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all of a sudden she has gotten really nippy like something spooked her. i can't get near her at all. this happened literally over night, any ideas? the only change that has happened recently is that i got a kingsnake but they are in separate rooms. could there be a connection and any ideas on calming her down?

most retics are nippy as youngsters especailly when you approach them in their cage. I have had great luck wearing nitrile or polyurethane or latex clinical rubber gloves, and using a snake hook to get them out of the cage. I drape them over my hand not getting too close to the head or neck, and then handle gently with the gloves on for babies. They can crawl up your forarm and smell your bare arms and get used to your scent. they almost never bite once out. Try cleaning thier cage a few times a week and handle while cleaning or changing water etc. you should have it handlable in a few weeks again, though it still may panic when you open the cage or attack when you feed it. They get quickly conditioned that a cage opening means food and they are on the offensive. that is why using a hook when in non feeding moments conditions them to think hook- no food this time-

Winslow

yes, she was like that a few months ago and then she calmed down. i have a snake hook and gloves that i have been using and suddenly she became defensive.

Good advice from Dr. Murdoch. I place a piece of a worn, unwashed t-shirt in all my new snake cages and feel that really helps with the snake associating with your scent.

When is the retic striking? After you have the snake out or when you try to take her out? If she is aggressive when you open the cage she is showing a normal retic feeding response. This response muct be cancelled prior to handling. Some baby retics take some time to show this but once it is there, it stays. Also some are just territorial in their cages. Start touching the snake with the hook on the nose/head several times a day. Touch the snake with the hook every time you enter the cage except when food is presented-the snake should never see the hook prior to being fed. Soon you will recognize when the feeding response is cancelled by the hook conditioning and you will be able to reach in and just pick her up. Please do make sure she is well fed. I found out long ago the hard way that a hungry retic is not a happy retic. Best of luck with her-Bill
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