Aggression

[Gintha]

Anyone have any tips for making a highly aggressive snake even remotely handleable? Hunter has become totally untouchable by me, he bites, musks, hisses and rattles if I even go near him *cry* Everyone else can touch him, just not me. Its to the point where I put a mouse in in a plastic cup and let him eat in his viv, I can't take him out. Last week he grabbed me and constricted my hand, little bugger is strong hehe. I've tried washing my hands with different soaps in case its the smell of that that is bothering him, but it doesn't seem to help. Really sucks cause I want to hold him ~,~ Very frustrated. *pout*

 

[PtDnsr]

Just hold him and handle him IMO. If he bites you wear gloves until he gets the point that you're not putting him down. Snakes don't like the taste of leather gloves (speaking from experience) and I don't think they would like the taste of latex ones either. Is there something in the way that you hold him that is different from everyone else?

~Katie

 

[SnakeCreations]

Hi Gintha -

I would agree, simply hold him. You may have "taught" him that when he throws enough of a fit, you won't hold him. Kind of like a toddler huh? If it makes you more comfortable to hold him while wearing gloves then do so!

I have a little white sided black rat who bites me every time I go to pick her up. She still rattles and musks (yuck), but settles down soon after and we have a lovely time looking at each other. I don't put her back until she has calmed down.

Good Luck - let us know how it goes!!

-Tonya

 

[Baba-Lou]

Just hold him Gintha. He's now learned if he throws a fits and does everything he can to look tough he doesn't have to be handled. Tiny (my boa) hated my at first. Then I just put on a pair of gloves one day with a baggy shirt and grabs the lil sucker. He tried striking at me a few times at first. Now he's a calm sweet heart who loves being held. The only way to tame them is to handle them.

 

[Roy Munson]

Hey Gintha. If everyone else can handle him except you, then I'm not sure if it's conditioning. I'd be thinking about soaps, perfumes (particularly musk-based ones), dryer sheets, shampoos, etc.. Can you think of any product you've started using since about the time his aggression started escalating? :shrugs:

 

[Gintha]

The only thing that has changed at all in the entire house is moms hairspray. I'm highly allergic to scents so we stay away from them and she switched to a scent free brand. I try to hold him every day, and have since I got him, but he goes insane and i worry about him flying out of my hands and getting hurt. I'm actually thinking of selling him, I want him to be happy and hes obviously not right now. Its been 10 weeks since he ate and hes lost almost 100 grams ~,~ I've tried all the tricks off the site and nothing. Last 5 mice hes been offered he went cobra on, struck and hissed for 1/2 hour.. then he poops on them and sits in his corner. The vet I have for them suggested that maybe hes in the breeding mood and is just cranky. Can that last 10 weeks? I really don't want to sell him, I really love him, but it might be better for him. I don't know though, maybe hes just a cranky snake? *sniff*

I know there is nothing wrong with the mice, as Treasure eats them from the same batch and hes not refused one in ages. I got some "Electrolide" from hagen for him, its supposed to help calm them down and make their bellies better if they regurge. Its what my vet suggested to try. I think I will try shaking his mouse in dirty woodchips from my pet mouse's cage and see if it helps. It will be 2 weeks on Saturday since I've offered him food, so I hope he takes the bait and eats.

Are there any snake harming viruses that are airborne? I read that severe attitude changes can happen from illness. I've heard him making a weezing like sound, but its been when hes been out and I just assumed it was defensive or from the stress of being handled.

Also, could me being sick maybe agitate him? I've been very ill the last few months and wonder if the "sick person" smell could bother him?

Gunna end my rant for today, getting really upset again. Want to fix this and make him happy. *pouts*

 

[Baba-Lou]

Gintha I've been constantly sick for 6 months and I'm pregnant and I thought the same about Tiny when I'm sick and handle him he gets aggitated. I find when I hold him and he's aggitated and I want him to calm down I wear my leather gloves and hold his heat tight enough so he can't get out and loose enoguh he can still breathe. After awhile he knows he's not getting put down and calms down some.

As for feeding him do you just toss the mouse in? I'd say scent it up in the dirty mouse bedding, and use tongs of some sort to danlge his food. Also if you want try cutting the backs of the mice. I know that way they digest faster and get bigger faster that way. I did that to spur when he was under weight and wanted him to bulk up fast without power feeding.

 

[Roy Munson]

The vet I have for them suggested that maybe hes in the breeding mood and is just cranky. Can that last 10 weeks?

It sure can. I have an '02 and an '03 that both just resumed eating after almost exactly three months of fasting. Both required a shed to 'reset' their brains. I think you may have been stressing him out with the feeding attempts when that was the furthest thing from his bb brain. If Hunter were mine, I'd leave him completely alone except for water changes until his next shed. Then I'd do a gloved handling session, and wait another day for a feeding attempt.

If you love him, don't get rid of him. I think you two can work this out.

 

[SnakeAround]

It sure can. I have an '02 and an '03 that both just resumed eating after almost exactly three months of fasting. Both required a shed to 'reset' their brains. I think you may have been stressing him out with the feeding attempts when that was the furthest thing from his bb brain. If Hunter were mine, I'd leave him completely alone except for water changes until his next shed. Then I'd do a gloved handling session, and wait another day for a feeding attempt.

If you love him, don't get rid of him. I think you two can work this out.

Aww Dean, you just sound like Dr. Phil! :crazy02:

 

[chaoslycan]

alright i got this down...lol...cause i do it all the time....if the snake is hell..start out by putting a good leather glove in the cage so he or she gets used to it....for about a week or so...then use the glove to handle the snake...and just keep handling him or her...but if she or he shows signs of being aggitated even before going to pick the snake up..just leave them alone for that day........this works...i read it off some site a long time ago.....and i can turn a killer snake into a baby lol......but having the snake being handled by different people i wouldnt suggest.......

 

[chaoslycan]

one more thing......he might not like you......not trying to be mean...hope everything turns out ok...good luck

 

[diamondlil]

Good luck Gintha, I have had some success with my bitey ratsnake, have had a couple of handling sessions with him actually calm, then I went away for a week, and he's regressed back to striking............don't give up, it's highly unlikely he's going to be a pussycat suddenly for someone else, and even though my heart is hammering when I get struck at I feel so good when I overcome the instinct to drop my boy and run away!

 

[chaoslycan]

i like to think the more you show and give them love...the more they will give you in return.......

 

[SnakeAround]

i like to think the more you show and give them love...the more they will give you in return.......

Like snakes feel love.... not! They smell mice and feel cold and warmth, those are their main motivations to get into action or not :grin01:

By the way, I think leaving your snake alone when it gets aggitated if you try to pick him up, will condition it to do it again to chase you off!For the rest, good advice.

 

[diamondlil]

I'd have to second that, Blutengel. Snakes do not have the capacity to understand the concept of love! In handling them you have to condition them to accept that you are not going to harm them, also that you will not reward bad behaviour by leaving them alone.

 

[chaoslycan]

if a the snake is showing signs of not wanting to be bothered before even coming in contact with it let it alone(i geuss you never delt with aggressive snakes.....it also shows that the snake knows you understand and arent going to hurt it....animals feel emotions....im not going to argue about it...but i think that it sad that you dont think they can feel how you feel.....but anyway to each there own...to each there own......

 

[diamondlil]

No need to be sad for me, I obviously lack the ability for anthropomorphism, but I can't say it's causing me any problems. I absolutely adore my snakes, they love eating mice :shrugs:

 

[Roy Munson]

if a the snake is showing signs of not wanting to be bothered before even coming in contact with it let it alone(i geuss you never delt with aggressive snakes.....it also shows that the snake knows you understand and arent going to hurt it....animals feel emotions....im not going to argue about it...but i think that it sad that you dont think they can feel how you feel.....but anyway to each there own...to each there own......

Hold tightly to your delusions if you must, but these animals do not feel emotions. As far as response to handling is concerned, it's all about instinctive threat assessment on the snake's part, or feeding response. A snake cannot know if you "understand" something, or not. I deal with a couple of aggressive snakes. One is nervous and fearful despite all efforts, and the other thinks I'm food. Since I have forty-something well-adjusted snakes, I doubt that these two snakes' issues are a result of flaws in my methods.

 

[chaoslycan]

i am only stating what i have done and what has worked for me...and i havent had any problems.....with my snakes...other people snakes...and wild snakes......i know i might not have a lot of snakes compaired to other people on here...i have a lot of turtles...but the reason i started getting more into snakes was cause of the aggressive ones people wanted to get rid off....so all my work that i have done has been with adult snakes that people didnt want cause they couldnt handle and or work with them.......the methods i have used i have worked over 10 times...and probably a lot more since i read them on line else where.....maybe they dont feel love.....i dont care.....i don't like people just like them....maybe thats why i get along so well with all the snakes that want to rip heads off..........i dont want to argue...im sorry i said something that was against your opinon

 

[diamondlil]

Anyhow, tum-te-tum, back to topic.....persist, persist, hopefully you will condition the snake into accepting handling, just tell yourself the fiesty ones are more fun, that self-delusion, plus stubborness, is all that's keeping my ratsnake in here! :crazy02: