Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all.

I have a 1.5 year old red tail boa. It has been tame from day one. I have been the only owner of this snake. I have always been able to hold it and it would just hang out on me. Today I had it out and it was acting strange. It was very jumpy. It finally calmed down after about 1/2 hour anhd then I put him back in his tank. I was sitting looking at him as I ate my lunch and he looked like he wanted to strike. I moved a little closer to the tank and he started striking at me. He went about 3 times before I could move away. Then fo the rest of the afternoon he stayed in a strike position. If I tried to get near the tank, he would try to strike again. Does anyone know whay he would do this? He has never been aggressive towards anyone. I would like to add, that I have a carpet python also with the tank on the other side of the room and she was doing the same thing. This snake was aggressive when I got her last year but has calmed down and is very docile. I should add that feeding day was last friday for both, the boa ate his rat and the python ate her mice. Does anyone know what could have caused this. Please respond as I need help and don't know who to ask.

Thank You

In my experiance, I think Boas are loopy, but the first question is do you feed the boa in its cage. My retic does that to me everytime I walk by for the first time. Nothing will scare you until you hear it hit the glass. Although its not safe for the snake, could break its jaw. Back to the Boa though. My Boa also use to be very calm and then went off feed for awhile then started eating again. But now if I hold her for a few mintues she will bite me. On another side note she always looks like she is going to strike though and always had, just their defense.

I think they can tell when we are jumpy to and that scares them.
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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

No I don't feed the boa in his tank and he has never gone off feed. I am never nervous when I am handling him. Does this mean I now have an aggressive boa?

By chance, were you wearing a bright RED or ORANGE shirt? I heard of someone who had the same problem - went to handle their normally docile snakes and suddenly it seemed ALL of them wanted to strike him. He was wearing a red shirt. He changed it and they seemd to calm down and go back to normal.

If both snakes are suddenly acting funny, maybe there is some smell that is out of the ordinary in the room (house mouse? cologne?).
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Lauren Madar
www.ophidiagems.com
1.1 Hog Island Boas
1.1 Hypo BCI
0.1 Sorong-type GTP
1.0 Normal Ball Python
1.1 Surinam BCC

No I had a blue shirt on and I have short sleeves. I set a mouse trap but did not catch anything. The boa is still striking today. I am afraid he is going to kill himself.

I don't think he will kill himself, but it probably feels antaginzed, or is it about ready to shed or go into shed. Maybe not aggressive but a defensive snake. Snakes are loopy like that though, thats why you can never trust them. I would say wear a glove and sweatshirt for awhile and then work with it like that, then go back to no glove,.
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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

I still think it's odd that both of his snakes, different species in the same room, started acting more aggressive at the same exact time. If it's not too cold where you are... try ventilating the room and exchanging the air. But otherwise, it might just be coincidence... just leave them both alone for a few days to let them settle, and see what happens then.
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Lauren Madar
www.ophidiagems.com
1.1 Hog Island Boas
1.1 Hypo BCI
0.1 Sorong-type GTP
1.0 Normal Ball Python
1.1 Surinam BCC

I had a brazilian rainbow boa that was like that. She just lost it one day, so I figured she just wanted to be left alone. So the next morning when I went to change her water I saw that she had mites. =( Check your snakes to see if mabye they caught 'em
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Alone, alone, all, all alone. Alone on a wide, wide sea.
-Rime of the ancient Mariner

Well, I had the exact same thing happen with my Argentine Boa about 3 months ago...they have a reputation for being aggressive, but I've had him almost 2 years now and he has always been very sweet (I'm not his first owner though, I got him when he was about 3 feet long, he's now about 6 feet). But one day, I noticed he started striking and hitting the plexiglass front every time I walked by, and if I stopped at the cage, he would continue to strike till I moved away. I think what got him all upset is that his cage is on the floor, and I have a dog...my dog kept running back and forth in front of the cage and I think over time, it stressed him out enough to make him start striking. My solution was to put a blanket over the front of the cage when I had my dog in the room, and he's been calm ever since. I don't know your situation, but if you have any cats or dogs, this could be the cause. Just something to think about.

I appreciate the input that everyone has provided. The boa does not have mites, nor is the cage on the floor. I do not have any other animals, people/children that will approach the cages. The cages are in my office where only office personnel would come in. I did take my carpet python out yesterday and when I went to pick her up she did not strike. She will however look to strike the tank if approcahed from the front, but not my hand. I think that is a little crazy. My boa, I found out was fed in his tank last week. I was not there and someone fed him for me. They laid the rat right where he was striking the tank. I assumed that the smell was still there. I was able to get in the tank and mix the substrate around. I did that by actually taking the boa out. I was very careful and he did not strike out of the tank. I did not have time to change the substrate so I just mixed it. I put him back and he did not strike the tank but showed interest in my hand and followed it as I moved it in front of the tank. I think he will be ok now as I will assume the rat smell was there and is not anymore. Any comments on this theroy would be helpful.