Aggressive Puget

[Maleko]

Hi there,

So I acquired a new Puget Sound Garter over the summer, born some time in May, and she's faring much better than my previous garters did. She's got a heating pad for night time, a nice heat lamp during the day when the room gets cold, she's fed a whole pinky mouse about once a week now, and she's all good.

The only problem is her temperament... she's nothing like my other garters were; docile, and eager to be held. She's wily, skittish, and she's recently discovered that she can use her teeth as a weapon...

I've tried regular handling, and she lives in my bedroom, so she's used to my regular presence, but she just doesn't like being handled. It was suggested to me that I try wearing, then cutting up an old shirt of mine and putting it in her enclosure so she can become accustomed to my scent, but I'm a little doubtful.

I'm guessing this is just her temperament and there's not much I can do about it?...

[katach]

I have a lady puget like that, not the biting, but skittish and doesn't like to be held. We just let her be. Sometimes we take her out for some handling, but she doesn't care for it. If you are really trying to get her more docile you could try just putting your hand in the enclosure and not moving it. Let her come and investigate you. Also garters are great at sensing hesitations and nervousness. Take a deep breath and relax before handling. Another option is to associate handling with food. Handle her a few minutes then give her a treat. Good luck!

[-MARWOLAETH-]

That shirt trick does work because the mainly associate us by our scent.

[Selkielass]

I was taking care of a mean snake for a while this summer- he started biting and chewing as his wounds healed and he felt able to protest my presence.

I kept him semi- handleable by gently blowing thru the screen of the cage each time I passed to keep him accustomed to my presence, and by handling him very very briefly (just a quick run thru the fingers while I changed his water and spot cleaned.)I then returned him to his cage with a bit of worm as a reward.

He didn't, in the short time I tended him show any signs of enjoying human contact, but he would tolerate brief contact without violence so long as I kept it brief and kept to routine. Most snakes gradually become more flaxes and willing. To accept humans with time, but there are always exceptionally stubborn individuals.

[Invisible Snake]

That shirt trick does work because the mainly associate us by our scent.

I thought that trick only worked with warm blooded animals, like dogs, cats and small rodents o.O

[-MARWOLAETH-]

It works with almost all reptiles but it's mainly used with monitors and tegus as they rely on their sense of smell a lot.

[Spankenstyne]

Time.

Patience, and regular handling will eventually see it calm down. Let it get confident and feel safe in it's environment and then start short handling sessions. When you go to take it out you have to be calm and confident, don't hesitate. Try not to react when it bites and only put it back when it has calmed down.

Some can take years of work. For example my worst female Cape Gopher is finally calming down after 6 years, most only take a few weeks/months. The ones that get really crazy-stressed with handling I find usually do better if you give them a few days/week between sessions. It may take longer but I have found it to work well.

There are other methods that work too, just relaying what I've had my best success with.

The shirt/clothing thing seems to work very well. I haven't tried myself but I have a couple of friends who swear by it. One used to breed Vietnamese Blue Beauty snakes and would put a shirt in just before the babies were born and I can say first-hand that his babies were always super calm & docile. It makes sense (er scents? har har)

[Maleko]

Well thank you guys! I'll definitely give the shirt idea a try then, in addition to all the other ideas.
As for treating her, should I just use something small like a chunk of worm?
And a little off topic, but can snakes be trained to respond to positive reinforcement like dogs and cats? I've trained one of my freshwater angelfish using this method, and I don't see why it shouldn't work on a reptile.

[snake man]

I would suggest spending more time with her.

[Maleko]

So I did the shirt thing and now she’s very reluctant to go in that corner of the tank and as I watch her from afar, I can see she’s actively looking for me. I think I'm gonna start building a routine, like 5-10 minutes twice a day of talking to her and putting my hand in the tank and letting her investigate at her own pace. Any other suggestions for time being?