Establish Trust
Allow your retic a chance to learn through consistent, routine interaction, so the snake may eventually realize that you are not a threat and calm down accordingly. Don’t push your retic too quickly, especially if dealing with a wild-caught animal (again, these are not recommended for new keepers of retics). Patience, time and consideration are required to win over some of these “skins that made it.”
Captive-bred retics are your best choice for tractable specimens. These animals start life with a greater amount of trust for their keepers and settle well into the established routine of daily husbandry. With the level of success many breeders are enjoying, there is a great selection of captive-produced snakes from which to choose. Additionally, breeders often selectively breed snakes with gentle dispositions, a trait that may be passed on to subsequent generations. Some locality retics, such as the Sulawesi giants, are more nervous as a general rule. You may choose your snake for looks, but more importantly, select it for disposition.
Young, captive-bred retics are the easiest to tame. Once a snake is removed from its cage, hold it in your hands, and allow it to crawl through your fingers. Spending time with a young retic acclimates it to your touch, smell and company. The goal is consistent, positive interaction in which you become a routine part of the snake’s daily encounters. During these handling sessions, you want the retic to slowly crawl through your hands or to just lay quietly, and to exhibit long, slow tongue flicks. Handling time helps to build trust and rapport between you and your snake.
Taming Tricks
Reticulated pythons, like all snakes, live in modes: thinking, sleeping, hunting-feeding, breeding and the defensive don’t-mess-with-me mode. If you suddenly awaken a sleeping retic, it may instinctively go into feeding mode. In nature, reticulated pythons may locate along game trails, waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander by. These snakes naturally have a hair trigger; they must lay motionless for long periods and instantly react to a prey opportunity. Even in captivity the snake is instinctually preprogrammed to repeat this behavior. The problem in this scenario is that the snake may overreact and wrap around your hand if it’s not correctly managed.
Condition your reticulated python by ensuring that it is awake before you enter its enclosure. Tap the cage a few times, and watch for eye movement or activity, which indicate the snake is aware of your presence. Next you must condition the python to realize there is a difference between you and a rodent. A full roll of paper towels works well as a shield on small to midsized snakes. Be certain the snake is awake, open the cage, and hold the roll of paper towels near the snake’s face. It will often stick its nose right into the hollow tube to investigate; the trick is to keep the roll between you and the python’s business end! Gently give the snake a few firm pats with the roll from midbody down, which is safely away from its mouth. This helps the snake realize it is time for human interaction — not time to eat.
Snake hooks may also be used for the same purpose. Gently move the snake’s head and neck away from you, or use the hook to bump or otherwise move the snake to help it understand it is not time to eat. Use caution because some overzealous retics may quickly swing around, or overshoot the paper towel shield or hook. Be aware at all times! This method works well with reasonable snakes, but do not attempt it with large, defensive retics or those of unknown temperament.
When dealing with big snakes, always have another experienced person in the same room or at least within earshot. In the event a retic mistakes its handler for food, the aid of another person makes the removal process much easier. We recommend keeping a bottle of Listerine mouthwash handy to dump in the snake’s mouth in case a bite occurs. It often causes the snake to release its grip. The trick is to shut off its feeding response and help it understand that it has not captured prey.
Retics can be smart, but they get excited and make mistakes. Never underestimate them. Although rare, we see news stories entitled “When Pets Go Bad,” but often a more appropriate title is “When Pet Owners Turn Stupid.” All big snakes command respect during handling, especially while they’re being removed from their enclosures.
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