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Frustrated with a total hateling!

josie

josie

New member
I have read many threads on this same topic and have tried most if not all but nothing I have done has changed my hatelings behavior so I guess I'm just venting. :headbang:

I have a 2010 butter stripe male that is so gorgeous but is absolutly hateful. I get the tail rattle, strikes, and knaws on me the whole time I am handling him. I handle him 2 to three times a week for at least a half hour and it has made no changes in him. I'm soooooooooo glad their little teeth do not hurt. Even if I have him cupped in my hand he is still striking and biting. Ugh He is the only one out of my 8 that behaves this way and I'm really hoping I can make a difference in his behavior before he gets bigger. I have yet to be able to get good pictures of him or my caramel stripe female because they are total spazs.
 
This may or may not go away with time. It's hard to tell. The majority of "hatelings" change with time and handling. Right now your snake is stuck in it's "oh my god, your gonna eat me" mode of thinking.

I have a snake that we named hatelyn just because it was so bad. With good handling sessions and time she turned right around and is one of the more docile snakes in my herpetry.

Good luck and keep trying.

Wayne

*edit* here is a pic of the little "meaner" from last year. Doesn't look so tough, does she? That's cause she isn't.

hatelyn.jpg
 
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It may be an age issue. A buddy of mine has been keeping carpets for a while and all the bitey ones magically stop biting at around the year mark. He thinks that once they reach a certain size and weight, they feel more confident and less scared of human contact. The same theory may apply to corns as well. I guess only time will tell!
 
I have both baby corns as well as baby carpets. It varies with individual personality. Some of my baby carpets are evil (I have one that is going on two, that has yet to completely calm down).
Some of my baby corns are hatelings, some are calm as can be. Some adult corns can get grumpy from time to time as well.
Like mentioned, it *generally* calms down with age, but not always.
 
I have some that are calm from get go but some that are spastic, he is the only one of my 8 that are a hateling. I have teenagers so I have patients and will wait him out....I have the stronger will.....I hope. LOL I have a bigger one coming soon and I'm hoping my bloodred from Nanci is better tempered than this hateling. It's just frustrating that no matter how much handling and no matter how I hadle him he's stuck in "I'm going to eat you" mode.
 
I have one corn that, there is no doubt when he is in shed mode. He goes into his hide won't come out. If you disturb him cobras right out. Normally he is easy going loves to come out and be handled.
I know that is of no help josie. But you know what you are doing so I couldn't give you any advice you didn't already know. Just sympathizing. Cause I miss my nice little guy cause he is in shed right now and very grumpy.
Good luck! You will win the guy over in the end.
 
Your bloodred from me will at least be handleable and trained to sit in a scale and not flip out, and to pose nicely for pictures, and to get in a deli cup and stay there and eat, not act like you're trying to put him into a pot of boiling water! I can't promise he won't ever strike if you scare him, but when you're handling him he will be a good boy.

But- I've only had one snake that didn't calm down eventually. Ruby. I've had plenty of others that started off as hatelings and reformed. Yggdrasil in particular was psycho when I was looking at him before I bought him. Scarlett and Phoenix and Penelope are a little whippy, but none of them bite. Gartersnake musked and struck and death-rolled every time I had him out! He'll still try to escape the scale and deli cup, but he no longer strikes.

Then there's Mille Fleur, or as Carol calls her, Spazztastic. I'm a little worried about her ever calming down. But we'll see.
 
Josie, just remember, he doesn't hate you, he's afraid. Terrified. He'll get more confident when he gets bigger.
 
I am glad he's a good boy :) I know Chomper (actually changed my snow stripes name to name the butter Chomper because it fit him better) is scared and I am not giving up hope that he will settle down as he gets older and realizes I'm not going to eat him. I've read threads on here about hatelings biting, tail ratteling, pooping, etc I had just never experienced it with any of mine until Chomper. I did have some that would do the helicopter thing and whip around but they've settled down with handling. I cannot walk by his viv without him striking if he's on the cool side. He has two hides but doesn't use them, he usually tunnels down in to the bedding and hides.
 
Something I've learned is to end your handling sessions off in a positive way. If you put it back and its whiping around etc... then it knows that it can do that and it'll git put back in its cage.
 
Well so far there hasn't been a positive session. He spends the whole time I'm holding him biting me. LOL

HazAnga said:
Something I've learned is to end your handling sessions off in a positive way. If you put it back and its whiping around etc... then it knows that it can do that and it'll git put back in its cage.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Josie,

If it makes you feel any better...my Big Cat is the most tail-rattling, striking snake. It's ridiculous. The first day I got him he tagged me right on my bent knuckle...and it didn't feel like Velcro! Whenever he gets taken out for feeding he goes into his flight and fight mode. He even rattles all the while he's eating in a covered (with a dark apron) dish. My girl's are sweet...Big Cat is SUCH a boy and a silly one at that!
 
I feel ya girl! Chomper will strike at his viv if I'm just walking by. He will strike in his feeding cup. He tags me the whole time I am holding him and I get the tail rattle when I'm giving him fresh water. I'm not worried yet because he's small enough that the bites don't hurt but that will change so I'm hoping his attitude does before his teeth hurt. LOL
 
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