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Taming an aggressive feeder

mxracer4life

mxracer4life

"Daniel Boone"
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I have a 7ft normal BCI, Launa, she is a sweet heart and just a beautiful example of a normal. I have had her in my collection for quite some time now. She has always taken f/t rats, usually 2 XXL rats. I would consider her "tame", she is handleable, but when its feeding time, she is like a possessed witch! I mean, she is striking the glass before I can even open the door to feed her. I literally have to throw the rat in there so she won't jump out of the cage. I have tried so many different things with her its not even funny. She is fed in her cage, as getting her out when she is hungry is even more of a chore. She is a breeder, so she has her moods, but even when she is taking time off she is the same. I have tried feeding her 1 larger prey item thinking she was just too hungry when the next time cam around. She is fed once every 10-14 days. Whats strange is about 2 days after feeding I can get her out, clean her up, let her move around and so on with no problems. She is vet checked, healthy, temps and all of course are good. Any suggestions to calm her down? She wasn't like this untill after her 2nd litter.
 
Well, the thing she doesn't have an attitude UNLESS she is being fed. Its just so weird. I am not talking "just an aggressive feeder", she is plain NUTS when its time to eat. I should shoot a video of it next time, lol.
 
I don't have experience with aggressive snakes yet, so take my advice with a grain of salt...have you thought about placing the rat in closed tub/tote with a hole in the side. That way she has to go into the tub to get her meal, and hopefully she will learn and HOPEFULLY she won't be that aggressive to you.

Or maybe she's just a natural b****.
 
I have a few. I just open the cage and grab the tail. Once there out they are ok, I just try to hurry and get them from point A to point B
 
With her, the tub thing might work, thats a good idea. I have tried putting her in a tub, or for the most part I am feeding her in the cage, but I never thought about cutting a hole in a tub and then placing the tub in her cage. I don't know about grabbing her tail, she is not into the touchy feely thing before, during or while eating.
 
Unfortunately some animals are just so hard wired when feeding time arrives just about anything you can try is going to fail. My only suggestion would be to cover her door with something a couple days before feeding day to try and decrease her chance of slamming into the glass and hurting herself, and then invest in an 18" junior tong (I modified mine to be just over 2' for a couple highly food aggressive females I had). Good luck getting her to mellow out.
 
Right now I am using modified BBQ tongs, which are 2ft long or better, but she strikes with such ferocity the tongs are usually taken with the rat. 9 times out of 10 if I just tong feed her she comes at the rat so hard and quickly she is hanging half her body out. She isn't like most snakes in that if she has a prey item you can't move her, she will drop that rat in a heart beat and tag ya. I still will never get rid of her, she is one of my favorite boas and she has massive litters, which is a plus.
 
I definitely think trying to cover her door a couple days in advance then could be helpful. I had one particular female, that was around 8' that would fling herself out the door to get to the food and also had a tendency to drop the rat if you tried to move her. (she got a mouth full of blue jeans one day, thankfully my pants were usually somewhat saggy lol) I started covering her door and on feeding day I'd just open the door enough for me to reach in with the tongs, she'd grab it sometimes tongs and all, if she did I'd just slide the tongs the rest of the way in and close the door and let her be till later in the day/next day.
 
In fact the other night she got tongs and all, after finishing her meal, she still wouldn't let go of the tongs. About 3 hours later I looked in there and she had let go, lol.
 
I know what you mean. This boa I am talking about, when she has a full belly, she is a sweet heart. Its funny, as aggressive as she can be I have never been bitten (knock on wood).
 
Just in case anyone ask's, she is fed well. Lets just put it this way, her nickname Little miss piggy is no Joke. She has a plumpness to her (if thats even a word) that shows she is fed well. I will try to feed her every 5-7 and see how it goes. Thanks for the advise!
 
I wasn't suggesting she isn't fed well. Just thinking that by shortening the time between feedings it may lessen her aggressive response. I would be interested in hearing if this helps. Keep us posted.
 
Sounds to me like a normal Boa feed response. Every one of mine comes to the glass before they're even thawed completely out, then they wait, and make quick moves towards every little movement they see, then when I unlatch the locks to feed them, they usually come past the threshold to get their food, several with mouths agape. LOL

My Boas have ALWAYS shown aggressive feed responses, even back in the 70's & 80's when I used to over feed. I've come to accept that as normal Boa feed response, and would be shocked if one day they decided to take it gently.

Get you some tongs from Bret @ Midwest Tongs... http://tongs.com/25inchstandardtong.aspx

I know they ain't the cheapest, but they'll last forever and you'll eliminate some of your worry about being bitten. Fearing an animal, or it's bite, takes the fun out of it. But I doubt you will break her of it.
 
So you don't like my BBQ tongs? :shrug01: Its never been the fear of being bitten, I have, and as unpleasant as its been, it doesn't really "scare" me, I just get annoyed by it.
 
Last edited:
BigTattoo said:
I wasn't suggesting she isn't fed well. Just thinking that by shortening the time between feedings it may lessen her aggressive response. I would be interested in hearing if this helps. Keep us posted.
Click to expand...

I wasn't directing it at you. I appreciate the advise.
 
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