Temperamental Snakes

[rirvinbrady]

I have had the luck to own mild tempered reptiles. I just wonder what the approach is for snakes that predictably try to strike. Or even when removing eggs from a tub and they don't approve.

[bcr229]

One of my females is very defensive. She never relaxes or moves around / explores when she's picked up. Instead she remains stiff, and she's very quick to strike out at movement and shadows even while in-hand.

She gave me four nice eggs this year and honestly I expected her to tag me at least once during the removal. I covered her with a small, light towel and handled her through that and she never fussed. My husband moved the eggs to the incubator, we gave her a fresh tub, and I wiped her down with a warm, damp cloth to get rid of the egg smell and then put her away.

[CwnAnnwn]

I would start with hook training.

You are dealing with two problems.

1.) Heavy feeding response.
2.) Fight or flight.

Both of them can be helped with hook training.

Heavy feeding response means they think you are going to feed them. If you place and touch them with a hook every time you are not feeding them, they will associate the hook with handling and not feeding. This will reduce the time it take for them to go from want food to oh handling time.

Some snakes get into a fight or flight behaviour. They will literally attack then try to run away. This is just a sign they think you are going to hurt them. Hook training will help. They will if you place the hook and touch them enough, never leave on a bad note, and never hurt them. They will get used to the hook. They will stop going to fight mode and move directly to flight. After that you can train them to accept your hands with the same technique. You need to set up a long series of good examples of them not being hurt to break this behaviour. Only repetitively not hurting them will fix it. They think you are going to hurt them, even if you ever have.

Some snakes get into a fight or fight mode. The literally lock up in the fight part. They becomes defensive thinking that they are either going to have to drive you off or die. Once again hook training can help.

To start. You will need to place the hook in the cage. If they hiss or strike at it, just let them. Don't pull the hook out, don't give up. After many attempts they will start to calm down around the hook. At this point, you use the hook to touch them. After they get use to touching, pick them up using the hook. If they strike or hiss, wait them out. Make them get down from the hook. If you can get them up and out of the cage with out striking and hissing. Move them from cage to table back to cage. What you are looking for in a fight or fight behaviour correction is them to try to run. If they run. let them. If they are out of the cage, just let them go back into the cage. Hold them above the cage. Let them "run" from you.

After you move them from fight or fight to fight or flight, then you can start training them to hands.

Basic run down.

1.) train them not to strike/hiss at hook in cage.
2.) train them not to strike/hiss at hook touching them.
3.) train them not to strike/hiss at hook picking them up.
4.) train them not to strike/hiss at you touching them with your hands.


A few other tips. Using gloves, the surgical ones, can help with them biting hands. They don't smell you and they don't like the taste of the rubber.

This will take a long time. Do not let them win. Do not place them back in the cage if the bite or hiss. You have to take your time. Only let them go back on a good note.

Some snakes can not be tamed. Some will be defensive all their lives. If they show any signs of stress, you need to slow down or stop. Regurgitation, refusal to eat, striking at the walls when the cage is closed, soaking in water dish all the time are examples of too much stress.

If you get in a spot where they will not calm down and you have spend hours trying to get them back in the cage. Use a water bottle sprayer set on a very fine mist. Spray them carefully. You are looking a change in behaviour. You want them to focus on getting wet and not you. That should help reset them back to fight or flight. And from there you can get them into flight.

Only use the sprayer as a last resort. It will cause more behavioural issues if you over use it.