Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, all. I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle a rather odd situation.

The backstory is that I'm a former major ophidiophobe who, about nine years ago, somehow caught the snake bug in a big way. (Sort of like the old joke about former atheists being the best preachers.) Anyway, my small collection eventually consisted of 3 ball pythons, a cornsnake, and a 6-foot boa constrictor. The boa and I always had a bit of a trust issue, but we more or less got past it. I'd take him out and haul him around, and he only bit me a couple of times, little nervous nips that meant, basically, "Look, I know I'm supposed to be a calm snake, but I'm *really* freaked out!"

Now, fast-forward to about two years ago. My marriage falls apart, and the short story is that my ex-wife has had possession of my snakes ever since. Now here's the bad news: The boa, who was never the calmest fellow, has not been handled once in two years, and associates the opening of his cage now only with feeding. And for all of us who have ever seen a big snake crash headlong into the plexiglass in a full-fledged "Gimme that rat!" strike, you know it's not a reassuring sight.

It looks like I may soon again have possession of my snakes. But I am puzzled and frankly nervous about trying to socialize the boa again. He's big, he's twitchy, he's bitey, and I'm not looking forward to messing with him. I believe the operative word here is "fear." (Hey, I'll admit it.)

Does anyone have any suggestions about the best way to proceed? How would you go about re-socializing this snake? Thanks in advance for any input.

Wayne

Wow--certainly an interesting scenario! I can only share what I did with my 6 ft. male when I got him as an adult, and he exhibited similar behaviors. No guarantees--just what worked in my situation.

1. Get a sturdy hook and a pair of welding gloves (and a plexi face shield of some type if you are so inclined). Do not interact with him if you are alone in the house.

2. Stop feeding him in his cage. Hook him and transfer him to a very large sterilite bin with a lid. Make sure that the f/t rats are in the container before you put him in. Let him associate food with the hook and the bin.

3. After he's eaten, gently "dump" him on the floor. This way you can pin his head with the hook and get a good grip on him so he will not be hurt going back into his cage, nor will he have free access to bite you.

4. I started re-handling mine by putting him in a large, dark cloth laundry bag 3 days after feeding. I touched him/held him through the bag and was able to control him while acclimating him to my touch. I repeated this every 3 days.

5. It's been several years, and I still don't trust him completely--welding gloves when I reach in for him and alcohol based hand gel at the ready should I need it to deal with a bite. But, he's much better overall. We actually have "normal" interactions, but I'm super-sensitive to "when he's had enough."

Has your ex been able to perform adequate husbandry for this animal, given the circumstances? If not, you may want to have him vet checked. Conditions due to poor husbandry may make his already nervous attitude more irritable. Be honest with the vet in terms of what you are bringing in--he/she will be prepared. Best of luck with this animal.

rgds,
althea

Excellent reply, Althea!

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

I have heard of other people using hooks and gloves to pick up snakes that are kind of nippy. Althea had a great reply. Although I don't have snakes as large as a boa anymore, I would use a hook if my snake was nippy. I don't want to be bitten by a medium snake either. Derek

...try wearing an undershirt for a few days then putting the shirt in the cage with the snake(to acclimate her to your smell)...gently rub her with the shirt(on a stick!)...try laying said shirt over her head before picking her up...

This technique also works for conditioning your snake to accept prey with your scent! ;0)
Actually, such is highly anecdotal and there is no empirical evidence indicating this works to associate a specimen with its keeper...

Best regards,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Thanks much to all who replied, especially althea. When I get my snakes back, I'll let you know how things go!