Cuddles!

[ConcinusMan]

That is a reflection of your finger.

I think so too.

[acovert]

Cuddles had a exciting day yesterday. He went on a short road trip to his birth place and we visited the family that gave him to me over a year ago. His mother found a new home, and I was sad to learn that none of his siblings survived. By the time that the family had figured out what to feed the babies, they simply weren't eating and they all passed on.

The kids were excited to see him, though. They all remembered him - even their severely autistic son, though he showed little interest in what was going on. Cuddles took all of the excitement very well, and he didn't seem to mind the car ride in his old plastic tank that he lived in while we were in Montana.

Cuddles has been very active lately. He's been practicing his acrobatics inside of his tank, trying to find a way to get out of the lid at the top. I am so glad that I found a way to block the holes in the lid. Otherwise he would be finding ways to escape and I probably wouldn't have a snake anymore.

During the short time that Cuddles was in his traveling tank on my bed my cat laid down next to him and batted at the tank, then took a nap. He was pretty calm about the whole thing, and Cuddles was taunting him from inside of the cage. He seemed to think it was funny to stretch himself to the top of the cage on the side that the cat was on and then wiggle back and forth. It's the first time the cat has REALLY seen the snake, and that will be the only way he sees the snake. Ever.

Other than all of that, Cuddles seems to be doing great right now. He is active, eating well (he at a whole worm the other day, instead of about two thirds. I still had to cut it in half though), and he has definitely gotten bigger since I first go him. If I get some more pictures this weekend I will make an attempt to post them. His colors are coming out quite nicely.

[acovert]

So I was feeding Cuddles today and I noticed that he was a bit more aggressive than usual today. He struck at me several times, and at the stick I was using to move some things around in his tank while I was trying to catch him. In the year and a half or so that I have had him, I have never once had him try to bite me, so I was a little surprised. Does anyone have any theories as to why he might have this sudden urge to bite?

[guidofatherof5]

Having a bad day

[ProXimuS]

Maybe is he in blue phase, and possibly just scared because he can't see well?

[acovert]

No. I don't believe he is in the blue phase. He doesn't seem to be having any trouble seeing. And he's never been aggressive during that phase before.

[acovert]

Cuddles surprised me with a shed after work tonight! The shed itself looks perfect. I haven't had a chance to check him just yet because he won't let me catch him and I had to eat because work makes me hungry to the point where I shake. But I caught a glimpse of his colors and they look lovely, as usual. When I catch him I will try to get pictures, but that might wait until tomorrow because I am still going somewhere else tonight.

He has still bee aggressive, and eating more than usual. Two worms over the course of a few days is a lot for him. Usually he eats a third of a worm once or twice a week.

At the moment he is glaring at me from his dinosaur skull (a fishtank decoration....but he loves it!)> He is not happy that I tried to catch him.

[ConcinusMan]

Ah, well, blue or not, trouble seeing or not, they can still be a bit grouchy, defensive, or skittish if it's close to shedding time and apparently that was the case. If it's merely feeding aggression, then that should be no mystery or surprise. Sometimes they're just really hungry or sometimes certain foods will illicit an aggressive response. Some of my snakes attack viciously when fed rat pups but will take fish calmly. Happens visa-versa too with some snakes.

[EasternGirl]

Glad to hear that Cuddles is doing well...don't know what to tell you about the aggressive behavior. Cee Cee goes through phases where she acts like she has completely forgotten who I am, and she strikes at me and bites me if I try to get near her...then she goes back to herself and stops being aggressive. You may be able to chalk it up to him just being defensive during shed mode. Has there been anyone new around? Have you started wearing a new body lotion...painted your nails a color he has never seen...changed your hair color? Things that we don't even think about...little changes that seem insignificant to us, can throw a snake off and confuse them as to who we are. Cee Cee will bite the crap out of me if I wear red nail polish...and if I wear my hair a different way, my snakes will look at me like I am a stranger. Also...Richard is right about different foods eliciting different responses....pinks get my snakes all worked up.

[ConcinusMan]

He has still been aggressive, and eating more than usual. Two worms over the course of a few days is a lot for him. Usually he eats a third of a worm once or twice a week.

Maybe that's unusual for him but that's nothing really. I have snakes that would eat a full dozen large night crawlers every time I offer, if I let them. Maybe "aggressive" isn't the right word. "Enthusiastic" comes to mind.