Cleaning Enclousre

[ravgez]

Well ive had my baby garter for a little over a week now and this weekend i plan on cleaning out its substrate(it eats like crazy and poops everywhere). The problem is it wont let me touch him/her, and like you guys advised i havnt forced any contact on it. How would I go about removing it from the cage? Is it ok to just go in and grab it? or is there a less stressful and easier method to it? Thanks!

[ChareiHeals]

When I first got Steve he'd run all over the place trying to get away from me. He still runs, but doesn't "resist" anymore. All I do is just reach in and grab him. I've never been musked (knock on wood). This may be wierd, but I also talk to him before/when i'm picking him up.

[guidofatherof5]

It sounds like you just need to grab-and-go. The quicker you get things done and get the snake back in its enclosure the less stress there will be.

[kimbosaur]

Something else you could do is use a hide that has a bottom. Try a small cardboard box, or something similar and just cut a small opening in the side. Then when you need to clean, you can pick up the whole hide with the snake still inside.

It might be easier if you remove the hides that it currently has before you plan on cleaning so that it's forced to use the one with a bottom.

[thamneil]

The shift box is a method prized by venomous keepers. The snake is locked in a hide and then maintainence can be carried out. In all honesty though, I'd just grab him and place him in a container. At the end of the day, it won't affect your relationship all that much.

[d_virginiana]

Occasional handling is probably good since it'll let him know that being touched by the scary giant doesn't mean certain death.
Plus, even if it stresses him a little, it's not a huge deal since he's already eating. I mainly worry about stress with snakes that aren't eating well.

[Selkielass]

Just catch him, quickly and gently so you've got him safe before he knows what's up. (I think the chase is more stressful than the holding.)
I feed a favorite food after contact with skittish animals. Most come to associate me, and handling, with the arrival of food.