I know that the hogs can puff up, hiss and strike without opening there mouth. My 3 month old western just started doing this after 2 months of fairly docile temperment. It gradually increased from "running" away backwards, them spreading neck, then striking and finally when I picked him up after his feeding to place him back in his cage he immediately turned and bit my hand. Actually he tried to bite, he had his mouth open wide but couldn't get a grip. I was so surprised that I just watched him ( while my girl friend laughed her self silly )and he kept trying repeatedly to get hold of my hand with the chewing motion you see when he takes a f/t pinky. I thought that with handling they get more docile not less. Could it be that he has finally fully acclimated and is now acting more like himself and should now start calming? Has anyone else out there actually been bitten? I now that rear fang venom id very mild but I don't want any effects at all from it? I don't want to have to handle him like a "hot" snake, and now I definitly wont let my young kids so much as touch him even while I am holding him. Any suggestions.
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I got bit!!LOL
Replies (8)
>>I picked him up after his feeding
>> I don't want to have to handle him like a "hot" snake, and now I definitly wont let my young kids so much as touch him even while I am holding him.
This is overreacting. Practically the only way to get bit is to do exactly as you described, handling during feeding. This can be completely, positively, 100% be avoided. Continue to handle it and let children handle it as you would any other nonvenomous snake. It would be ideal to wash hands before to eliminate any potential scents (even human food) that could illicit a feeding response.
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If there is a just God, how humanity would writhe in its attempt to justify its treatment of animals. - Isaac Asimov
Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. People do.
William McDonough, architect and designer, Sierra Club magazine
WOW, what a fast response ( 5 minutes ), thanks. I was kinda thinking that I may have had some scent on me but since I feed him outside of his cage ( aspen shavings ) I have to pick him up when he has finished eating. Guess I should wash hands first? Makes sense. This is my first hog, thanks for the response.
2 corns
3 balls
1 western hog
I have on multiple occasions with aggressive feeders (not just hogs), simply dumped them back in their aquarium straight from the box. No handling involved. I think in this case hand washing won't make a difference. The feeding response had started and at that point it was biting at anything that moved.
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If there is a just God, how humanity would writhe in its attempt to justify its treatment of animals. - Isaac Asimov
Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. People do.
William McDonough, architect and designer, Sierra Club magazine
I agree with what Colchicine just said. Your hog is still in feed mode right after eating it's meal. Washing your hands or not washing your hands in this case may not make a difference. I feed my female in a seperate container, and when she's finished, I do not pick her up or touch her. I lift the feeding container & gently dump her back in her enclosure.
Steve
excellant!! I will do just that. In fact I may even go get another one.
How about leaving the snake in the container for an hour or so after it feeds before handling so it can have time to change from feeding mode to "digestive stupor" mode?
> "digestive stupor"
Ha ha, I really like that.
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If there is a just God, how humanity would writhe in its attempt to justify its treatment of animals. - Isaac Asimov
Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. People do.
William McDonough, architect and designer, Sierra Club magazine
He did again, I was just handling him last night, no feeding, and he just decided to grab my finger again. Didnt appear worked up he just bit it. Guess he is just a little more of a "character" than others.
