Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've owned a couple of rosy boas, and I've never had a biting problem before. I ordered a female Mexican rosy boa from a breeder (4 months old), and she arrived this morning. I started handling her, and she constricted around my finger and bit me. I tried to use lukewarm water to get her off, and when that didn't work I tried to ease her grip off my finger, and she bit me again.

I figured she was hungry, so I placed her in the box she came in to feed her. She ate almost immediately. I placed one of my socks in her hide box so she could get used to my scent.

I tried holding her using gloves later and she did fine. Her food was digesting well and she seemed really docile. However, after I removed one of my gloves, she started getting really defensive and edgy again and bit my hand again.

I'm at a loss because I've never owned an aggressive snake, let alone an aggressive rosy. What are some ways I can get her to quit biting and become easier to hold without having to worry if she'll bite me when I have my gloves off?

This is not that uncommon. Baby rosies in particular can be such aggressive feeders that they try and eat anything they can get near. That's generally why they coil around and won't let go.
The good news is that most rosies learn not to do this. You can help them along by never handling the mice yourself. The goal is not only to prevent yourself from smelling like mice, but to prevent the mice from smelling like humans.
Frequent handling can also help, but you will likely have to deal with a few "accidents" until the snake figures it out.
Also, get the feeding ritual very predictable. Always take the rosy out with a hook, put it in its feeding container and then let it feed. When handling, use a different pattern. Snakes aren't smart, but can learn certain behaviour patterns like that.

Some rosies don't unlearn this unfortunately, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Chris
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Bite her back!

Reiterating what chrish said, this is not uncommon for baby rosies, so do not think yours is a bad one. They can be eager feeders, and warm human skin is enticing. That is why when gloves are worn, the behavior often ceases (though not always!)

Be glad. A great feeding rosy is a good animal. Use a snake hook to remove it from the cage, and keep the hook near its neck as you grasp its body. Oh, and keep it well fed.

Some will bite always, some give it up as adults, some never bite ever. You can never tell up front.
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Mark