Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok this may be a really dumb post but please bare with me....

Probed my two rainbows yesterday and found that I have 2 females instead of a pair. That was a little disappointing but just means I need another BRB. Anyhow, during probing I had to have somebody help me out (they're about 3.5 feet now) by holding their heads. Now I've heard that blood pythons can get extremely defensive when you do this but none of my colubrids ever have much of a problem with it. The rainbows however, were PO'd!

Both gaped and bared their upper teeth (bigguns too!- about 1/8" long) when held and then immediately struck and did a coiled tail defensive posture (I'd not seen before) when released. I'm hoping I haven't undone all my hard work in taming these girls over the past year but I do expect to get nailed a few times whenever I attempt handling again. This behavior was not due to the probing- I'm pretty experienced in it and was very very gentle.

Anybody else experienced this ultra-sensitivity to the head? Ever cause lingering problems for them temperament-wise?

Van

Van,
. I do see them coil their tails occasionally. It is usually when I am trying to put one into a feeding container and it decides to resist and I grab it by the head or neck just to make sure it does not bite. It very well may be that they are sensitive to being restrained by the head. I have never seen a baby or a full grown adult coil the tail. It has always been yearlings and 2 or 3 year old ones. I never have to restrain a baby BRB and it may be that they would exhibit the same tail coiling behaviour if restrained by the head. The big adults are all just so calm and laid back that nothing seems to bother them. Already tamed ones get over being pissed about being probed or restrained real quick.
Jeff

>>Ok this may be a really dumb post but please bare with me....
>>
>>Probed my two rainbows yesterday and found that I have 2 females instead of a pair. That was a little disappointing but just means I need another BRB. Anyhow, during probing I had to have somebody help me out (they're about 3.5 feet now) by holding their heads. Now I've heard that blood pythons can get extremely defensive when you do this but none of my colubrids ever have much of a problem with it. The rainbows however, were PO'd!
>>
>>Both gaped and bared their upper teeth (bigguns too!- about 1/8" long) when held and then immediately struck and did a coiled tail defensive posture (I'd not seen before) when released. I'm hoping I haven't undone all my hard work in taming these girls over the past year but I do expect to get nailed a few times whenever I attempt handling again. This behavior was not due to the probing- I'm pretty experienced in it and was very very gentle.
>>
>>Anybody else experienced this ultra-sensitivity to the head? Ever cause lingering problems for them temperament-wise?
>>
>>Van

Well at least I won't ever have to do that again with these 2. Nothing but clean enclosures and rats on schedule for them!

Van