Lucy's personality change

[snickersnake]

I know that garter snakes don't typically warm up to people, so I've considered myself very lucky. Lucy has been sweet and affectionate since day one. Even the vet is amazed at how she seems to like people and to be held. She is never scared and has never gone to the bathroom on me or released musk on me. I've had her for two years.

In the past couple of weeks, something has changed. When I pick her up, she's fine for about a minute, then she freaks out trying to get away from me. She releases the gooey musk and I have to set her down. I wait a few minutes, then when I reach into the cage for something else, to remove her bowl or something else, she snaps at me. She hasn't bitten me, but she opens her mouth and snaps in my direction. She's bumped me, but hasn't sunk her teeth in. Yet.

Anyway, my heart is broken. She is like this every time now. She is the only garter I have. Is she lonely?

[Hollis_Steed]

Is she getting ready to shed? This is the only time I really see a big difference in the personality of any of my snakes. If so, just give her a few days and she'll be back to normal.

[Stefan-A]

Has anybody else handled her? Is there a possibility that somebody has, without you knowing?

[kibakiba]

My snake Mama has done that, it's usually if there's something different about me. When I got my hair cut she seemed to not know me. I didn't think a snake could see the difference, but all of my snakes were more afraid of me, and Mama got a bit nippy. She even hissed at me a bit. Snakey gets grumpy when he's near a shed also so maybe it's that?
Has anything changed that may scare her? Maybe you could hold your hand in the tank for a while and let her come to you, instead of just picking her up out of the tank. That's what I did when my snakes got scared of me, I held my hand in the tank for about 10 minutes every other day and allowed them to slither onto my hand. I didn't pick them up out of the tank until the 4th day. They were a lot calmer after that.

[adamanteus]

I used to have an EDR that freaked out whenever I wore CK1 aftershave.

[guidofatherof5]

Something has changed in her world that doesn't agree with her.
How long has she been acting this way?

[mustang]

maybe its got a crush on someone else....checker always flees to a picture of a girl who held him during science fair thats behind the tank....he sleeps under it runs to it for protection from me and lots of other stuff...the girl likes him tho lol she wants to hold him again...

[drache]

some of my females do become a bit "snappy" when going into shed
I liken it to PMS
I guess it's PSS

[guidofatherof5]

I guess it's PSS

Very funny, Rhea.:D

[snickersnake]

Thanks all for responding. It's just so strange that I was also wondering if maybe someone else has been handling her when I'm gone.

It started three weeks ago. I picked her up as usual and she was fine. But after a minute, she started going nuts and she musked me. When I fed her she kept bumping me with her mouth open. She didn't actually bite, she just kept attacking quickly. She barely touched me each time but she did it so fast it just startled me.

I tried handling her a couple of days later but again, smelly goo. After that, I quit picking her up. Every few days I put my hand in, just as someone suggested here, but she does the bump attack. After a few bumps, she gets as far away from me as she can.

It makes cleaning and feeding difficult but I try not to upset her as much as I can. She is not getting ready to shed. I just don't understand this - she has always been so, so sweet.

The only other thing I am thinking is that she is hungry. I feed her worms that have been powdered with vitamins, until she is large enough to eat a pinky (I keep a big earthworm farm in my basement for her). It is the only thing she will eat. I've tried cutting up a pinky but if it doesn't move, she won't eat it. And she won't eat fish. But she loves worms.

Anyway, several months ago, she had trouble swallowing. The vet couldn't figure it out either - he didn't see anything wrong. She would grab the worms but couldn't get them down. This lasted a couple of weeks, and after that, she was able to eat tiny earthworms. I gradually fed her larger ones and now she is eating more than she ever has. But maybe the vitamin worms aren't enough and she really needs more now? I don't know.

I've had her for two years and maybe she should be big enough for a pinky but she isn't. During the first year, she had months in a row where she wouldn't eat. But for the past year, she's been eating a lot.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

[guidofatherof5]

It's obvious something has changed. It may be a physical change in her, I don't know.
You've got a lot of time and love invested in her so I'd be patience and keep trying to figure out what has happened.
I have a female radix called "The Enforcer" She does a lot of closed mouth strikes on me. It's just her attitude. I've learned to accept it.
Your situation is a little different. Keep working with her and you will probably fine a place in the middle.
Best of luck, keep us informed on your situation.

P.S. Will she take food from your hand?

[Tyrel26]

It could be a change on her part that resulted from the trouble swallowing her food, or maybe you have changed. Like it has been said sent may cause this problem, could it be a different shampoo, moisturizer, etc..

Only question I have is does she poop ok? and how long after you feed her worms does it take her to poop?