Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i've had my albino garter snake for over a year now. i got her when she was a baby, and she was cool, she moved slow, ate regularly, and was awesome to handle.

for the past 6 months or so, when i go to pick her up, she likes to bite at me. If i try to pick her up by her front half, she'll whip her head around and nail me. So I try to pick her up from her rear half, and then slide my other hand under her front. This works pretty well, but she still sometimes will nip my other hand as i try to support her front. She rarely draws blood (only when she gets a soft part of my hand), and her bites do not hurt but it still startles me a little because she's so quick.

i dont feed my snakes in their cages, and i feed them every 5 days or so. I try to handle them at least twice between feedings so they dont associate my handling them with feeding (and BITING) is that too much handling? too little? I house her together with one other garter in a 20L tank. could that be adding stress? they've been together in the same cage since about 2 months after i got her.
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Try handling her with exam gloves on (latex). When bitten, they are bitter, and will dissuade some herps from biting.

If the behavior stops, then you can discard the gloves.
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KITKAT

1.2 Collared Lizards
1.0 African House Snake
1.0 Red Sided Garter Snake
1.5 Turkish Angora (show) cats

Antioch Turkish Angoras
Kitnhevn Rescue

We have one garter that we used to take to our kids classes for "snake education". He would quietly travel from child to child. A few months ago he turned into a wild man - I can't grab him without him lunging at me. I can be holding him firmly and he will still try to whip his head around with his mouth open - this with gloves on! He is eating and growing, just one angry snake!

On the other hand I have had luck with another snake and using a latex glove until the behavior stopped. The other thing to do is to keep holding her until she calms down. If you put her back in her viv every time she bites she will learn that biting will get her back to her viv!

Joanna

my snake only goes for my hand when im initially taking her out of her cage. after i have her in my hands, she's completely cool, and has never bitten. it's just when im going to pick her up she gets aggressive.
i should have mentioned this in my post. that sucks about your snake that bites even when you're holding her.
i started to wonder if feeding her with tongs is encouraging her to look upwards for food, so for the past few feedings i've been laying the pinkie down (in the box) and then putting the snake in.