Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys--I guess I'm "new" to this, but only really to the board here. Been around a while, just never really registered... but anyway.

Here's the question I pose, which is mainly a "what would you do" thing: I recently purchased a redtail boa, she looks like she may have a tiny hint of Argentina in her as she's darker than 'normal' and has a good amount of speckling along with more saddles than normal--like 2 or 3 times what looks normal. She was advertised as being very sweet and around 8 months of age. Both are true as long as she isn't freshly put back in to her enclosure. She's fairly active, sniffs around everywhere and everything, and is great to hold as she seems rather relaxed in the hand.

But when I put her back into her enclosure she gets VERY defensive and hostile. She doesn't hiss, but she does coil up into the S-position we all know. The other night, I was sure it was after feeding that she got this way (when she attacked the glass 7 or 8 times in as many minutes when I did a walk-through searching for a few items). Touchy snake after feeding = no surprise. Now, it's been 3 full nights since she was given food, and I had her in hand for about an hour tonight, first time since she ate. I just put her back and she was instantly defensive--within 5 seconds. If I very, very slowly ease my hand in, she'll sniff it, but she won't back down any--I noticed this when I was changing out her water dish. She hit my hand twice, once sinking in her teeth to draw two small drops of blood. It would have been a third but she missed the second time.

Tank stats (bear in mind she's 8 months old): The tank is a 4 breeder (36"L x 18"W x ~16"H), I have my ambient temp at 82-83*F, and when I have the light on, it gets up to around 90-95 under the light. The thing is, she NEVER sits under the light, or even on the end of the tank with the undertank heater (which keeps it ~82). She always buries herself in the aspen substrate for hiding. Humidity stays 55-60% without the light, it slowly drops to 38 or 40% with it on so I spray when I notice it that low.

Thoughts? Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks
Nate

PS--I do have a few other snakes, this boa is not my first. But it IS my first where I believe I'm doing everything right and still have a crotchety young snake.

Correction: the tank is a 40B. Not 4. (Cripes what can you keep in a 4 gallon tank besides a tarantula?!)

Hi Nate. The only thing I could suggest (other than love the snake for what it is!) would be to add multiple hides. From your description below, it seems the snake has no place to go and "get away from it all", besides under the aspen. Try putting some different hiding options in the enclosure so that the snake has the option to go directly into it's shelter as soon as you put it back in it's enclosure. Other than that, just give it time and have patience during this "break-in" phase with your new snake. Sounds like it's healthy and eating well, so I wouldn't worry too much. I have a female yellow rat snake that is hands-down, THE nastiest animal I have ever owned in my 30 years keeping scaly things. She's healthy as a horse and produced a nice clutch of baby yellows for me this year, but I have had no luck in getting her to calm down in two years. For some snakes, that's just the way they are. Gotta love em anyway!

Good luck.
Billy

>>Hey guys--I guess I'm "new" to this, but only really to the board here. Been around a while, just never really registered... but anyway.
>>
>>Here's the question I pose, which is mainly a "what would you do" thing: I recently purchased a redtail boa, she looks like she may have a tiny hint of Argentina in her as she's darker than 'normal' and has a good amount of speckling along with more saddles than normal--like 2 or 3 times what looks normal. She was advertised as being very sweet and around 8 months of age. Both are true as long as she isn't freshly put back in to her enclosure. She's fairly active, sniffs around everywhere and everything, and is great to hold as she seems rather relaxed in the hand.
>>
>>But when I put her back into her enclosure she gets VERY defensive and hostile. She doesn't hiss, but she does coil up into the S-position we all know. The other night, I was sure it was after feeding that she got this way (when she attacked the glass 7 or 8 times in as many minutes when I did a walk-through searching for a few items). Touchy snake after feeding = no surprise. Now, it's been 3 full nights since she was given food, and I had her in hand for about an hour tonight, first time since she ate. I just put her back and she was instantly defensive--within 5 seconds. If I very, very slowly ease my hand in, she'll sniff it, but she won't back down any--I noticed this when I was changing out her water dish. She hit my hand twice, once sinking in her teeth to draw two small drops of blood. It would have been a third but she missed the second time.
>>
>>Tank stats (bear in mind she's 8 months old): The tank is a 4 breeder (36"L x 18"W x ~16"H), I have my ambient temp at 82-83*F, and when I have the light on, it gets up to around 90-95 under the light. The thing is, she NEVER sits under the light, or even on the end of the tank with the undertank heater (which keeps it ~82). She always buries herself in the aspen substrate for hiding. Humidity stays 55-60% without the light, it slowly drops to 38 or 40% with it on so I spray when I notice it that low.
>>
>>Thoughts? Am I missing something obvious?
>>
>>Thanks
>>Nate
>>
>>
>>PS--I do have a few other snakes, this boa is not my first. But it IS my first where I believe I'm doing everything right and still have a crotchety young snake.

You are describing my Costa Rican to a tee. Very defensive of her enclosure, but once you get her out, she's as sweet as any Colombian.
-----
2.1.0 Kidletts
1.0.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 Okeetee Corn
2.2.0 BCI
0.1.0 Cat (Ginger)
1.0.0 Pughuahua (Ranger)

I should have added that I do have three hides in for her--a hot box of moss with a hole cut in the side for entrance, a half log, and a large low-lying plant, all fairly evenly distributed along the length of the tank. She'll crawl in, sit on top of the half log, and coil up before she's even off my hand. Then I have to back slowly out or I get whacked

I used to catch loads of them as a kid and I could never tame
one down. I still love the way they look.

You cant "tame" a snake !!
We as keepers get pretty lucky now an again and get a few that tolerate us.Usually after the first 18-24 months will determine their future levels of defense('iveness)allowing for mood swings of coarse.They will be either or,just like your human neighbors. Some will tolerate you and others cant wait for you to move.
Pretty much the best you can hope for in this game.
I cant understand the
slow approach" method your describeing for getting your animal out of its cage ?Muchless the "backing slowly away" thing when returning the animal to its cage.
Either way that would be teaseing IMO and avoided "here" at all cost.Human actions like that will get you "Nailed" working around our cages with those methods.

Get the animal out,put the animal in.

M/

This guy bites cause he likes to !

>>Hey guys--I guess I'm "new" to this, but only really to the board here. Been around a while, just never really registered... but anyway.
>>
>>Here's the question I pose, which is mainly a "what would you do" thing: I recently purchased a redtail boa, she looks like she may have a tiny hint of Argentina in her as she's darker than 'normal' and has a good amount of speckling along with more saddles than normal--like 2 or 3 times what looks normal. She was advertised as being very sweet and around 8 months of age. Both are true as long as she isn't freshly put back in to her enclosure. She's fairly active, sniffs around everywhere and everything, and is great to hold as she seems rather relaxed in the hand.
>>
>>But when I put her back into her enclosure she gets VERY defensive and hostile. She doesn't hiss, but she does coil up into the S-position we all know. The other night, I was sure it was after feeding that she got this way (when she attacked the glass 7 or 8 times in as many minutes when I did a walk-through searching for a few items). Touchy snake after feeding = no surprise. Now, it's been 3 full nights since she was given food, and I had her in hand for about an hour tonight, first time since she ate. I just put her back and she was instantly defensive--within 5 seconds. If I very, very slowly ease my hand in, she'll sniff it, but she won't back down any--I noticed this when I was changing out her water dish. She hit my hand twice, once sinking in her teeth to draw two small drops of blood. It would have been a third but she missed the second time.
>>
>>Tank stats (bear in mind she's 8 months old): The tank is a 4 breeder (36"L x 18"W x ~16"H), I have my ambient temp at 82-83*F, and when I have the light on, it gets up to around 90-95 under the light. The thing is, she NEVER sits under the light, or even on the end of the tank with the undertank heater (which keeps it ~82). She always buries herself in the aspen substrate for hiding. Humidity stays 55-60% without the light, it slowly drops to 38 or 40% with it on so I spray when I notice it that low.
>>
>>Thoughts? Am I missing something obvious?
>>
>>Thanks
>>Nate
>>
>>
>>PS--I do have a few other snakes, this boa is not my first. But it IS my first where I believe I'm doing everything right and still have a crotchety young snake.