Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just looking for some pointers. Have a young boa, my first, and he is abit mean. He will watch anyone who walks past his enclosure, and stays coiled the whole time. Whenever i try to handle him, he hisses, and tries desperately to get away. I have been using something to keep between his mouth and my hand, while picking up his tail and letting him keep moving off. Anyone have any good tips on things to try? I am really scared of him biting me, and then me pulling my hand away real fast and hurting him. He has been feeding well on live mice (trying hard to get him on f/t), so i dont think it has anything to do with hunger. Thanks for any advice.

-----
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon
0.0.1 Boa Constrictor

Hi There,

There are several different techniques that will work with your youngster. I'll tell you what works for me. You don't say whether he trys to bite ONCE you have him in your hands. I'm guessing, no.

I don't have a snake hook, so I pick all mine up with my hands. When I have one that is nervous about being picked up, I gently drop one end of a hand towel over their head so they can't see me or my hands reaching for them. Just drop one end down over his head so he can't see. Then reach under his belly with your other hand and scoop him up gently. When boas are kept in tanks, they sometimes freak out when they see hands coming down toward them. The towel will help with that and eventually, you won't need it.

Sometimes nervous babies will zero in on your face, so hold him far enough away that he can't zap you on the nose

Also, make sure all your movements are SLOW and FLUID. Remember, you are a HUGE GIANT to him. He thinks you are going to eat him ANY MINUTE. Move slowly. Sit down somewhere with him and just let him glide through your fingers back and forth. If he gets still, let him be still and calm down. Do this each time you pick him up. Handle him for only a few minutes each day....maybe twice each day. Eventually he will realize he is not lunch and you are not as scary as he once thought. This may take a long time, so have patience. Remember, he only has a tiny, primitive little brain....so it will take lots of repetition.

And if you do get bitten, it's not really painful when they are young....it's just surprising. Lastly, make sure he has a place to hide away in his enclosure so that no one can see him. Handling is stressful for him, so he will need a good place to hide away if he wants.

Good luck!
-----
Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

Thanks for the advice. He hasnt struck at me, seems much more interested in getting away after hissing. He does have a hide, but he very rarely uses it.
-----
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon
0.0.1 Boa Constrictor

I noticed that Linda's Towel Technique(copywrited) , also tends to work well on larger snakes. I have a larger hissy girl and it works well when picking her up to just throw a small hand towel on her and then gently support her weight and lift her out. I do not think you have to worry about jerking your hand so much as alot of times with very small boas you realize you have been bit after they have already let go and pulled back. I recently got a Carpet python baby and he is biting me like every day. The bites heal within a day and a half or so and you barely feel it. I think the worse part about getting bit is the anticipation and anxiety before the fact.

I have been "attacked" twice by my brazilian rainbow boa and it does make me anxious every time I pick up any one of my three snakes, even though my ball python has never shown the slightest bit of aggression. It just makes me think of what the snakes must be feeling, with their little brains and tiny relative size. I know the snake is not going to hurt me and I still get a little anxious. The snake is outsized like 400 to 1 so it has to be stressful at first. They get used to it though and then they don't care so much what you do around their cage/box or when you hold them.

One of my males was very aggressive. Bit me when I opened his box the day he arrived and every time I handled him. He would start hissing and striking against the end of his box whenever I picked it up. When I would return him to his box and put it back in the rack, same thing, hissing and striking. I wasn't interested in getting bit multiple times every time I handled him. I was determined to break him of this habit because I wasn't going to tolerate this from him as an adult. I purchased a pair of work gloves, thick cotton, not the leather type. I handled him every day and would hold him for 10-20 minutes. The first time he bit me 50 times. I just let him go until he was tuckered out. He was breathing pretty heavy and I'm sure it was stressful but I had no choice. Each time I handled him it got better, less striking and less hissing. After a couple of weeks he realized I was not a threat and I was able to handle him without gloves. It was well worth the work and extra effort. He's my favorite boa.

....

The T-Shirt trick as its called is very effective at helping aggressive young`uns "chill"
The key is to put anything that smells like "you" in the cage,your sweat,your scent like from a T-shirt thats been worn etc.Placed next to or inside(best) their hides.The snake will associate your scent with security.As for the gloves,cotton isnt a good choice as it will snag teeth.Use leather driving/work gloves instead.
-----
T/
Money Only Wished It Had The Control Over The World That FEAR Does !

I've seen this method suggest'ed a few time's,what worry's me is most people use "Deoderant" which could be Toxic to Reptile's maybe it would be a "Good Idea" to use a T-shirt after a Day with no deoderant ? Just a thought !
Have A Good One ! !
Kenneth

Just put a sock in there thats been worn a day.
People funk is people funk.
Sweat on a paper towel will also work.
If all other resources fail just sleep with it !! LOL!

>>I've seen this method suggest'ed a few time's,what worry's me is most people use "Deoderant" which could be Toxic to Reptile's maybe it would be a "Good Idea" to use a T-shirt after a Day with no deoderant ? Just a thought !
>>Have A Good One ! !
>>Kenneth
-----
T/
Money Only Wished It Had The Control Over The World That FEAR Does !

You guys are soo funny. Sleep with it. LOL. Most of the boas I get from big breeders are always agressive at first. I guess not everyone has time to handle their snakes every day. I just use gloves and let them strike away until their tired. Then I just let them rest in my hands for awhile then its time for their naps. LOL. Takes a few weeks but they'll get the picture.

Sam Leam