Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok my argentine is small right now but is already come feeding time striking at the rubbermaid at feeding time. now my question is when she is a big adult and still has a bad temper how do i feed her so she isnt striking at the glass and trying to eat me instead of the f/t mouse/rat thank you all in advance.

Supposedly Argentines calm down as they grow. I had one, it was nice. Then it decided that it hated my guts. I thought they were cool looking but not worth the flesh that this one seemed to like to take from me. Now I think I want one again because they are cool looking.

Derek
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

i dont have a prob with the snake she is very ame and if she did bite me big deal. its just when she is a big adult i dont want her striking the cage all the time or me at feeding time. other than feeding time i dont have a problem with her

to associate you opening the cage with feeding time.Get a small snake hook and every time you get her out,just tap her gently with it.Do the same thing each time and she will associate the hook with getting out of the cage,not feeding.It doesn't take long to condition them...either positively or negatively.

>>ok my argentine is small right now but is already come feeding time striking at the rubbermaid at feeding time.

Does that mean that you feed outside it's tank? If that is so......I would stop if I were you. If you do, I will explain on another post. If you don't......Then, never mind.

Do you have some feeding tongs? If you don't.......Get some. I like having the 18" ones. I think they are the best just because of their size.

How much do you hold your baby? Get it real use to being handled instead of just being fed. You want to make an association to the cage opening to handling. Not feeding.

>>now my question is when she is a big adult and still has a bad temper how do i feed her so she isnt striking at the glass and trying to eat me instead of the f/t mouse/rat thank you all in advance.

This is where owning and knowing your animals comes in. With the years you will have with it......You will learn each others "quirks". Again, if you are feeding outside the tank. Stop now. It really complicates things for the future.

Here's the thing......LOL! Most, (a lot) of Argentines grow out of being "pissy". They just need lots of handling and time with you. I use to just hold mine while watching TV. Or, I would do some easy chores with him around. (I have a clothes rack that makes a good climbing structure.) This gets them use to you and movement. Time will make things better. And, you get what you give.

My girl was a spitfire when she was younger. She hissed a lot....And she was a devil when it came to feeding time. She is now mellow as can be. Which is good. She is now a little over 8ft. She still nails her food VERY HARD. That is where the tongs come in handy. Your cage can make a difference as well. I have a neodesha cage with sliding glass doors. This way I can use the glass as a shield. You really need to find a way for your animal to stop striking at the glass. This really can lead to some damage! Experiment with different things and see what works. Slow movements work for me. Fast moves in front of the cage could equal a strike. Luckly for me all my snakes are mellow that way. None of them do this really. I do have some babies that will do this in my rack system. That is my fault because I will at times move fast in front of them.

Your boa should mellow with time. Mine is pretty darn big!! And, she is mellow as can be.

The biggest thing is..........Spend time with your animal. Get it use to you and movements. It will mellow with age.
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."