Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My yellow is now going on 2 months old. She's quite aggressive. I can understand the biological reasons behind this: at 2 feet long with no real major defenses, anything can eat you!

So my questions is twofold: Will this go away with age, and how can I calm her down now?

I've been a pretty bad keeper, and haven't had much time to handle her. She snaps quite readily at a hook, and will snap at me through a snake bag. But if I hold her in the bag for a few minutes, she settles down pretty well. Should I continue this method? Or is there something else I should do?
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1.1.2 Python regius
0.0.1 Eunectes notaeus
0.0.1 Lampropeltis spp.
1.3.0 Triturus karelinii
1.3.0 Taricha granulosa
5.0.0 Ambystoma mexicanum
0.3.0 Ambystoma jeffersonianum
0.0.2 Ambystoma laterale
0.0.2 Ambystoma mavortium
0.0.3 Salamandra salamandra
0.0.1 Tylototriton verrucosus

I would say ditch the bag, that sounds like you are stressing it out. Use gloves to hold it for awhile and then go to one glove and then non glove. You need to handle it a lot more. Some people say to put a t shirt you have worn in with it for awhile so it gets a sense of your smell. There is several things you can do but sounds like its defensive just need to assure it you are not going to eat it.
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0.2 Rotts
1.0 Super Tiger
0.1 Green Burm
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Red Tail
0.1 Blood Python
1.0 Green Ananconda
1.0 Emerald Tree Boa

Hi there.....if you don`t have a lot of time to handle your conda, try throwing items of clothing that you have worn into her cage so she gets used to your smell, then when you reach in, it will be a scent she is quite familiar with, I have 23 babies at home.........kitten tame(also from handling the first few days after being born)....Mike

I'll try your suggestions. I'll definately be able to handle her more in the next coming weeks. I recently moved, and they're all still at my ex boyfriend's house. But all the critters are moving home this weekend. And I'm still not sure where to put them, lol.

Thanks for the help
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1.1.2 Ball Python (normal/rescue)
0.0.1 Yellow Anaconda
0.0.1 Kingsnake spp.
1.3.0 Southern/Turkish Crested Newt
1.3.0 Roughskinned Newt
5.0.0 Axolotl
0.3.0 Jefferson's Salamander
0.0.2 Blue Spotted Salamander
0.0.2 Tiger Salamander
0.0.2 Fire Salamander
0.0.1 Himalayan Crocodile Newt
0.0.2 Common Musk Turtle
0.1.0 Calico Cat

One of my Green Anacondas behaved aggressively, too. As you can see in the photo I used to "armor up" to handle her.

I used to handle the Anacondas with gloved hands, then gradually allowed them more access to my bare skin such as rolling up the jacket near the glove baring my wrist. The female Anaconda was the most aggressive and had bitten me a number of times. She may have been reacting instinctually to my body heat and the smell of my skin. One day I read to acclimate the Anacondas to my smell, so I placed a towel in my bed and slept on it for a few days. Then placed the towel inside the enclosure with the Anacondas. Although it may have just been a coincidence, a few days later the more aggressive female would allow me to pick her up and to my knowledge she hasn't bitten me since. I will pick up and handle any of the Anacondas with little worry of being bitten. Earlier this morning I had the female around my neck for about an hour. I'm not saying she won't bite, but I'm reasonably comfortable she probably will not. At least I can handle her directly, so she should calm down even further. My advise is to try the towel or t-shirt technique. Since biting the handler is common with Anacondas, let us know the results if you decide to use this technique.

Scott