Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was giving a 3 1/2 year old red tail boa! She is beautiful in color and has no cuts or scratches on her. I know I should not fear her but she is over 6 feet and i get a little worried sometimes when handling her. What signs should I look for wo make sure I am ok holding her and how can I tell if she is going to strike. any info would be great. thanks in advance

Beware the S curve! If the snake shapes its neck into a tight S shape shortly behind the head, it's in a good poture from which to strike. Also, if it seems bunched up and is moving it's head like it's tracking your movements, beware.

Generally, keep the snake out of range of your face, especially until you are familiar with each other. If you fail to see the strike coming, and a 6 footer gets you in the face, it's not going to be pretty.

If you get bit on the hand, or arm, it'll bleed, but it's not a big deal. As a boa owner, you will very probably get bitten at some point, so don't let that dominate your life. Just be safe and sensible and you'll have a great experience as a boa owner.
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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)

poture = posture
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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 see sometimes when I have her she will go out a little and come back around at me and is a somewhat of an S shape. Is this OK? is this just her moving? I just do not want to get bit cause of something I could have avoided.

To retract her head she'll coil back in an S-curve, but the TIGHT S-curve is the one to beware of. My snakes all elevate a portion of their body as well. The biggest things I'd look for--that is, easy to ID even with no experience--are your snake following your movements, dilated pupils (well, mine does this anyway), and a slowed flickering of the tongue. A carefree snake has a longer, faster, flickering of its tongue more often than a defensive snake. Try feeding your snake live once, you'll soon see the "strike curve" used in conjunction with a slower tongue flicker. I can look at my snakes and tell you when it has caught the scent of a rodent just by its misdemeanor. It will change posture in the moment right before it actually strikes.

You can also see the S-curve if you scare your snake, but that is generally not a good idea and is also a great way to get bitten. Don't do that. I figured that out the hard way the very first time I got a snake sent to me--that little lady did NOT like being taken out of her box in a totally alien environment!

Hard to explain, but over time you'll get a feeling for it. Obviously this is a little less of a problem with babies, however boas are typically reluctant to bite.

Watch her when you are feeding her, and see how she reacts, tenses, and strikes. Boas rarely have surprise strikes, and you can tell when they are about to.

always support her with two hands
handle her often so she will used to you (3 times a week or more)
always wash your hands before taking her out
when they are in that S shape they will track every move you make with their head if they are thinking of striking
they almost always bite only when the keeper makes a mistake
feed her in the cage and when you take her out use a hook, if you always do this the snake will instantly know when they feel that cold metal that it is not feeding time

good luck
Caden