Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a pair of young bullsnakes back in september. The male does okay for me, he's a bit nervous and sometimes hisses. But the female really goes nuts. I really hate to admit it but I'm afraid of her. They're both still babies and I feel like the biggest ass in the world for being afraid of being bitten. She's bitten me many times and I'm honestly not used to it. I thought I'd get over it but I haven't.

Picking her up is the hardest part, she does better when I'm just holding her. Now she strikes at me whenever I go near the tank I think it's kind of the last straw for me. I wish I could just grow a pair (I'm a girl but you get the idea) and get over it and I've tried so hard to think my way out of the fear. Family and friends just tell me to find another home for her but I've already rehomed a snake for different reasons and I don't want to do it again in the same year.

I don't really know what I want to do. I guess I just wanted to talk about this with people who won't tell me I'm nuts for having snakes in the first place. I've only been keeping them for less than two years and I really feel like an ass for going ahead and getting snakes known for their attitudes thinking I could handle it. I guess I learned the hard way. It makes me incredibly sad and I'm really torn up over this.

You're a girl and you keep snakes, what are you crazy? J/K

Seriously though. That's the nature of Pits. Sometimes you get a sweetheart, some in betweenies and some that will hate you forever no matter what. I recently watched a video on another forum. Female bull, female owner, title The only snake in my collection that HATES me! Classic pit defensive behavior, hissing, tail rattling, strike pose. Coiling and writhing all around her tub, striking. Impressive and scary. LOL The owner won't give up on her either and has developed ways to work around her. When she has to clean she covers her and goes about her business. If she has to pull her she bags her.

If you're serious about keeping her you'll have to cowgirl up and find ways to work with her. Admire her for her spirit and good old Pit attitude.

As for you I admire your determination in wanting to keep her. Good luck and don't lose heart.

Watch the vid.
Link

-----
BigT
There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. The ignorant can be taught, stupidity is beyond our control.
1.2 P. m. melanoleucus B/W N. J. Northern Pines
1.2 P. d. deppei Mexican Pines
2.2 P. l. lineaticollis Linis or Lined Pines
1.2 P. m. lodingi Black Pines
0.3 P. c. sayi Kingsville X Stillwater red bulls
1.1 Drymarchon melenurus Blacktail Cribo
1.2 D. corais Yellowtail Cribos
1.2 M. s. cheynei Jungle Carpet
2.6 L. p. pyromelana Arizona Mt. Kings
1.1 L. g. californiae B/W Cali kings
0.0.3 M. f. flagellum Eastern Coachwhips
1.2 G. m. bottegoi Western Plated lizards

It's too bad to hear your having trouble. But do know that some snakes will calm down with age. I had a baby Northern Pine that was totally off the wall as a baby. But now she's really settling down. Now yes, yours could stay the way she is. It's possible. But I admire your willingness to keep trying to work with her. Would a pair of gloves when handling help at all?

Another idea, is are you hesitating after the cage door is open? So many times I've had animals that will get all worked up if they have time to do so when that cage door is opened. Seems when the threat is imminent but not in the hand yet, that they go through a whole display thing. Just something to think about. So many can be nasty in the cage but fairly calm in hand. Best of luck to you!

There isn't a Pituophis in my collection that hasn't hissed at me at least once in their life! Most have all struck at me for one reason or another. But seems once they get some good size to them they settle down. At least, mine do! I have yet to own one that kept it's hissy attitude into adulthood.

It also goes with the territory that when you start expanding your collection, you also find out not all animals are as well behaved as the first one that got you hooked into the hobby in the first place. Just the nature of the hobby I quess. I suggest the same as another poster to wear gloves. Even light garden gloves that will give you more control and decrease your fear of being bitten. For 99 percent of my animals, just reaching in and not giving them time to react works and they are fine once in hand and out their cages. However, I have a glades ratsnake and a baby anery corn that will more than happily continue to reach around and bite every chance they get. Dont give up yet. Just work with about 20 minutes a few times a week. By all means, do not rush it back into its cage when it gets defensive as that will only reinforce it being pissy because it works getting you to leave it alone.

A thing that might help you is to get a snake hook and hook her out of the cage instead of reaching in with the hand. The Hand looks like some sort of weird Hydra monster with multiple wriggling heads(fingers) and that is enough to scare any self respecting snake! LOL! The snake hook just looks like a twig and does not seem to evoke the same fight or flight response.

My 09's this last spring. The female is the one on the left. The male is a big baby, even liking to have human attention. But his sister was timid and hissy at first, but with consistent gentle handling she now also will eat from my fingers. ( I use tongs now though, as fingers do look sort of like small fuzzies!)

Your snakes are very young and will likely mellow out in time. I have a pair of 09 Pacific gopher snakes that were the hissiest little things, like little air hoses sputting and steaming, that have now become tame and easy to handle.

Them this fall.

Some snakes will always be holy terrors, but most can be tamed down with consistent gentle but firm handling. Good luck with your babies.

-----
Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

Try using leather gloves when you handle her and handle her as often as possible. She may calm down as she matures. Don't give up!

WHOA- NICE northern!!!!

Another thing you can try is to make sure you have plenty of hides for your snake.

I use old cereal boxes, mac & cheese boxes, rice a roni boxes, etc. and my pits LOVE 'em.

You never have to clean them when they get soiled- just throw them into the recycle bin and put a new one in.

As for the handling, my pits are almost always inside one of the 3-4 boxes I have scattered around their cage, and when I handle them, I find the one hiding the snake, take the box out, and 'pour' the snake out into my hand.

I've NEVER had a classic pituophis response when 'pouring' the target out of it's hide and into my hand.

However, I've got 2-3 of them that will go NUTS on me if I reach in there with my hand...

Hope this helps!

//Todd

She knows your afraid of her. Hence the reason she is acting like this. Use a hook to remove her from her enclosure and then simply handle her. Allow her to move freely through your hands. Do this 5-10 minutes a day until you are both comfortable with each other(not on feed days though). Check temps. Higher temps equals more attitude. Worse case scenario is you have to get rid of her and get a cali king that will be a dream to handle. Just food for thought. Hope it all works out.