Just brought my new RTB home

[L.West]

This is my first experience with an RTB - my other two snakes are both BP's.

He is an '08 RTB weighing about 695 grams. I brought him home on Friday and when I got him out of the bag he was in - he immediately tried to squirm free of me - not like a ball python at all - I could hardly keep ahold of him. I immediately put him in his cage and haven't bothered him since - give him some time to get acclimated. He found the hides within the first few hours (he was kept in tubs so he isn't familiar with hides but he found them) and he stayed in the hide for the past two days. I did see him out last night getting a drink or possibly a little swim but this morning he was back in his hide.

Since he is staying in his hide - this is a good sign - corrrect???

My concern is how squirmy he is - I fear I won't ever be able to hold him. I held him at the show where I purchased him and he was okay - little more active than a bp but not unmanageable - do you all think he was just overly stressed from the car ride home??

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[fire-eyes]

Congratulations! I am also on my first RTB (BCI, not a real RTB i know but whatever).

Your experience so far sounds completely normal. Especially if it is young (how old is it?), it's going to be insecure. Especially after a show, where it was moved around (quite possibly roughly), then handled by countless strange creatures that don't smell anything like the creatures they are used to doing that, car ride home etc...

...Into an environment that feels and smells different. So that sounds normal so far. So does the hiding. Just like a BP, give it a week.

I now understand that mine is somewhat high on the aggression scale, so my first days/weeks were pretty crazy. Mine really wanted to kill me. Here I was used to BPs and for the life of me I could not corner this boa, who was trying to both get away and kill me at the same time. Eventually I picked him up, at which point he tried to kill me. I got him into his setup and got the door shut, at which point... oh I'm sure you can guess. THUNK, trying to kill me.

It stayed in trying to kill me mode for about a week, but ever since then, has very slowly gotten friendlier. 8 months later, he's much better. I wouldn't call him sweet yet, but I think he eventually will be. You likely won't need as much persistence and patience as I have needed, but the truth is I love him anyway.

It will probably get into the habbit of putting on a show trying to look / act tough. To include really loud hissing, defensive postures, strikes that don't actually connect (also known as a bluff strike) and so on. Again hopefully not as much as mine. But what I did learn (it took a while!) was that I had to ignore the show, reach in there with confidence and just grab him. Up to that last milisecond before I wasn't holding him, mine still puts on the show and begins to act like he's going to bite, but then decides he'd rather get away instead. Then I can pick him up and hold on for dear life.

If you do get bitten, I have found that it is important to take the strike and not freak out. Let it hang on, and do your best to act like it doesn't matter. In this way (just my speculation), it will eventually learn that hissing, putting on an act, or even biting will not deter you. Thus eventually it will not associate bites with "the human will go away if I do this". You just might have to take a few, though. Even with my aggressive boy, I have only had him bite me once.

These days he often puts no show on whatsoever. He's really special to me, probably a bit more so than the other snakes (BP, northern pine). He's taken so much effort to get him to calm down and play nice, and it's worked.

Enjoy it! Also, pics!

[L.West]

Thanks FireEyes for the reply. The breeder I got him from said he was a real sweetie and not agressive at all -so I hope that is true. I think he was just scared and unsure of his new environment. I plan to leave him alone for awhile so he can get acclimated.

I am always nervous when picking up new arrivals simply because I don't know how they will react - I have two bp's that have never striked at me.

This new RTB (also a BCI) is an '08 and is pretty good size already. If he does bite me - how do you get them off of your arm??? LOL

[Jason Bowden]

Where's the pics?
Congrats, Boas are nice!

[Jason Bowden]

I've got 3 RTBs. They are easy handleing snakes! I think yours was probablely a little shook up from the ride, etc.. You did the right thing to let your new snake settle in. I think you'll have a great pet experience with your new snake. Boas are gentle, beautiful, have great feeding reponses, and make great pet snakes!

[L.West]

He was too squirmy for me to get any pics - maybe once he calms down. I didn't really get to spend any time with him - he went from the bag to his enclosure in about 1.2 seconds - LOL.

[fire-eyes]

Okay, mine is an early 09 so he's smaller. From what I can tell most bites against non-prey (you) are just simple reach-out-and-grab. No coiling etc. But that even if there was, you gotta be calm and then bring it to a faucet and sprinkle a small amount of cold water on its head. Supposedly they will either let go, or act annoyed, and then let go after more water is used.

I have not yet had to test that one. Perhaps others who have been through it can help.

[L.West]

I don't know why - but everytime I get a new snake I am soooo afraid of the first time picking them up - I am such a whimp.

I have an RBI cage so I will have to reach in from the front of the cage - I hope he is friendly - LOL.

I will probably attempt to hold him next weekend - his first feeding with me will be on Wednesday - hopefully he eats for me.

[L.West]

I think the main reason I fear getting biten is that I will tend to take it personally - like he doesn't like me or something - which would ruin the whole pet experience.

I guess I need to get over taking it personally.

[Jason Bowden]

As far as getting him off your arm---DON'T LET HIM BITE YOU!!!!
I've never been bitten by any of my boas.
They do get ready for food when ever you mess with there cage, etc..
I use a small roll of news paper to gently touch my boas head, etc before trying to pick them up. This lets them know that no food is being offered. Once you pick them up they are usually fine with handleing, etc.. Keep your snake fed properly and handle at least once or twice a week to keep him friendly.
I think RTBs are awesome! Enjoy!