Re: Can a wild Elapha Obsoleta be this friendly?

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Posted by Elaphe on May 15, 2001 at 21:14:47:

In Reply to: Can a wild Elapha Obsoleta be this friendly? posted by Roger on May 15, 2001 at 00:16:43:

Personally, I find that if you handle wild black rat snakes with supreme confidence and slow careful motions it tends to carry over to their feelings towards you. If you are nervous and jumpy...they are nervous and less likely to bite if at all. At least that has been my experience with adults; babies and juveniles tend to be jumpy regardless.

Back in 1994, at the nature center where I work at we had a male black rat snake find it's way into the basement where we keep our mouse colony. Found the 5 foot snake lying on top of one of the cages. Took him outside back into the woods and let him go. A couple weeks later, he was back on top of the mouse cage. Took him back out to the woods and let him go and yet again he found his way back. This scenario went on for about 3 months. Each time, the snake was calm about being handled and never bit. We knew it was the same snake as he had some distinctive old scars from what looked to have been a close call with a hawk at some point in his life. The scars is what earned him the name "Hawkbait". The last time we found him was when a woman had come up to me to complain about some kids harassing a snake on a nearby trail. Sure enough it was the same snake. Kids were trying to poke and stab him with a stick and he was all in defensive posture and hissing at them mouth wide open. I went over to the snake and gently picked him up...he immediately curled his body around my arm, but was still on the defensive side with mouth gaping open. One of the boys then tried to reach past me to ram the stick down the snake's throat and that really pissed the snake off....he immediately tried to strike and bite the kid, but I had at the same time put my free hand out to push the kid away and the snake nailed me by mistake. The snake really did seem apologetic about that, but was still determined to go after those boys. I chased the brats off, calmed the snake down and took him in permenantly as he really seemed to want to stay at the center. Other than that one time, he's never bitten anyone.

He's been a great snake for programs, even with those physically challenged individuals whose motor skills are not great. We had one guy with cerebal palsey that loved to come in and hold snakes. This black rat was by far the best one of our snakes who handled the situation well...just took it all in stride. Snake never minded the abrupt constant shaking when being handled by the guy.

Overall, he's done pretty well over the past 7 years at the center. Unfortunately, one of my coworkers 2 weeks ago had taken him for an away program and was to bring him back to the center the next day, but didn't secure his carry container and he got out in her house and has yet to be found. ::sigh::

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Follow Ups:

Wow, that is some story! Roger 05/16/01 (1)
- Re: Wow, that is some story! Elaphe 05/16/01 (0)
Re: Can a wild Elapha Obsoleta be this friendly? Roger 05/15/01 (0)

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: Personally, I find that if you handle wild black rat snakes with supreme confidence and slow careful motions it tends to carry over to their feelings towards you. If you are nervous and jumpy...they are nervous and less likely to bite if at all. At least that has been my experience with adults; babies and juveniles tend to be jumpy regardless. : Back in 1994, at the nature center where I work at we had a male black rat snake find it's way into the basement where we keep our mouse colony. Found the 5 foot snake lying on top of one of the cages. Took him outside back into the woods and let him go. A couple weeks later, he was back on top of the mouse cage. Took him back out to the woods and let him go and yet again he found his way back. This scenario went on for about 3 months. Each time, the snake was calm about being handled and never bit. We knew it was the same snake as he had some distinctive old scars from what looked to have been a close call with a hawk at some point in his life. The scars is what earned him the name "Hawkbait". The last time we found him was when a woman had come up to me to complain about some kids harassing a snake on a nearby trail. Sure enough it was the same snake. Kids were trying to poke and stab him with a stick and he was all in defensive posture and hissing at them mouth wide open. I went over to the snake and gently picked him up...he immediately curled his body around my arm, but was still on the defensive side with mouth gaping open. One of the boys then tried to reach past me to ram the stick down the snake's throat and that really pissed the snake off....he immediately tried to strike and bite the kid, but I had at the same time put my free hand out to push the kid away and the snake nailed me by mistake. The snake really did seem apologetic about that, but was still determined to go after those boys. I chased the brats off, calmed the snake down and took him in permenantly as he really seemed to want to stay at the center. Other than that one time, he's never bitten anyone. : He's been a great snake for programs, even with those physically challenged individuals whose motor skills are not great. We had one guy with cerebal palsey that loved to come in and hold snakes. This black rat was by far the best one of our snakes who handled the situation well...just took it all in stride. Snake never minded the abrupt constant shaking when being handled by the guy. : Overall, he's done pretty well over the past 7 years at the center. Unfortunately, one of my coworkers 2 weeks ago had taken him for an away program and was to bring him back to the center the next day, but didn't secure his carry container and he got out in her house and has yet to be found. ::sigh::

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