Coastal Ribbon snake temperment

[infernalis]

I have here six coastal ribbon snakes (Thamnophis proximus) that were not eating, and now they are ravenous consumers of nearly anything I put in front of them that will not eat them first!!!

However the little snakies have forced me to keep them separated all the time, I have witnessed siblings fighting violently with each other more than once, with no food present at all.

They are latching on to each other from the sides, and last night one bit me repeatedly, not that I mind, silly little thing.

They can open those tiny mouths REALLY wide, and when I see them rolling around like 2 brothers fighting over a quarter, it's not too funny.

Is this normal behavior for that species?? Or did I create monsters by teaching them to eat

[crzy_kevo]

sounds interesting wayne i wonder ?

[GartersRock]

Rofl!! Thats too funny!
I know that my restripe ribbon baby when I got him would strike and bite repeatedly. Since he was so tiny, when I needed to handle him to weigh him or clean his cage I would just stick my hand in and take him out and just let him do what he wanted. He has learned that I don't do anything differently whether he bites or not, so he has stopped. Took about two weeks. *shrugs* Had him only two or something months.

[Gijs & Sabine]

In general all Ribbons are very stressfull, but we've never seen them agressive towarts eachother. When I handle the adults they will scent on you like crazy but they never tried to bite me.
We have proximus proximus and proximus rubrilineatus and they behave pretty much the same.
We've had babies for 3 years now and it happens regularly that some of the babies try to bite you all the time, they'll curl up in an agressive possition. But I've never seen them biting eachother.

So I'd say you have some characters there

[GartersRock]

Oh yeah. But I have never seen them biting each other. I guess thats what your original question was wasn't it. lol! *Pay attention Amanda*... lol!

Very interesting!

[infernalis]

My guess would be that since they were non feeders, and I have "triggered" the feeding response, that maybe they need to be "power fed" for a while to calm them down.

They are striking at any motion!!! one will even thunk it's head against the glass to try and grab a finger.

If the attacks were not scaring me that they may hurt each other, I'd take a picture of it.

[Garter_Gertie]

"thunk his head"

Great discription.

THUNK

[GartersRock]

My TX Rat Snakes are PRO thunkers. =D