Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted a couple of weeks ago about moving my boa outside. Actually, he's in our garage in a bigger cage, in a well-ventilated area. I've noticed a personality change since I've moved him, and it's not for the better. This morning he semi-struck at my husband and my husband is not particularly thrilled. This snake works around children as part of an educational program and it is paramount that he be predictable as much as a snake can be. I've worked around animals my entire life, including college, and have worked with mostly herps for the past 7 years. This is my first boa and I've had him for about 6 months. I understand that no animal is 100% predictable, but I also understand that behind most undesirable behavior is a solvable problem.

Anyway, he is in a wooden cage that measures 4x2x2 with screen on the two long sides and a door on top for feeding. When I first got him he was in a 40gal aquarium with a heating pad. Our current temps in the garage peak at 86-88 and fall to around 80 at night, medium-high humidity. Since the first day I put him out there, he spends the evenings cruising back and forth, rubbing his nose on the screen door. I checked the door and the inside is lined with a soft mesh so I don't think he'll damage his nose. During the afternoon he hides in his box. He seems very scared, doesn't want to be touched, runs away when the door is opened. He is 3 years old, a little over 6ft long, eats a jumbo rat every week-10 days. He's been dewormed, seems healthy as horse, sheds fine.

Any ideas on what is scaring this poor little guy? I really can't have a snake that is striking in defense, so I'd like to work with him if I knew what the issue was. I'm sure the move is stressful, but he wasn't this stressed when I first got him and moved him to my house. There's probably more traffic through the garage than there was in my office inside. There's a pair of mice that live in the garage, but I figured that would bring more of a feeding response/strike than a defensive strike. It was more of a "leave me alone", very soft strike, no contact, very slow.

If this is new behavior, and only since the move, than your problem is self answered. There is something in the new environment causing defensive behavior.

What that might be is another story, and could take a lot of figuring out.
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Richard Carew
Sunset BCI
You laugh at me cuz I'm different! I laugh at you cuz you're all the same.
Stop Inhumane and Illegal Practices

Laura,

I've got a lot of experience with other snake species, but none with BCI/BCC so you can take my advice for what it is worth.

First, I read your post about housing your snake outside. I live in Central IL, and doing such a thing would be UNTHINKABLE here, but apparently you folks in FL can get away with it. To start off trouble shooting your boa's behavior though, I would definitely suggest measuring the actual temps where your snake is during the day if you haven't already - they may be vastly different inside even a well-ventilated cage than the ambient conditions of your garage. Also, if he is rubbing his nose on the screen, unless it is a cloth/fabric mesh, he could still rub his nose raw.

Second, I lived in NC for a few years, and have since learned that "garage" to some people means what I would call a "car port." If your garage is not enclosed and the snake can see a whole lot of movement at all hours of the day, that would probably account for him feeling pretty uncomfortable. You said there is more "traffic" around his current location than there was in your office, so I'm trying to guess at what you are meaning, but ultimately, yes, more traffic is pretty much unwelcome to any snake.

Third, if you find that your temps, humidity, and traffic activity are in fact ideal, you may just need to make a point of not just visiting your boa more, but handling him a lot more. A lot of scared snakes just suffer from scared owners, especially those who aren't quite used to snake behavior yet. If you act jittery, trust me, he will too! When you spend time handling him, make sure that you move very calmly, confidently, and SLOWLY. I say this because even if this may not be your issue, it has been a problem for many new keepers, and bears looking into.

As long as he feels comfortable enough to eat regularly, make sure you handle him regularly. Also, make a point of handling him as you would in one of your educational programs; if you intend to have him out for an hour during your presentation, you will need to work up to handling him for that length of time on about a weekly basis - but don't jump into that immediately, as that would almost certainly stress him out. If you don't handle him often, I would say work up to handling him often by checking on him (cage open) daily to twice daily for a week, handling for maybe a minute every other day, then step up short handling sessions to daily, then lengthen the handling sessions. I would think that daily sessions of 15 minutes, with a longer weekend handling session (mock-presentation) would calm him down if you work up to it slowly.

I feel more comfortable with my snakes in the house, because I at least subscribe to the illusion that I can control that environment easier - cutting out most of the stressors. Why is it that you need to house him in the garage? Why can't you keep him in a bigger enclosure in the house?

Good luck!

~Rebecca

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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa '04
1.1.1 Ball Pythons
[1.0.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1.0 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

Here are some answers to your questions. The temps I gave were actual temps in the snake's cage. I moved him outside thinking the heat/humidity would be better than indoors. Also, I have about 20 animals, so I'm trying to organize. His cage is easier to clean outside and the odor when he 'goes' is more manageable outside as well. The garage is actually a closed in garage with a window and a back door, plus we open the main door quite a bit. We run a fan if it gets too warm. There's just more people walking by on the weekends, but there was a lot of traffic going by when he was in my office because everyone goes by to use the computer.

Thanks for the handling tips. I took him for granted because he was so calm. I was handling him for 15-20 min once or twice a week, then one or two shows a week we would pack him and although he was only handled for 10-15 minutes at the end, he was out and about for a couple of hours. We've been doing a lot of summer camps and he was out of the house for 7 hours the other day. Then I gave him two days 'off' to destress and just be a snake. Today he was hanging out by the door with the door open. I don't usually do that, and when my husband came by to pet him, Toby definitely gave him a back-off warning.

Unfortunately, we're leaving for a 10 day vacation so I'll have to start working with him when I get back. I also have 4 science workshops the week I get back, but he's only scheduled to be in one. I'll have to work on it a bit so Toby isn't a train wreck. My husband and I are also thinking of moving him back inside, but I'd really like to keep in the garage if it is possible.

Laura,

Cool, it sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things. The handling 'regimen' I was talking about is also not something I think you will need to do forever by any means. I think if you work with him in a gradual way like I was suggesting, he should calm down very nicely, and you can probably go back to handling him just a couple times a week once he proves himself to be 'perfectly kid-proof.'

Since you said your presentations involve moving him around for several hours without necessarily handling him for more than 20 minutes at a time, maybe the longer handling sessions you could work up to would be to put him in his traveling gear and move him around throughout the house and the yard during the day - this could simulate the stresses of travel, and hopefully get him used to the idea that all that movement is not going to hurt him. This could also serve as a good way for you to gauge just how 'kid-proof' and predictable he may be.

Working with him like this has to hinge on him still eating regularly, and avoiding him getting stressed enough to cause you any problems... and give him a break after he eats! If you handle him after a meal, it could cause him to regurgitate his meal; I would wait a minimum of two days. During that time though, it wouldn't be terrible to continue with opening up his cage to check on him.... That is, if he is jumpy enough to be a real concern right now.

Good luck with your educational program! I think this is the best way we can reach out and positively change people's perceptions of snakes.

~Rebecca
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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa '04
1.1.1 Ball Pythons
[1.0.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1.0 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

I would just cover the exposed part of the cage for a few weeks
and begin a conditioning regime of Isolation and controled handling.

My $.0¼

TnK

About a year ago I had an 8ft female that was as gentle as could be all the time except for when I took her outside. Every time I took her out and let her crawl around she would go nuts and strike and hiss when I tried to grab her to bring her back in. Once she was back in the house or just in my hands she was back to her gentle self. I came up with the conclusion that she must have thought she was in the wild and I was trying to capture her and her natural instinct just kicked in. It may sound crazy but she was my only snake that did this and she did it every time.

Marcus