Looking for Advice!!!

[kook617]

So I was holding my red-tail ruckus and he managed to get 1/6 of his body wrapped in the back support beams on my chair. When I was trying to get him off the chair he begain to get aggrevated with me. So after a few minutes I realized he wasn't coming off the chair. What I did was let him get his body through the chair and he climb onto my TV where I then picked him up again and got him into his enclosure. I obviously shouldn't of allowed him to tangle himself in the chair in the 1st place but I was wondering: Did I handle right? What did I do wrong as far as picking him back up? Also if I'm trying to get him off of something or if he's ever hostile is it a good idea to grab him from behind the head or would that aggrevate him more??? I appreciate any helpful advice/criticism.

[Lferg]

Since I gave you the worse reply ever last night, I'll try to make it up here. Keep in mind I am in no way shape or form an expert on anything.... That being said... In my personal experiences, I have always found that trying to uncoil any snake, especially a very strong boa, is always easier when you start from the tail. I always say, start from the bottom of the animal and work your way up. Also, there are times when it's easier for you and your snake to just him go about his business until he gets out of what ever he's coiled in and starts moving for flatter ground.

Also, (again just me) only in extreme cases could I see grabbing a RTB in the back of the head as if he were a venomous snake, ever to be justified. Scoop him up by the middle and lower thrirds of his body with both hands and don't make quick moves, treat him like an infant. So he'll know you aren't food and he'll know you aren't trying to eat him.

If your guy really is as hostile as your posts have made him out to be... Just let him hang out in his enclosure for a few weeks and don't mess with him. Start slow, work with him close to the enclosure so he can't get away. Look if he bites you, he bites you. No big deal. It'll hurt a bit there will be some blood. BUT no worries, it's just a bite. It sounds like he has either been very miss treated (in which case he could turn out to be super sweet) or just plain not handled.

Everybody on this site and others is going to give 17 different opinions and always tell you to do something different than what you are doing. Find what works for you and your animal and do it that way. He's only a snake, he's doesn't hold grudges or think of ways to hurt you when you are not around.... Give it some time, the two of you will become fast friends.

[Evenstar]

Since I gave you the worse reply ever last night, I'll try to make it up here. Keep in mind I am in no way shape or form an expert on anything.... That being said... In my personal experiences, I have always found that trying to uncoil any snake, especially a very strong boa, is always easier when you start from the tail. I always say, start from the bottom of the animal and work your way up. Also, there are times when it's easier for you and your snake to just him go about his business until he gets out of what ever he's coiled in and starts moving for flatter ground.

Also, (again just me) only in extreme cases could I see grabbing a RTB in the back of the head as if he were a venomous snake, ever to be justified. Scoop him up by the middle and lower thrirds of his body with both hands and don't make quick moves, treat him like an infant. So he'll know you aren't food and he'll know you aren't trying to eat him.

If your guy really is as hostile as your posts have made him out to be... Just let him hang out in his enclosure for a few weeks and don't mess with him. Start slow, work with him close to the enclosure so he can't get away. Look if he bites you, he bites you. No big deal. It'll hurt a bit there will be some blood. BUT no worries, it's just a bite. It sounds like he has either been very miss treated (in which case he could turn out to be super sweet) or just plain not handled.

Everybody on this site and others is going to give 17 different opinions and always tell you to do something different than what you are doing. Find what works for you and your animal and do it that way. He's only a snake, he's doesn't hold grudges or think of ways to hurt you when you are not around.... Give it some time, the two of you will become fast friends.

I agree with this. Lferg gave you excellent advice. I will just reiterate what she said - do NOT grab him behind the head. That really will only piss him off more.

[Rob]

is it a good idea to grab him from behind the head.

Some people do this and I just don't like it. It's your pet and you should treat it as such, there are ways around handling an aggressive snake with out grabbing it behind the head. All it will do is escalate the level of stress on your animal.
Also I hope since you decided to keep the boa you have gotten a proper enclosure, and have done your homework on husbandry?

[RobNJ]

I would've just uncoiled the snake from the chair...as Lferg stated, start at the tail end. A young boa(I'm assuming) will immediately wrap its tail around whatever it can, and would be easy to keep on your hand as you worked it off. I'm generally not a fan of grabbing the neck of a snake, though in my experience, I'm not entirely sold on it only making the snake more agitated...or maybe only momentarily. I temporarily had a BIG girl that was super cage aggressive, and I would grab her by the neck to get her out, as fluidly and gently as possible of course. As soon as she was out of the cage, I'd let her go and she never attempted to bite or showed any sort of distress or agitation.