after cleaning their enclosures 

Don’t: 

• Handle large snakes such as Burmese Pythons, Reticulated Pythons or Red Tail Boas by yourself
• Hold the reptiles by the tail: lizards tails will break off and snakes do not feel secure and will look for something to latch on to (probably your hand)
• Turn the upside down
• Tease them
• Smell like prey
• Make fast and jerky motions
•  Ever make someone hold the reptile that doesn’t want to 

    There is a lot to say for experience and every reptile is different just like dogs, cats and humans. They will all like different things. You will learn what your reptile likes and more importantly what they don’t like. This may (probably) be learned the hard way by a little nip but don’t worry, your reptile is not intentionally trying to harm you. They can’t say “hey I don’t like that will you please stop?” Usually the bite will leave nothing more than a few scratches. One thing you can be sure of, if you are going to own and raise exotic pets you will at some point be bitten. Just remember stay calm and don’t blame the reptile. If you have any questions that have not been answered please contact me or leave a comment on this page.