Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I am new to this forum and I wanted to say hi. I have aquired my first pair of Green Anaconda's. They are both approx 5-6 feet in length. The male I can handle with no problems however I have come to believe that she is possesed. I took a hit from her the other day in the hand. First thing I noticed was her bite it was like being in a clamp. I have taken a few hits from my large scrub pythons but nothing like her. She left in a few teeth. I wish to be able to handle her now while she is still managable before she poses a serious threat. I have read that they do not like having there heads restrained and do not like being in confined in holding containers. I would like to get some answers to how some have worked with this type of aggression. Or what techniques some of you have used to deal with such a bad disposition. I believe that she is a wild caught and am concerned that she will not be become docile even with patience on my part. Thanks to all who take the time to read this and provide your thoughts and recommendations.

Welcome, As you now know anacondas are the strongest snakes there are, bite and strength. I also had to learn the hard way with anacondas. You will only be able to handle these snakes on there terms. If you try to force them to like you by constant handling you will soon lose your hand. A trick that has worked for me is to get a large branch (like seen in my pictures) and put your snake on it once or twice a week for about a hour or so. A few weeks of this and you will start to see a change in her, she will become curious of you and try to reach out and check you out. At this time extend your arm out and let her come to you but stay right there by the branch so she still feels that she may retern to it if she so wants to. Every thing must be done on her terms, and you might want to get your self a pair of leather gloves for removing her from her cage atleast for the first few weeks. Basic cage set-ups will also help you out as well as her, Lots of water and places to hide. Post some pix we would love to see them.

` Put a shirt you have worn in the cage with them. A big part of taming them is getting them used to your scent.
` Starting out with an aggressive 6 footer means losing some blood. They know when they draw blood, if it is not a big deal, and does not discourage you, they often get over it. That's the way I handle aggressive babies. I've worked with many aggressive larger Anacondas, and had success with about 75% of them. I only use gloves, and restrain the head, with lost causes.
` Fight your instinct, and don't pull away, when bitten. Jerking away, and loosening teeth can cause infections in the mouth, and condition the snake to know that the bite is effective in discouraging you. It also increases the damage to your skin.
` I judge the snake's attitude by whether or not it bites in, holds on, or chews. Many snakes will open their mouth wide, and slap you with their teeth. These are the ones that seem to tame the easiest.
` It's so much easier with babies, but larger snakes seem to respond to the same things. It's just that the bites are so much stronger. I've let babies chew on me until they got tired of it, and gave in. That would be less practical with a 6 footer.
` Also keep in mind that if you push them too hard, they can stress out, get sick and die. This is much more common with Boids than most people allow for.
` Keep us posted on your progress.
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It has been a few years since I have dealt with aggressive anacondas of this size, but I can relate to you a few things that have helped me and others. As you mentioned, and Rich touched on, head restraint should never be used on anacondas in captivity. It is highly stressful and can potentially cause permanent damage if done incorrectly. It will set you back in your acclimation attempts for days or weeks. Also, wild caught anacondas are high strung and care should be taken not to accidentally startle them. With nervous anacondas, always gently bump or tap the cage before you open it to let them know you are there. Once or twice a day, try lifting them and watch the body posturing and if they flatten out or tense up, back away and try again later. This may take weeks but keep this up until you are able to lift them without problems. Once you can lift them, only hold them for a brief periods. Extend this period over the next several weeks or months. Also, don't push it, and do try to stop the session before you elicit a strike response as this will set the acclimation back. This is also good for you as greens have proportionally longer teeth than most other boids. Additionally, be prepared, as a few wild caught anacondas will never become acclimated to even brief handling. Just my thoughts on the subject. Good luck.

Kelly