Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had one female for some time, and recently (last week) got a group from John Cherry. One of the males is displaying some odd defensive behavior when handled. he'll just spaz out, wriggle violently for a second, flip over on his back, poop, and then fling himself as far as he can. It looks like he's catapulting himself off your hand (I'm still trying to figure out how the hell an animal with no legs can jump!). It is similar to behavior I've seen in some other colubrids (Coach whips, although they add biting to the display, and some bull snakes, ditto) but none of the other house snakes exhibit that sort of behavior. Even my older female I've had a while (who is very not tame) simply does what I think of as the more traditional squirm&poop.

I'm just puzzled. Has anyone else observed similar behavior in these guys? There's a few other skittish ones in the group (hatchlings) and they just do the usual stuff--poop on you and try to squirm out of your hand.
There's also one that thinks my hand is a mouse which I think is funny as heck...she can't weigh over 5 grams but she'll try to eat my thumb I almost peed I laughed so hard.

Like any animal, individuals in a species can have "interesting" temperaments. Example: Bred a pair of corns five times. Every clutch produced docile, even tempered hatchlings. Except for the last clutch of five. One little female came out of the egg feisty--bit, pooped, squirmed, flung herself every which way but loose--it was kinda' quirky and amusing as a hatchling.

It wasn't so amusing when she reached 49 inches. She was one of the meanest, most aggressive snakes I've ever had the opportunity to work with. The nasty handling behaviors continued her entire life, except she added loud hissing and twisting herself in a person's long hair to her repertoire. Her siblings all grew up to have calm temperaments. Go figure.

Hey buddy,

I know exactly the one you are talking about. He came out of the egg that way. He is a little nut. Like the other poster said, some are just that way. It does not bother me as we never handle the aniamsl except when cleaning and feeding. Sorry he is so easily aroused.

It is amazing how those little guys eat a full sized pink isn't it! Realize too that the ones you got are about 5 feedings in when you got them so they have grown quite a bit since hatching.

Cherryville Farms

oh, I got no complaints He's calmer than my male reticulated python at least. And it's not like they can really hurt me.
He's just so...different in behavior when handled. It's odd and kinda made me wonder what was up. It's like....huh. None of the others do that. I mean, they display a range of temperments (my wife's dubbed one of the females sweetie pie...), but what's odd attracts attention. There's lace female taking food out of my hand--I know it's an SFE waiting to happen but I figure it can't hurt me too much. Not like they're a hot or giant. She's a hoot to watch. I open the cage, hold the mouse by the tail and she shoots up, grabs the head and starts eating him down.

I do have one question--3 of the smallest lace males aren't eating. At first I thought they were just in shed, but they've turned down live and f/t pinks now. I tried one each in a deli cup and once just in the cage, all feedings taking place over night. What'd you advise to scent with? Reptile or poultry? Or maybe some other rodent (gerbil maybe?). They're really, really pretty. but they're the only ones not chomping pinks. Baffling me. They're so pretty! I want them to do well.

I gotta say, they do seem to have a lower metabolism than the kings do--or is that just my imagination? I'm feeding those two white sides non stop, they're just never done eating...but the housies are about once a week. And the corns are doing great. I can't wait for M. to get hers I have a month or so to get some more size on for it...and good lord those are nice corns!