Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So yeah, I am the newbie that rescued a boa......my first boa. She is about 6 feet, and about the girth of a ball python. Anyways, I held her just fine twice, and then last night, I went to take her out, and seemed really aggressive. So I took a stick, as I have no hook because I only work with balls, and tried to coheres her out, and she bit the stick twice. My adrenaline was rushing big time by this point, (3 years with 7 ball pythons and i have yet to be bit.....I know, right?) but I knew I needed to hold her as much as possible to tame her. I always wait 48 hours for their digestion before I handle ANY of my snakes. Any reason why she would be so much more aggressive now than when I first got her, even with the handlings I gave her???

she sounds like a normal boa, that is getting used to her new environment. Last night I moved a few girls into large vision cages from their sub adult tubs, and my typically nervious specimans were very frightened of their new home. I am sure these poticullar animals will calm dowm and enjoy the new space in a week or so.

I have also had boas that upon arrival after shipping were very nervious and aggressive only to calm down after adjusting to their new environment.

I also had a typically tame female get very nervious and strike at the cage, try to hide in the corner of her cage, while doing some majour renivation of my snake room with the new caging, there was allot of comotion that she was not used to so she got scarred.

So point being boas need time to adjust to a new environment, she will want to hide and be in a secluded lower light enviroment to feel safe also, no fish tanks.

Then nervious boas are most reliable with consistency, routine can make a snake prodictable, while new situations like noisy guest or other pets can make a normally tame boa nervious.

So game plan, make sure she is in an enclosre that she feels safe, secure and "out of view". Then give her a week or two, start to handle her a bit at a time, and try to read her as to when she might be receptive to this, not when she is currled up in the back corner watching you intently. Some times the boas are more active at night and the lower light has made it possible for me to hande boas that are always too nervous and frightened durring the day.

Lastly some boas are "dog tame" and are not affraid of us, or tolerate us very well. Others will remain nervious and wild. It sounds like since your animal was tolerant at some point when you first got her that there is a good chance she just needs some guite time to settle in.

Hope this helps

Brian Logan

You probably already thought of this, but does she have a good hide inside the enclosure? I have been able to mellow 99.9% of mine just by putting in a tight hide for them. A week in hiding makes them feel safe and they come down off the edge.

Good luck with her.

Turns out the guy I got her from NEVER held her, so that would probably be why she is so aggressive. She is in a ball rack (41Q tub) at chest level with me (6'0) I made plans to make a melamine unit on the floor that I would stack the ball rack on top of. I am aware that the ball bin is way too small, but she fits in it well right now. After a few meals it will be too small..Anyways, I took her out to get the left over shed off of her about an hour ago. She was hard to get out, but I noticed that once she is in my arms she is tame. I laid her down in the tub while I was removing my watch and bracelet, I reached down to pick her up so that I could start the water, and she swung around and got me good.....My first snake bite EVER and it was from a (big to me) boa. I was shocked that it didn't hurt as much as I always thought they would. My hand was bleeding pretty good, but it really didn't hurt that much....huh...Well, I have plans to give her to my next door neighbor who has two other boas....(red tail and motley)...He laughed at me and said that he would be happy to take her, so she will be close and well taken care of. I would normally keep her and work with her, but I am a big baby when it comes to aggressive snakes. Thats why I only deal with balls.....be gentile while making fun of me as I know some of you will, I mean what else is there to do after you get bit but laugh. Sorry for the long post, and thank you for the help with this and my previous post (NEBWIE....sorta).
Matt

lol well you tried though. dont feel bad. this lady at work wants me to buy her big ole male columbian that she says is around 12-13 feet long. she claims that he has struck at her a few times but hasnt bit her. she says that she doesnt hold him often, but even when she holds him she holds his head until she knows hes calm....
i havent had a snake that big before, so im reallyyyyyyy hesitant now. i was a little unsure before, but now i just dunno. i have had a corn, a king, and now my ball pythons...no experience taming down a LARGE constrictor. so i think i might leave that one alone and just take the female ball python she has....
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~Snake Charmer~
0.1 russian tortoise (natasha)
3.1 dogs (church, bandit, willy and tonka)
1.2 cats (taz, squeaky, cami)
0.1 king snake (q aka curly q or queenie)
2.1 'normal' ball pythons (zenith, butters, zahara)and i want more snakes. guess you can say im developing a "reptile addiction"- lol

I would say an ultimate test would be to try to take it out of its' bin. If you can take it out of its' bin with your bare hands, then you can probably tame it. Like I said, I would have held on to her, but I just don't have the patients or time to hold her 5 days out of the week for 1-2 hours at a time. If you have the time and patients , and cohonas..lol, then why not. Think about it again, don't let my story scare you away from an experience be it good or ending with tiny holes in your hand...lol. Seriously, go over and hold it for yourself. Then decide.