what made my baby so angry???

[toofDocta]

I've had this beautiful baby corn for about 2 weeks now (my first time to ever deal with snakes)... I fed him 2 days ago, and haven't handled him since... I went to play with him a bit ago, opened the cage and reached in there, but he started running away from my hand (he usually doesn't do that and i guess that should've been a warning sign). Not knowing any better, I still grab him and take him out to play with him. he sits on my hand just fine, but is a bit jumpy... he ended up off of my hand and on the floor just exploring away.

when I reached to grab him, he jerked his head at me and took a striking position. since he's never done anything like that with me before, again, i disregarded it and reached to hold him on my hand again... and my beautiful baby struck at me! it didn't hurt physically, but it did emotionally.

he kept his striking position and would rattle his tail whenever my hand gets close... so i picked a small towel, threw it on him and grabbed him from the towel (so he doesn't see what's grabbing him) and put him back in his viv... right away, he dug under the bedding and hid himself, and i left.

#1, why was he so agitated? cause he ate 2 days ago? might he be about to shed? is he just not wanting to be handled?
#2 is he gonna keep being aggressive now? can I handle him tomorrow? the day after?
#3 how do i avoid him getting angry next time???

what do I do??? i have no experience with all this and it's really bothering me, please advise.

 

[Rich in KY]

#1, why was he so agitated? cause he ate 2 days ago? might he be about to shed? is he just not wanting to be handled?

It could be any of those reasons

#2 is he gonna keep being aggressive now? can I handle him tomorrow? the day after?

I would give him a few extra days of alone time and see if he starts to show any signs of being in blue.

#3 how do i avoid him getting angry next time???

Just try to keep your movements slow around him when he starts acting nervous.

what do I do??? i have no experience with all this and it's really bothering me, please advise.

Relax. We all go through this. It is how we learn.

 

[wycherley]

He's either in blue, or he's just being a normal hateling. Then again he could just be a jerk, mine is

 

[sarcare]

I bought two hatchlings from a show a couple months ago, when I first got them snakeyspots (a pastel mot) was relatively calm, and chill, and snakeyshorts (a ghost) was always freaking out, and trying to escape, and death rolling, and generally being a freaked out hateling. Now a month an a half or so later, it is the opposite. Little snakeyspots is freaky and snakeyshorts is calmed down. I have no idea why, I do know snakeyshorts is growing faster, so maybe she is less afraid because she is bigger. Who knows?

The point is, snakes can freak out, and calm down and it doesn't always have anything to do with you.

 

[toofDocta]

what does it mean when you say that he is "in blue"???
Thanks everyone for your response.

 

[Nanci]

It means he's getting ready to shed and his eyes turn blue and his skin gets dull.

 

[katieam]

my snake did the exact same thing. he had been calm and sweet and all of a sudden turned evil :devil01: it lasted for quite a while, but i think he is growing out of it. he is getting a lot better with handling now that he is older/bigger (at least thats my guess) so hopefully with your baby it will just be a phase

good luck!

 

[bitsy]

First off, he isn't "angry" - that's a human emotion. He's scared.

They become more nervous just before they shed, as the scales over their eyes loosen and they can't see properly. In the wild, this would make them very vulnerable to predators.

You should never "grab", because that will spook them. Make your movements slow and deliberate.

Try not to be upset. He's not doing it because he has something against you.

 

[Saulace]

That would make me sad as well. When I went to pick up Popcorn I put my hand in front of her and let her slither on to me, that way she thinks she's in control of the situation. That technique might help with yours?

 

[Em Wright]

I've never had a problem with Mali being a hateling... she's actually very calm and has never struck at me or even tail rattled. The last time she was in blue I took her out of the tank and started handling her, it was then I realized her eyes were cloudy and she seemed dull. But she was perfectly okay with me.

So really I don't understand the hateling thing (I'm sure I'll learn eventually). I think part of it has to do with a person's energy, how they conduct themselves. I always try to be calm and deliberate, but gentle when I handle Mali and she does okay.

Something else, I may have misundestood, in your post, was that you let the snake out of your hands? He may have seen that as an opportunity to escape and when you went after him thought you were pursuing him and acted according to his nature. If he can't flee, he'll attack. In the future I wouldn't recommend letting him off your person or let him explore a part of your person (such as your back) where he might escape.

I know someone suggested to let him be for a couple days, especially if he's in blue, but when he's done shedding (if that's what is about to happen) you might take to handling him for 10-20 minutes everyday, even if he strikes or musks you don't want to give him the impression he can do that and you'll release him or it will just encourage the behavior. The best thing I've found is to handle him consistantly (of course give him a proper amount of time to digest). If I let several days go by without handling Mali then she acts a bit more skittish than if I handle her on a daily basis.

I hope some of this helps, don't give up! :cheers:

 

[toofDocta]

first of all..... Thanks.
Secondly:

Today, I wanted to take a look at him to see if he's ok, to see if he's shedding, etc. So, I looked for him but he was no where to be seen... I decided to open the viv and move the bedding around with a stick so i can see him without him sensing my body heat... I finally just found him, he was way down there hiding, very calm and very bright (does not at all look like he's about to shed)

I had already decided I wasn't gonna hold him today, but he seemed so calm, I decided to put my hand in there and take him out. Right on the start, he did one jerky movement, but I already had picked him up by then... he stayed on my hand, calm and just moving around my fingers like he usually does... I kept him on my hand for about 5 or 7 minutes then put him back... he went back and curled up in a pretty visible spot instead of digging back in the bedding.

summary: first 1-2 seconds, he was jumpy and a bit defensive, following 5 minutes, he was just fine.

So here's what i'm thinking happened yesterday: either some smell on my hand bothered him... or like Em Wright said, just the fact that I let him loose on the floor then tried to grab him startled him... or something I did in general turned on his defensive mechanism... or the fact that he didn't wanna come out of the viv but I took him out anyway pissed him off.... or actually... i think he was on his period yesterday

I think I'm just gonna keep handling him for periods of 10-20 minutes a couple of times a day just to get him used to it... any other advice?

 

[Saulace]

Glad to hear things are on the up-and-up! Good luck!

 

[wycherley]

Mine was exactly the same, he has good days and bad days. But the last two days he's venturing out on to his log in the evening, and i can pick him up with out to much hassel. So he's getting more combfortable an a bit braver. Sounds like your doing the right things its just gonna take time.

 

[toofDocta]

Update:
My boy has been acting perfectly normal ever since... it's so weird, that one time, out of the blue, he acted like a nut... I bet there's something I did that scared him or upset him... but he's been chill since then... I really wonder if it was because I let him loose on the floor then tried to pick him up... I have been avoiding letting him off my hand since then.

thanks for all your help.
Toof