What to do with very aggressive garter

[Selkielass]

My larger snakes (eastern and checkered) become seasonal lying good aggressive, but nothing as severe as you describe. (Tong feeding saves my fingers from mis-strikes.)

Moving while latched onto food may work. Some on of my snakes will let go of food if disturbed while eating tho...

If this is the case, place the food in a feeding container and -'encourage' her to enter so you can close up and contain her the way venomous handlers do.

I hope the striking at glass will pass as hormones and seasonal factors change.
Would you consider trying a homeopathic stress relief preparation like aconite or bachelor flower rescue remedy? They work for cats and dogs... not sure how they'd go over in the water dish or sprinkled over food.

[Ruth]

My larger snakes (eastern and checkered) become seasonal lying good aggressive, but nothing as severe as you describe. (Tong feeding saves my fingers from mis-strikes.)

Moving while latched onto food may work. Some on of my snakes will let go of food if disturbed while eating tho...

If this is the case, place the food in a feeding container and -'encourage' her to enter so you can close up and contain her the way venomous handlers do.

I hope the striking at glass will pass as hormones and seasonal factors change.

Would you consider trying a homeopathic stress relief preparation like aconite or bachelor flower rescue remedy? They work for cats and dogs... not sure how they'd go over in the water dish or sprinkled over food.

The striking is what is really concerning me now as I can't help but think she is unhappy if doing this. I have no idea about homeopathic remedies.

I think I will try and give her a really over the top planted enclosure as to be fair I rather fancy one anyway and see if that helps. I could pop in an over head uv for the plants and plant up to limit her viewing the outside world unless she wants to. I'm hoping her behavior is partly down to hormones and she'll have more calm months.

Maybe I should make a cardboard cut out of myself to stand over her , so she gets used to my presence lol.

[chris-uk]

They can't bite you if they are busy eating.

I had to do exactly the same when my bitey checkered launched herself out the viv during feeding last week. I got a pinky into her mouth then picked her up and popped her back in the viv.

[infernalis]

I keep a black racer... I can't think of any more off the chain species. That thing will smack it's nose against the glass trying to get a bite in. He's handleable when he has a mouse in his mouth, but I will never reach in his cage otherwise.

[EKS56]

I think mine will calm down after her "spring time" emergence. I have a pair. They were not brumated but still are showing a similar pattern for inactivity then an huge increase in activity. The female went from eating sporadically to eating everything in sight and the male went from a four month fast to eating regularly. It was strange they both changed their behavoir on the same day. The male has not offered to bite.
How long have you had your snake and is it a pair?

[Natrix]

As most on here will have read, and I know Chris will confirm, I recently took in two re-homes that were part of a collection whose owner had pass away. The flame is very aggressive, striking at anything that moves past her line of sight. This is heightened at feeding time. So did some research into the matter and found that rubber washing up glove may well be the answer. Snakes apparently hate the taste of rubber. Recommended handling time is 1hr - 2hrs per week, this should desensitize the snake and hopefully deter it from biting. Well worth a try!

[Ruth]

As most on here will have read, and I know Chris will confirm, I recently took in two re-homes that were part of a collection whose owner had pass away. The flame is very aggressive, striking at anything that moves past her line of sight. This is heightened at feeding time. So did some research into the matter and found that rubber washing up glove may well be the answer. Snakes apparently hate the taste of rubber. Recommended handling time is 1hr - 2hrs per week, this should desensitize the snake and hopefully deter it from biting. Well worth a try!

That's interesting thank you.

To answer the previous question she came to me from another forum member a couple of months ago and is on her own.

Thanks to all your help and reassurance, I'm glad that she's not the only lunatic out there and feel much better that she's just a moody cow and nothing is wrong with her. I will try a heavily planted enclosure and may try the desensitizing idea but if she doesn't want to be held I will just have to look and not touch. Hopefully she will calm down with the striking at the glass as I really don't like to see her do this and feel she must be stressed. She is one very beautiful girl though and such wonderful colours.

Love the idea of moving her while feeding in an emergency but I would imagine it's best not to do that to often as don't want her to go off her food though she's a pig so I doubt she'd get put off.

Thanks all and I will keep you updated with her antics, and will keep a camera near me next time to take a snap of her snap

[chris-uk]

I have a couple that are definitely for watching only, not because they bite but because they just haven't settled even with regular handling. I think it's safe to say a snake that is biting defensively isn't a happy snake and if it doesn't get accustomed to handling you'll be doing the right thing to keep it as one to watch. I suppose the upside for my non-handle ones is that because they don't bite I don't have to worry about keeping them with ones that I do have contact with, I'm not going to take a bite when I open the viv to take out a tank mate.

[Darlo]

Sorry to hear my little girl has turned into the spawn of Satan Ruth. Florida Blues do have the reputation for being moody but she does seem to have developed a real edge to her. Rod's advice regarding rubber gloves is well worth trying and I have heard of many success stories using such an approach.

[Ruth]

Sorry to hear my little girl has turned into the spawn of Satan Ruth. Florida Blues do have the reputation for being moody but she does seem to have developed a real edge to her. Rod's advice regarding rubber gloves is well worth trying and I have heard of many success stories using such an approach.

It's ok and I am looking after her well I promise. She really is very lovely in every other way, she just doesn't think the same of me. I am thinking that it may be hormonal as the weather really has warmed up over the past week after being very cool. I will be relocating her over the next couple of weeks and will see what happens then.