Advice about a Nippy Juvenile Rainbow Boa

[arex83]

Just received my first columbian rainbow 3 days ago -- a lovely patternless male who is about 1.5 years old. Anyway, I've read a lot of care sheets and posts about how these juveniles are notoriously nippy, but then calm down to make great docile snakes with enough patience and gentle handling.

BUT...I was wondering if anyone with some experience could guide me in what exactly might be the best approach?

-Should I start by opening his tub with me and him in the same room, and letting him explore his surroundings on his own terms?
-Or should I just pick him up and passively let him explore and get used to the smell of me?
-Is it best to do this in just brief intervals, for only 10-15 mins? Or longer?
-Once a day, a few times a day?
-Or is it just a "try whatever and see how it goes?"

My first snake was an African house, and he's about as puppy-dog as it gets, so this is pretty new to me. I don't want to seem ignorant, but it does startle the s!@# out of me when my boa strikes. How uncomfortable is an actual bite from a rainbow this size?

 

[bcr229]

Hmmmmmm... I kept a few back from the litter my female had in 2013 and IIRC by the time they were 12 months old they had chilled out, mainly because I made a point of handling them a lot. I'm guessing yours was not.

You've only had this critter for a few days. I would give him several weeks to settle in before doing more handling than is needed to clean up his messes, change his water, and feed him.

With my babies, getting bit wasn't a big deal so I would just reach in and pick them up. If they insisted on striking more than once or twice I would make a fist and put it into the tub with them. They wore themselves out on the back of my hand, which stung a bit but didn't hurt. Eventually they learned that striking didn't make me go away.

With an older critter you may find it easier to cover the snake's head with a paper towel or small cloth and then pick it up while it can't see you. Once in-hand mine rarely took a swipe at me.

Also if you do get bit don't immediately put the snake away or you will teach him that striking means he gets what he wants. Only return your snake to his home when he is behaving. Lots of short handling sessions are better than one long one.

 

[Snakesitter]

Arex, I breed rainbows for (partial) living, and have found that two items are key to taming them: age and regular handling.

As the post above commented, your snake is new, so give him a week to settle in. After that, make sure he is eating before you start handling.

Once those two items are met, pick him up every few days for a *short* session. If he bites, do *not* put him down. That said, your snake's behavior will guide you: if he is bitey, he is upset; if he is squirmy and tries to escape, he is upset; if he just chills in your hands, he is calming down. Regular sessions and time should lead to the last condition.

Good luck!

 

[arex83]

Thank you to the both of you for the very helpful advice. Gonna give him a couple more days then follow up with the handling tips. I'll see how his appetite is later tonight.

I already noticed while changing his water both yesterday and today that he was no longer readily striking at my hands. In fact, today he actually made an appearance on his own terms and just looked at me, almost as though he were curious rather than defensive.

 

[Snakesitter]

Glad to hear of progress! Good luck!