Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So i just purchased my first snake, ive done loads of research to prepare but i still have a few questions. According to the people at petco, i chose the most aggresive one of the bunch and many of the workers were afraid to handel him. I read that there usually like that as babies and eventually grow out of it with more handeling but hes about a year and a foot and a half in length, so hes not really a baby. so i was wondering if there any tips to getting him more comfortably adjusted to handeling and just being around humans. Also if theres a particular way to handel him to make it easyer for the both of us.

Doing "loads of research" would tell you NOT to take advice from workers at Petco. If he were to "grow out of" being agressive, he would have started doing so by now, since he's a least a year old. I would take the snake back and exchange it for a tame one. The whole point of captive breeding snakes for pet stores is to sell ideal pets (e.g. tame, nice colors, good feeder, etc.) to the general public.

Tim

Third Eye

Once he gets used to you and you no longer make him feel like you may predate upon him his aggression will subside. Make sure he can see you a lot compiled with gentle handling and he will settle down, do not use large gloves or such to handle him. Make sure you do not smell like any type of food sources as well.

So gentle handling and your presence that he or she can see and become accustomed to will help him overcome his fear of you which is where the aggression comes from, snakes are not MEAN people are!!!

Keep us posted as this will take some time to accomplish!!

No need to dispose of him like some may suggest.

>>So i just purchased my first snake, ive done loads of research to prepare but i still have a few questions. According to the people at petco, i chose the most aggresive one of the bunch and many of the workers were afraid to handel him. I read that there usually like that as babies and eventually grow out of it with more handeling but hes about a year and a foot and a half in length, so hes not really a baby. so i was wondering if there any tips to getting him more comfortably adjusted to handeling and just being around humans. Also if theres a particular way to handel him to make it easyer for the both of us.

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Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Thanks so much, i will deff keep you updated. And i wasnt planing on getting rid of him either, i knew what i was getting myself into so i want to stick with it to the end, and hes such a cutie. he seams to be adjusting more, hes exploring his terrarium more after 3 days, and he ate ok today so i think he'll be fine.

If the pet store people where afraid of him they probably acted jacked off around him to service his enclosure making him even more defensive.

>>Thanks so much, i will deff keep you updated. And i wasnt planing on getting rid of him either, i knew what i was getting myself into so i want to stick with it to the end, and hes such a cutie. he seams to be adjusting more, hes exploring his terrarium more after 3 days, and he ate ok today so i think he'll be fine.
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Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

>>> "If the pet store people where afraid of him they probably acted jacked off around him to service his enclosure making him even more defensive."

The way you worded that literally had me laughing my A$$ off!!..LOL!...woooo, that was funny!

Yeah,....I can picture in my mind those morons at Petco darting their arm in and out trying to grab it's bowl, etc... clanking and banging as they're trying to avoid this little dude!

To me, most of those "dweebs" are like fast food employees,....you can't even depend on the a$$-wipes to put your fries in the bag.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I was laughing OUT LOUD when I wrote that (hehe)

>>>>> "If the pet store people where afraid of him they probably acted jacked off around him to service his enclosure making him even more defensive."
>>
>>
>> The way you worded that literally had me laughing my A$$ off!!..LOL!...woooo, that was funny!
>>
>> Yeah,....I can picture in my mind those morons at Petco darting their arm in and out trying to grab it's bowl, etc... clanking and banging as they're trying to avoid this little dude!
>>
>> To me, most of those "dweebs" are like fast food employees,....you can't even depend on the a$$-wipes to put your fries in the bag.
>>
>>
>> ~Doug
>>-----
>>"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

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Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Yeah,....certain things are just hilarious when you picture it actually happening in your mind!..haha!,....just as you typed it!...

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

>>Yeah,....certain things are just hilarious when you picture it actually happening in your mind!..haha!,....just as you typed it!...
>>
>>
>> ~Doug
>>-----
>>"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"
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Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Work with him and he may calm down with more frequent handling..

I would also suggest that you buy a good book or 3 and read them so you will never again have to say "According to the people at Petco"

Good Luck!

~ Mike Russo

>>Work with him and he may calm down with more frequent handling..
>>
>>I would also suggest that you buy a good book or 3 and read them so you will never again have to say "According to the people at Petco"
>>
>>Good Luck!
>>
>>~ Mike Russo
>>
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Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

Thanks Frank, I really like them too!

~ Mike Russo

Here is a pic of the Male...

>>Thanks Frank, I really like them too!
>>
>>~ Mike Russo
>>
>>
>>Here is a pic of the Male...
>>
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Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

I picked up on that too, and was thinking about making the EXACT same suggestion!

That can be like asking a gas station attendant how to perform brain-surgery at times!..

It is MUCH safer, and much more gratifying to know things on your own, than it is to trust the word of some of these so called "experts",....and BOY!,....am I using that term "loosely"!..LOL!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

That is a beautiful snake! Is that an alterna? I can't believe that pattern! Wow!

I'm still seeing in black and white...LOL!

Yes, they are both 100% Alterna (generics of course) that have been line bred for many years to display this trait.

~ Mike Russo

Here is a bigger/better pic of the female, she is about three times this size now and getting nicer looking in my opinion..

I would love to have a snake with that kind of pattern. Alas, my next project is acquiring a nice striped male Cal king to go with my female. Any additional snakes will (unfortunately) have to wait...

I tend to agree with what has been said about regular handling but there's always the one with 'tude! Mike that snake should be on the top of this this page, insane! Hey mods, isn't it time for a photo contest here?
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Todd Hughes