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Teething ring?

eunectes4 Jul 21, 2004 01:47 AM

Last night I went into my "snake room" to get something and I noticed my male granite wrapped around his stick of bamboo I put in for him to climb on. The odd thing was he was chewing on it. He was just chompin away at the stick like a dog chewing on a bone. Anyone ever seen behavior like this before. I know I have seen nothing like it. The only thing I can think of is I may have grabbed the bamboo I put in there from another snakes cage (likely my amazon tree boas) and since tree boas are always wrapped around branches it might have had a good scent and taste of tree boa. This is just the only thing I could think of and it made more sense than an anaconda teething (although it is about 10 months and that is around teething time for baby humans right). Tell me what you guys think. If it is because of tree boa scent this is all the reason people should need to not house other snakes with anacondas. If they will try and eat a snake scented stick I would not put anything you care about in the tank.

Replies (6)

CrazyCodyKadunk Jul 21, 2004 10:37 AM

i'm not shore is u are going to make a lot of money on snake teething rings but if it works umm just send me 63.89% of everything u make of it. yes have seen this happen with Annie. she likes to test bite everything thats new to her.

CrazyCody

dfr Jul 21, 2004 12:44 PM

` Two of my Yellows did that as babies.
` My large male would chew on my fingers and drool, leaving lots of saliva on me. He did it often, until he was 18 months old. I could feel his teeth scratching on my skin, but he never put any pressure behind it, and never broke my skin, although sometimes it was irritated.
` Now, as a 5 1/2 year old, and very large for a male Yellow, he will open his mouth anytime I touch him on the lips. When he does this, I can put my finger in his mouth, and he will drool and chew on me. He still doesn't put any pressure on.
` One of these days, I'll get someone to take a picture of this. So far, I haven't been able to get anyone to take the pix.
` As you know, they're born with a mouthful of teeth, so I don't think it's about teething. There's so much instinctive, and learned behavior going on with Anacondas that hasn't been documented or explained. That's one of the things that makes them so interesting.
` I started working with Boids more than 40 years ago, and I have never seen this behavior before.
` For the last few years, he's lived with two other male Yellows, a B.c.i., and a Ball Python. He's by far the largest, and there has not been any problem, at all. I don't think the chewing has much to do with aggression. I think that it is from association of scents, and handling familiarity. I think that the snake is so calm and secure that he is feels comfortable enough not to have to guard his behavior.

` Himself:

`

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eunectes4 Jul 22, 2004 04:29 PM

the teething ring thing was a joke...lol. Thanks for your response though...interesting to hear you dont think it has to do with scent or taste of the stick. I have never seen this behavior before. I guess if it is no big deal I will hope to see it again to get a nice picture.

MikeT Jul 23, 2004 07:49 AM

If you can get your snake do what you say, I absolutely think you should get some pics of this behavior. Not only please post them here, but on some other snake forums as well as I think keepers would be extremely intrigued by this. I have never heard or seen of this before. Please get some pics.
Thanks,
Mike

MikeT Jul 23, 2004 07:50 AM

np

dfr Jul 23, 2004 11:45 AM

` He is just under 10 feet, appx. 30 pounds.
` I'll work on the pix.


`
` I can get pix like this with one hand free for the camera. Holding his head, and putting a finger in his mouth takes both hands.
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