Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just purchased a pair of suriname red tailed boas (cb) full grown around 6ft long and the female being the bigger of the two (6'4 14lbs) has been much calmer than the male who stikes everytime i try and handle him. Anyone know of any tricks that will calm him down so i can handle him?

Get some smooth leather gloves,a hook and GET IN THERE !!
Consistant interaction is your only trick,so wear it out !

Best of Luck !
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TnK

Put the snake on the floor in a bathroom or someplace it can't get under anything and has to bump into you, allow it togo over you and pet it and pick it up and repostion it, to get it out of the cage,use a roll of paper towels and touch it with that and then grab it and bring it out, works wonders with bigger snakes. i do that with my 7' and shes not nippy in the least bit, but her boyfriend on borrow time with me i don't trust and thats what i do when i have to get him out, they will strike at the paper towel until they realize it won't hurt them. what about throwing a towel over them and then picking them up? Good Luck.
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1.4 various boas(Flicka,Felony,Nova,Alias,Alibi)
0.1 BRB Abalone; ABBI
1.0 Rott X (OSO)
2.0 cats (Simba, Morris)
fish & feeders
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I agree with the above post!
You have to show the snake that the way it acts WON'T work on you, they do it out of fear usually and as a way to get you to leave them alone. Once they realize that you won't go away, you still pick them up and handle them, and you won't hurt them, usually it starts to sink in and they chill out a bit. You just have to go for it! Don't be afraid, that is what they want. Good luck!
Steph S.
PS- Some snakes will always be cage defensive... but do what you can anyway to snap them out of it!

Haha thanks, ive heard of picking up moody dogs and wierd ways of getting them to behave so i thought there must be something for a suriname boa. should make for one hell of a saturday. im awating the arrival of my python hook from midewest tongs, i bought this cheap $10 one and he snapped the handle when i tried to manuver him to be able to pick up. While im one does anyone know of any good ways to feed f/t rats? with my little ball python i just drag it infront of his field of vision then he strikes almost instantly but with these bigger snakes im wondering if there is a better way to feed it rather then just tossing it in the cage