Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a 2yr old argentine i got from Bob Clark. she has been a great snake unitl i moved her into a larger cage. now every time i go near her she strikes at the glass. she has been moved for about a week, and has hide spots, but doesn't use them. she has been a litle agressive before but this is rediculous

All snakes take time to acclimate to new surroundings. I would give her time and try not to get frustrated. Just leave her alone for a few more days and then see what happens.

The aggressive behavior is your boa's only way of telling you that something is upsetting her. The move to the new enclosure is the most obvious culprit. Besides the new cage, are there new fixtures within the cage? I have witnessed many similar behaviors that can be traced back to something within the enclosure that frightens or upsets the snake. In every case, the removal of the offending object (through trial and error) corrected the behavior problems.

Figure out what is different; it could be as simple as a new hide box or water bowl, or as obscure as the temperature or ambient light being different from before. Whatever it is, once you isolate it and correct it, your girl will return to her normal temperment.

Let us know how it works out.

Thanks,

Mike Greathouse
Reptilian Dreams
Reptilian Dreams

I agree on giving her more time. If she is not yet using her hides (and has used these hides or others before) she may still not be acclimated. Could take a while longer. After a period of time, you could use a snake hook or something similar, or even gloves and a jacket, if necessary, and go ahead and get her out. Then see how she is. As you more than likely know, they usually settle down after being removed from their cage. If she is ok with you and only defensive/aggressive in her cage, she most likely will adapt over time OR you may need to re-evaluate (as mentioned in the other post) as to whether the present conditions are working for her. Argentines are very alert and reactive. I have found moving my snakes into a larger cage sometimes has them somewhat nervous for a while, but they generally calm after their acclimation. Of course that period of time is up to the individual snake, no particular time frame unfortunately. Best of luck, and keep us informed. How big is she now? Mine is around six four, he is a bit moody, but we do fine. "Chuck"

thank you guys for the advise. i think she is doing better now. she used one of her hides yesterday, and i was just in my room and she didn't even watch me. i think she is just under 4 foot now