Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My girlfriend bought her first snake, a beutifull 4 month old Rosy Boa.

The snake was very sweet in the store. We got her home and my girlfriend has been handling her a lot. But recently The snake seems a bit snippy, it doesnt bite exactly, but when you get close to it it freaks out and sometimes it jumps at me a bit like it is going to strike but it doesnt bite, it just tapps my hand with its nose.

Once you get it out of the cage and handle it it settles down a little bit, but even then sometimes when you touch it it flinches like it is scared or something.

Now i figure since we've only had it a couple days and we've handled it a lot, it might be a little stressed out because of the move etc. We might want to give it time to settle down and not handle it for a few days.

My other thought is, the snake was dropped . . . It fell only ~ 3 feet onto tile floor, my girlfriend was handling it and the snake didnt have a good hold, it slipped off her arm onto the floor. I thought maybe it is sensitive and doesnt want to be touched. But the snake moves arround all over the place in the cage, it is one of the most active snakes i've ever seen. So if i t was hurt i doubt it would be so active when we're not handle it.

So what do you think? Do i have a hurt snake? Is the snake just not use to it's enviroment? Or should i just keep handling it till it becomes more tame and less scared.

Here she is "Athena"

Thanks

-Russ
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Russ
Baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Melbourne, Fl

Stop holding the snake. it is stressed. You should never hold a new snake every day. give it one week with out any holding. let the animal calm down.let it get used to the new place.

Jon

Yea I figured it was stressed, but when i first got it i assumed it wasnt a big deal because i was told how easy Rosys are to care for and how mild mannered they are. I allways left my snakes alone for a few days after buying them but i thought it wouldnt matter.

Guess it does.

thanks!
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Russ
Baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Melbourne, Fl

There's nothing to worry about. That's just a normal newborn rosy instinctual defense mechanism. She's tapping you with her nose as a warning. Effective(psychologically) isn't it?!?
She'll grow out of it. You might want to give her some time to get used to her new digs, but just keep handling her & she'll be fine.
I don't think a short drop like that would do any damage. They have so little mass when they're young.
Be warned tho...keeping rosies is addictive.
-JC
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Thanks,
-JC
rosyboas.to

1.1 San felipe (CB'93)
0.1 ghost San felipe (CB'98)
1.0 ghost San felipe (CB'03)
0.1 het ghost San felipe (CB'04)
1.0 ghost-line San felipe (CB'98)
1.1 hypo Borrego (CB'99)
1.1 albino Whitewater (CB'02)
1.1 double het for snow (CB'95)
1.0 snow rosy (CB'04)
1.1 Joshua Tree (CB'96)
1.0 Bagdad (CB'99)
1.1 Harquahala Mts. (CB'04)
1.1 Temecula albino (CB'02)
0.1 Temecula albino (CB'05)
1.1 Hemet anery (CB'05)
0.1 Boa constrictor (CB'92)

It's my girlfriends first snake and im trying to make it a good experience for her. She thinks they are like furry animals and she asks "Do i have a mean snake?" i have tokeep telling her no snakes are mean, some are just scared etc.

Im trying not to re-enforce the snippyness by not pulling my arm back when she does it "basically telling her hey, this isnt going to work with me"

But i'll leave her alone for now
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Russ
Baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Melbourne, Fl

I had to handle her today because she almost got out of her cage . . (didnt know it was possible) and she is still "tiwtchy" As soon as i touched her she twitched, like a spazm or something.

It's been 4 days or so since we've gotten her, I'm a bit bummed that she is still acting this way.
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Russ
Baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Melbourne, Fl

Like I said, it's instinctual. It will go away with time. Does she calm down after you've held her awhile?
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Thanks,
-JC
rosyboas.to

1.1 San felipe (CB'93)
0.1 ghost San felipe (CB'98)
1.0 ghost San felipe (CB'03)
0.1 het ghost San felipe (CB'04)
1.0 ghost-line San felipe (CB'98)
1.1 hypo Borrego (CB'99)
1.1 albino Whitewater (CB'02)
1.1 double het for snow (CB'95)
1.0 snow rosy (CB'04)
1.1 Joshua Tree (CB'96)
1.0 Bagdad (CB'99)
1.1 Harquahala Mts. (CB'04)
1.1 Temecula albino (CB'02)
0.1 Temecula albino (CB'05)
1.1 Hemet anery (CB'05)
0.1 Boa constrictor (CB'92)

It just doesnt like to be touched, I can pick it up, and it will settle down once it is in my hand, and supported, but if i go and touch it with my other hand (while im holding it) it will jerk back.

This all started after we got her home and started holding her. . im going to keep the blame on stress induced by the big move from the store to the house (and the frequent holding during the first couple days)

I just home she gets over this snippyness soon, my girlfriend is starting to get scared of the snake :-/

I am going to feed it again on thursday (tomorrow) then let it sit for a day and try to hold it friday night or saturday and see how that goes.

As far as husbandry goes, the snake is in wood chips (dry stuff) and has a hid box, the temp is ~ 73/74 at night, and 78-90 durring the day. I only leave water in the cage every few days.

thanks

-Russ
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Russ
Baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Melbourne, Fl

OK, but also take into account what Ancient said: this snake's behavior is rooted in instinct. It isn't a dog that learns by reward, nor is it a social animal by nature like a dog.

Certainly, the less you hold it, the less of a chance of undue stress assuming your husbandry is correct, but even in the best of conditions, many young rosies react like yours. Some stay biters as adults, though most don't.

Tell your g/f that rosies are not cuddly creatures and not to expect qualities of cuddly creatures. Rosies are kind of cute looking and so we think they have cute personalities to match. In reality, they are ruthless rodent nest raiders, live in holes in the ground amid rocky areas, try their best to stay away from predators and try their best to make more baby rosies. But bonding to humans was never in their DNA.

I understand this, although my girlfriend does not. You cannot reward or punish a snake . . they just dont react to it, and will more then likely just hurt the situation!

However i am torn between holding it and not holding it. I know what i am going to do now.

I'll give it a little more time to settle down in it's new enviroemtnt, then I'll start to handle it more, if it doesnt like it, oh well. It'll get use to it.

Although i still think it is a stress related issue that has to do with moving the animal. We held it at the pet store for a half hour before buying it and it acted fine.

Thanks for the replies
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Russ
1 Brazillian Rainbow Boa (< 1 year old)
1 Rosy Boa (G/F's Snake)

Somehow i have to feed both?!
Melbourne, Fl