Hi there!
We know that some snakes kept in moderate to high traffic areas can become stressed. Some of those snakes become somewhat defensive or aggressive.
What about snakes that have been kept in moderate to high traffic areas without any problems, and then moved to a non-traffic area? Anyone noticed any behavior changes?
I have an 8ft Burmese python that I keep in a high traffic area of my living room. She never hissed or showed any defensive or aggressive behavior. I temporarily moved her to my reptile room that gets very little traffic. Less than a week later I went to clean her cage and she was a different beast.
While trying to hook her out of the cage she hunkered down and gave me several strong, short hisses. She seemed to be ticked that I was bothering her. Once I got her out of her cage she was fine, but she put up a fight about coming out.
This was a 180-degree turnaroud in her behavior. Cage location, specifically the amount of traffic she encountered, was the only difference. Once I moved her back to her normal location she was fine again. No more hissing or anything negative.
The same thing appears to be happening with an adult Burmese python I got not long ago. The frequency of handling & interaction is basically the same as with all my other ones that are kept in moderate to high traffic areas, so it's not as though they have too little interaction (handling/feeding).
Cage temps, humidity, etc, are all equal between those kept in high traffic areas and the ones kept in non-trafficked areas.
I feel that an important part of this has to do with what the snake is accustomed to. I've got snakes (hatchlings & sub-adults - Burmese pythons & corn snakes) that have always been kept in the same non-trafficked room and I have no problems with them.
Anyone else moved a snake from a moderate traffic area to a non-traffic area and noticed behavior changes?
Ya'll take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American
