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Aggression

Roy Munson said:
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.
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they might not like you....its possible......cause they can smell and they remember what things smell like thats how they know what to eat...so they can also remember how to smell something they hate........
 
chaoslycan said:
they might not like you....its possible......cause they can smell and they remember what things smell like thats how they know what to eat...so they can also remember how to smell something they hate........
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For someone who doesn't want to argue, you seem to like repeating the same points. Snakes don't hate. They know what to eat because it's hardwired into their brains. It's called instinct.
 
then they fear you.....but when people are fearful of something enough they hate it...even you said your one is fearful and nervous...maybe the words im using are to vague...like love and hate.....maybe i should of used respect and fear.....
 
chaoslycan said:
they might not like you....its possible......cause they can smell and they remember what things smell like thats how they know what to eat...so they can also remember how to smell something they hate........
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Snakes, with "grey matter" the size of buckshot (at best), don't know for "like" or "hate". These are complex human concepts that many pet owners like to anthropmorphize onto their charges.

Does my dog "love", or even "like" me when he licks my chin? Nope, research has shown it's a sign of deference to a "higher-up" in the pack. And canis familiaris posesses higher cognitive abilities than any snake.

I'll grant you a "good smell" and a "bad smell" in snakes, but not a "like" or "hate".

regards,
jazz
 
Perhaps you could condition a snake to associate you with an unpleasent stimulus, and thereby incite aggression from it, but I have no idea why you would do such a thing, and the snake is always going to prefer to flee rather than attack if possible. My ratsnake's former owner was scared of handling him, and wore gloves and always backed off if the snake bluffed, therefore conditioning the snake that he could avoid handling. I'm now re-conditioning the snake to accept handling, following tips I got from this forum.
 
I just persist, move hands very slowly, give him the chance to sniff and lick my hand before I slide my hand underneath him. He's progressed from drawing blood, to bluffing, to accepting handling. I also let him sniff my hands when I'm not going to handle him, and have found he is quicker to calm down when my hands are not freshly washed, when he can probably catch my scent easier.
I found presenting a closed fist at first made it easier for me to ignore the initial strikes
 
what do you do if he is striking at you through the glass even before you open the tank or box or enclousre up?
 
As he's still only 3 1/2-4 foot long, I just told myself he's more scared of me than vice-versa. The strikes didn't hurt, he did draw blood but it's the speed of strike that was unnerving at first. I can't pretend I'd be this confident with a hot snake, but I told myself if I couldn't handle him I don't deserve to own him
 
hot snakes are great i have a bunch of rattlers and cooperheads around here....and i have had rat snakes that put up more of a fight then them...not to mention the adult water snakes
 
My advice to you would be, If he is strikeing the glass. Open the lid, put your hand out flat, place it over him quikly and carefuly and just pick him up. Its that easy. Once you have him, there is still a chance he could bite you but he will be much less likely to strike once you have him out of the cage. Do not restrict his movement! let him think he is getting away by placeing hand under hand he should calm down fairly quickly.
 
i do this everyday out in the woods...i just want to know what other people do.......people that dont go out in the feild and catch snakes.......what method works best for you?
 
Aubrey said:
My advice to you would be, If he is strikeing the glass. Open the lid, put your hand out flat, place it over him quikly and carefuly and just pick him up. Its that easy. Once you have him, there is still a chance he could bite you but he will be much less likely to strike once you have him out of the cage. Do not restrict his movement! let him think he is getting away by placeing hand under hand he should calm down fairly quickly.
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Wew, EXACTLY my method, works great!

And yes, I do own a nasty gopher..... I bought him because he is sooo beautiful and was in the petshop for months, calling for me to 'save' him..... He had been brought back 2 times already because of his character. If I handle him frequently, I can pick him up without being struck, but if I decrease handling frequency, het gets more nasty, expecially 1-2 days before feeding. He thinks I'm food then or just does not want to be bothered. When I handle him often, I can easily pick hem up and he won't strike, unless he somehow gets away and I try a second time... he is not scared, he is spicy
:devil01:
 
I did it! It was so easy, thankyou for the help, it was so quick I didn't have time to get nervous, I did cheat by having a glove on the left hand, but he settled so well I took it off anyway, he trashed his viv when I put him back though.......
 
Ahhh exam time.. been AFC too long hehe. He ate on the 10th and shed on the 15th, completely snuffed food on the 17, back to his "I think I'll poop on this mouse so you HAVE to throw it away" mood /sigh.

I have no trouble picking him up at all, and hes fine for around.. um.. 9 seconds, then he goes balistic and tries to eat me. Last week he took a clean strike at my face, only time I've ever been glad I wear glasses LOL *bang* right into the lens. I'm too fast for him to bite while hes still in the viv hehe.

I tried leather gloves, and he went even more insane, I had to put him down so he wouldn't hurt himself.

He REALLY likes plants so I gave him some more to play in, hoping he'll get all happy and let me hold him... riigghhhttt.

His viv is supposed to be 75 cool 85 warm, but in the summer, its 92 ish whole tank. Hes got a fan that I can put on if he gets too warm, I usually turn the fans on at 90, Treasure will stretch out along his branch and sleep in the blowing air, its cute hehe. Hunter will go in the fan air if his water isn't cold enough, if its cold he'll dive in and sleep in there, picky little snake, I swear he looks at me and says "Ahem, my water is TOO warm! Get me new water... NOW!"

I told him Saturday he needs to bone up and take it, hes not getting rid of me LOL.. /threaten snakie =P
 
I know my snakes are really more aggressive when the temp is over 85 for too much long. Sorry I did not read all this thread but my guess is that. You really need to lower the temp. He needs to have a place at 75-80. If he is always in his water bowl because it is too hot for him, this is not a good sign.

Good luck. :)
 
2 good handling sessions so far, and absolute mayhem last night. Mr Bonney did not want to come out to play, he struck the glove about 6 times, threw himself on his back and musked! My bedroom absolutely stank for a couple of hours. Will give him another go today, then feed him and leave him to digest in peace. The funny thing is, straight afterwards he was sniffing my hand as calm as anything, but the smell drove me away!

awwwwwwww.jpg
 
I give them an ice cream container with ice in it to help cool them down, other than the fans its all I can do to lower the temps. Can't put air conditioners on our house because of some provincial "Heritage and Centenial Homes" rule ~,~ Its a $1500 fine to put one in the window, and they will take it away. They both have 2 BIG water bowls of cool water (I change it 3 or 4 times a day) and the UTHs are unplugged. I SOO hate summer. Its cooled down some, been 79 in here for a few days, still have the UTHs unplugged. I went to grab him yesterday and the dork went nuts and musked his own face, I had to laugh, he was crazy tring to rub it off LOL. I caught him after and let him have a cool soak in the bathtub, most of the 400 year old gymsock smell is gone now.

I'm going on vacation for 2 weeks next Wednesday, I'll leave the UTHs unplugged the whole time, cool snake is better than baked snake IMO. Just need to find a place to put the vivs thats not so hot, the room they were going to go in is reaching 119 so they aren't going in there unless mom makes some curtains LOL Prolly need to leave them in the kitchen ~,~ Coolest room in the house, max temp prolly 85 on the hotest days.
 
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