Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have developed a few strategies for acclamation, first thing you have to do is get bit a few times, this shows that biting is an insufficent deturant, this usually happens the first day, then leave it alone for weeks till it goes into shed, then when it is ready to come out of shed, take it out and put it on the floor and assist it by misting with water and gently helping it rool off it's shed, it will fuss at first but keep trying and be patiant, this seems to tranqulize them and they will usually show a different attitude after this step, then three inch deep aspen bedding, this helps alot, if the snake thinks it can go undergroung it will stress less, a hide box is nessasery as well, also they want to be HOT (110*)in the summer and will eat five AD mice pr/week for five months or so, and if you happen to collect one that won't seem to calm down then do this, take it outside and put it down on the ground in a big open area like my tennis court, and back away 10 feet, slowly, now as the snake looks round to determine which way to escape keep walking in circles around it, as it moves in any direction stay in front of it, the snake will stop and look at you as if its puzzled, but whats happening is its learning that your not chaseing it and your not hurting it and it learns that your the boss and it cant get away, do this several times in it's first year in captivity and be sure to give it a big heat pad and a heat light to bask under, they also like to go outside and be held in the sunlight, remember you cant take ANY snake out of the wild and keep it inside a cage for the rest ot it's life, they get depressed quick, also males HAVE to breed or they will go nuts, and keep in mind even if you comply with all these methods they will still rush into a retreat upon the sight of you entering the snakeroom, but I'm certain this will grant you luck with the coachwhips. I just try to imagine I'm the snake, would I be happy if someone cought me, confined me, but gave me deep bedding and fed me well and let me get laid and took me outside in the sunlight often, then I think I could tolerate captivity... JB

Good advice...I love those eastern coachwhips of yours, I still need a pair of those. I'm impressed by the sheer size of some of those coachwhips from the southest, some of them are just huge. That classic look with the black head and white cream body is pretty appealing too. My western coachwhips have actually gotten to the point where about half the time, when I enter my snake room, they'll come flying out of their hides and start following me around the snake room, almost as if they're begging for a hand out. I have several that routinely take frozen mice from my hands. Definitely not afraid of me...Most of them are quite tame as long as I don't restrain them too much. They definitely like to bury into their substrate, it's pretty cute to see nothing but a little coachwhip head sticking out of the substrate at you. If you ever happen to be selling any of those hatchlings, I would definitely be interested in a pair or trio, I have the perfect set up for coachwhip hatchlings right now. I've got my fingers crossed for some w. texas babies this year. Then the fun begins

Kevin

Good post, though I'd add that keeping them in a high traffic area seems to work great.
Ok my eastern is still a little nervous but he will now let me put my hand in to stroke him, hasn't bitten for months. The westerns are very tame, yes if spooked they fly across the viv, but they soon come back. All are so tame I can put my head right in the viv so I can then reach the end to poo pick. They just watch me, can even stroke them on the heads and chins and they will just sit there.
As I speak one is watching me intently, think I may have to feed her today, as she has just laid eggs.

Mike

P.S. Send me some female easterns. I NEED a female.

I'll let you all know in a few weeks here what the status is with my female, I just took them out of the bag they've been in since December, they just started to eat...

Very cool, keep me posted. Is anyone keeping drymobius these days? I'd love to find a good CB pair of those beauties.

Kevin