Do You Have to Wash Your Hands After Holding Snakes?

While many people are used to handling household pets, including cats, dogs, hamsters and even frogs or lizards, some simply don't know the ins and outs of handling snakes. Part of knowing how to handle a snake is understanding what to do after you're finished holding it. Aside from knowing how to pick them up and how to handle them so they don't feel scared or threatened, you should understand the sanitary side of holding snakes as well.

  1. Cleansing

    • It's necessary to wash your hands after you've finished holding a snake. However, it's also important to wash your hands before handling it too. Without proper cleaning, it's possible that you could ingest dangerous bacteria. Luckily, cleaning your hands before touching your face, body or household items does a great deal in preventing you from ingesting any bacteria. Use antibacterial soap and hot water to cleanse. Wash your hands and forearms.

    Enclosures

    • Even if you don't handle the snake directly, you should still wash your hands after you've cleaned its cage or done any work in or around its enclosure. It's important to keep your hands clean, even if you're not directly touching the snake, because your own bacteria could make your snake sick.

    Salmonella

    • Snakes often carry salmonella, making it extremely important to practice good hygiene when around them. This bacteria can be found in the intestinal tracts and feces of snakes. Salmonella bacteria, called salmonellosis, has the potential to spread and cause infection. Warning signs that you're infected include abdominal cramping, fever and diarrhea. You may start experiencing symptoms as long as 72 hours after infection, and you can be sick for up to one week.

    Additional Precautions

    • It's good practice to wash your hands in between handling different snakes. Keeping the snake's cage clean will help prevent it from crawling in its own waste, lessening the chance of transferring bacteria to a handler. You should also keep the snake away from your face to further prevent bacteria from getting on your skin or in your mouth. Do not handle any food before you wash your hands.