Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I ran into my vet at the gas station on the way to work today.I havent been to her since Feb but she still remembers our conversation about female snakes being more aggressive than males.She seems to think the females are the meaner,more unpredictable of all snake species.While I have seen female boas protect there newborns I dont think females are any meaner than males.I think all snakes have there own personality.Am I wrong?Im thinking she is basing her facts only on the females brought to her,eggbound,sick,etc.Any comments welcome.Thank you.

First, and not to make a huge point of it, but if your vet considers a female snake to be it's own species then you got problems with your vet LOL. I know that I wonder if my wife is from the same planet as I am every once in a while but I don’t think she will qualify for a separate species status.
During different time of the year the male and females of most snake species will show different levels of aggression. Females tend to be edgy during pre-egg laying times, while males can be more aggressive during mating season.
I have a friend who ended up with 25 stitches in his hand from a male green tree python that he was moving during breeding season. The male was mock combating with another male (in preparation of breeding with a female) and struck out with a nasty bite. It is a hard argument to decide, because although many snakes will have their own level of aggression naturally, many will increase that level during different times of the year.
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

At least in my collection of 41, mine are equal opportunity biters. I do have one consistently aggressive female Dumerils, but she's matched by a testy male Bci. My wc female Solomon Island ground boa and I have reached a truce, and I can move her from her tub to a holding container while I clean her cage without a strike...usually. lol However, her attitude has little to do with her gender and a lot to do with she was caught at several years of age and is set in her ways - being wild. As for my corns, I only have one skittish one, and that's my male normal - the normal female is a sweet little thing and the snow pair I own are quite docile as well...even though I didn't get them until they were adults. All in all, I'd say your vet's opinions are skewed because the animals she deals with are sick or in pain...that isn't likely to make anyone cuddly.

Raven

I have never seen any studies that support her conclusions, so I would have to assume that she is basing her "opinion" on anecdotal evidence. This is either what she has heard from others, or it comes from her own interaction with snakes.

If it is the latter, I can imagine why it is that females tend to be more aggressive in her experiences. When a male is brought to a vet, it is usually because it is not eating properly, and the owner had done all that can be down without access to prescription drugs or complicated procedures. Snakes (of either sex) brought to a vet in this state are usually near death, and are all very docile, not having the energy to do much of anything often times. However, females are brought to the vet for egg binding and other procedures that, while serious, often times do not leave the animal as listless as other situations. So, in the analysis of snakes taken to vets, I would imagine that females are statisically more likely to be aggressive when handled by a vet. But, the "n" of that analysis, the population to be analyzed, is skewed, as we can all see.

For myself, I have had two corns that were just terrible! Biting every time and musking all over the place, regardless of how frequently they were handled or for what duration the handling was. One was a male lavender that I sold last year to another breeder, and the other is a hypo female het for bloodred that I still have. Nasty little things, they were, and she still is the meanest thing I've ever seen! LOL
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

>>I ran into my vet at the gas station on the way to work today.I havent been to her since Feb but she still remembers our conversation about female snakes being more aggressive than males.She seems to think the females are the meaner,more unpredictable of all snake species.While I have seen female boas protect there newborns I dont think females are any meaner than males.I think all snakes have there own personality.Am I wrong?Im thinking she is basing her facts only on the females brought to her,eggbound,sick,etc.Any comments welcome.Thank you.

my calmest most docile snake is a female.
my most skittish (I won't say meanest because it isn't actualy mean) snake is a male
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Remember, My posts are MY opinion only!
Jimmy (draybar)