Aggressive snake hmm...

[Lee]

Errrrr.... This one is a bit newish to me. My female that I've kept for a good 3+ years that is around 2.5 feet has gotten to be a bit aggressive. When I caught here she was mega aggressive and would strike at every chance, but she tamed down and it was always a defensive " scarred " strike. I was able to taker her out and hold her without any problems.

Now my female has gotten boulder, she has started strikeing the plexiglass at my fingers, now at my entire hand. She has started to become much bolder when the food comes out eagerly coming out to feed in front of me. The only thing that really scarres her is when I move very quickly towards her but she is quickly back out if I hold my finger in her view.. The male has also gotten bolder but has not been actually trying to strike.

Any way I can discourage this behavior or get them to settle down a bit? I'm getting a big frustrated, at some point I would like to be able to hold them again, I haven't handled them much except when cleaning the cage and taking downstars durring a tornado warning..

Thoughts?

[adamanteus]

I read in a thread somewhere (I think maybe KITKAT wrote it) that if you were rubber gloves whilst dealing with the snakes this problem soon goes away. Apparently snakes dislike the taste of the gloves, so they stop striking at your hands. Worth a try.

[chloe]

If ever i get an aggressive snake, i always use rubber gloves and they soon stop biting. It has always worked for me.

[KITKAT]

I read in a thread somewhere (I think maybe KITKAT wrote it) that if you were rubber gloves whilst dealing with the snakes this problem soon goes away. Apparently snakes dislike the taste of the gloves, so they stop striking at your hands. Worth a try.

Yes, it is LATEX that is bitter, so make sure those gloves are latex!

[garterking]

[quote=Lee;18768]

Now my female has gotten boulder, she has started strikeing the plexiglass at my fingers, now at my entire hand. She has started to become much bolder when the food comes out eagerly coming out to feed in front of me. quote]

Just a quick thought. I feed mine in a tupperware container and not in their home. If they see something warm and moving in their cage, they might think it's food and go after it. They also associate the tupperware with dinner time and eat until full. I only had 1 snake in the past strike at me in captivity and when I started feeding him in a seperate aquarium, the aggressiveness stopped and he was much more friendly.

[garterking7]

Hey, I have the same problem and if you find an answer reply to me

Thanks, Cody

[garterking7]

I have just found out about latex gloves. Try it!

[Lee]

She calmed down a ton today, not attacking me durring feeding, not striking glass. I guess smashing her head on the glass after attacking my fingers taught her a lesson and she doesn't wanna have a headache anymore lol she actually runs away from my finger!