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larger prey causing aggression?

naja77 Jul 06, 2009 02:09 PM

I have a 5 year old female retic who is pushing 15 feet and most of the time quite calm and predictable. She usually feeds on 6 to 8 jumbo rats or several medium sized rabbits when they are available. I rarely try to handle her 24 hours after feeding to avoid regurgitation or being mistaken for a prey item. For the most part she is docile and seems to not mind being handled. Four days ago i was out of town visiting my parents and came across a very large rabbit for a very good price so i brought it home and fed it to her. She took it down without hesitation. i was suprised as it was far larger than anything she had eaten in the past. I left her alone for several days and when i went to move her into her sterelite bin for routine cage cleaning she seemed very reluctant to come out of her cage. I gently tried to get her out but as fast as i could pull her out she kept going right back in her cage. Seeing she was not happy I allowed her to stay in her cage and called it a night. Today I returned to clean her cage and she struck at the glass every time I got near her. (i keep her in a large vision cage). I gently touched the top of her head with my hook as I do each time before picking her up just to let her know it was time to be handled and she still seemed very aggitated and uneasy. The tempature is the same as always, there is no new introductions to her enviroment, and I cant figure out what has caused the change in her behavior. A larger prey item is the only thing that has changed. Has anyone ever heard of a link between aggression and snakes being introduced to large prey? Your insight would be apprechiated. Thanks

Replies (2)

nagrag Jul 06, 2009 06:17 PM

Is there any chance that she is going into shed? My very calm animals can be nasty at the onset of a shed cycle.

How many days since the large prey item?
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1.3 Albino Burmese Pythons
1.0 Green Burmese Python Het Albino
0.1 Granite Burmese Python Het Albino
1.0 Albino Boa Constrictor
0.1 Hypo Boa Constrictor
0.1 Het Albino Boa Constrictor
1.2 Purple Albino Retic
1.0 Tiger Retic Het Albino
0.1 Sunfire Retic Het Albino
A lot Ball Pythons
A lot of Corn Snakes
A lot of King & Milk Snakes
0.1 Savannah Monitor
Yes I have the space for these reptiles and yes I am a responsible keeper and breeder!

bigtman Jul 07, 2009 05:07 AM

Just a thought My 15ft burm eats two 5 pound rabbits every two weeks, I feed FT. You may just need to up her food intake. Also if she gets a little upset do you handle her much. You may need to handle her alittle more. For my big girl, her cage is about just the right height for me to sit on a small chair and I pet her while she is lying in her cage.( I also have vision cages.)I feel that with me just rubbing on her while she i lying in her cage also lets her know that not every time i go in her cage its not to feed her or grab her to get her out. But one thing I did for her was put two Cages together so she had more room, with a bigger hot spot so her whole body would be on the heat. just my thoughts
Tman

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