Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just received a 6ft. male red tail boa. The person I got him from said that his roommate left him behind and he cannot care for him. He is not friendly at all. He strikes at any movement. I have not gotten bit by him yet because I haven't actually handled him. I will admit, that, I am affraid to handle him right now. I have him in a 50 gallon tank for now until I can find something bigger for him. I tried to feed him a rat and he stuck the rat and tangled himself up with it and then left it. He hasn't touched it since. I need to get in there and get the dead rat but he strikes at me every time. I don't know what to do. If you walk by his cage, he strikes so hard he hits his nose on the glass. I need to find a way to tame him. I do not want to get rid of him, I just want to calm him down a bit and get him back to being tame. I have had him for two weeks. Can someone offer suggestions on getting him tamed down a bit.

Oh I have tongs that I will use to get the dead rat out.

First off, good leather gloves!!! No need to get bit while working with him.

Some tips

Check his temps etc. if not comfortable, he will not be happy.

Cover the cage so he does not see lots of movement

Watch your scents, some perfumes and scents can irritate them.

Sacrifice a DIRTY shirt to him. Place it in his cage to impress your scent on him. Point is the shirt needs to be dirty and filled with your scent. lol, go do some yardwork and work up a good sweat, then put that unwashed shirt in his cage.

May take some time........
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Be persistent if the boa knows that striking or hissing will get you to leave him alone it will always resort back to those antics. Instead take him out and act unfazed by his aggression, he will eventually learn that you cannot be hurt or bothered as easily
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www.BetterBoa.com

40 Bci's
3.3 Corn snakes

I like to use a clear shoe box with adults like that.

I use the shoe box kind of like a shield. I hold it in one hand
and block the boas vision and striking range with the box. I
pick them up with the other hand. You can use a snake hook
instead, but I find that using my hands works better for me.

I've been very successful using this method. I don't remember any
even striking once the shoe box blocks their vision. Maybe the
clear plastic confuses them. You might want to wait until
you've had a dirty shirt in the cage for a while first.
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www.NewWorldDragons.com,
NewWorldDragons@NewWorldDragons.com