New BP biting constantly. (tagging)

[Mognar]

Hi all,

I have a question about my new BP I'm hoping some here can help out with. My daughter and I brought our new BP home Sunday. His tank is set up and the husbandry is pretty good. 93 on the hot spot, 82 on the low with an ambient of 85. Two identical hides on each end, water dish in the middle front and a nice piece of driftwood in the middle back. Dual day/night light on a day/night cycle power strip, UTH on a temp, etc...

My daughter was holding him very gently Sunday night while I set up his tank and he tagged her... He seems very skitish. He was bought from a local PS. We placed him in the tank, let him move around and check it out for an hour or so and then fed him a mouse. Dangled it in front of him and he struck it and took it the first time he saw it. The PS said he missed his schedule meal and the last time he ate was 6/12, which is why we fed him.

I know it's early, but I waited to handle him for 2 days since he ate and I've been trying to hold him for a couple of minutes each night just to get him used to my scent and being held, but each time I take him out of the tank, he's balled up and his neck is curled up as if he's going to strike. 2 nights ago, the first time I took him out of the tank since he ate, I sat down on the couch with him in my hand (slowly of course). As I sat down on couch, he struck at me for the first time, scared me and I dropped him. Maybe 2 feet onto the floor... I took him out last night, same thing... he was balled up with his neck in an S... and he struck at me. Tonight, I put on gloves to take him out and he struck at me 4 times between the time I took him out of the tank and sat down on the couch... I'll admit, I've been a bit nervous about handling him since he first bit me and supposedly they can sense that, but this can't be normal, can it?

I don't know his age, but I'm guessing his about a foot and a half long.

I don't know if I should take him back and exchange him or wait it out.

I slept in a tank top last night and put it in his tank this morning hoping that might help him get recognized to my scent.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? And yes, I wash my hands well before (and after) handling him and we have no other pets in the house.

Thanks in advance!

[Cyndymei]

The snake is probably nervous and would like to settle into the new home. It sounds like you are handling way too much.

Taking him out each night is probably what is making him stressed in addition to dropping him. Does he seem in pain at all?

What is your humidity? 93 is a bit warm for his hot spot.

[Mognar]

I honestly wouldn't be able to tell if he were in pain... he's my first snake in over 30 years. Once the cycle changes and the moon bulb comes on, he's out and roaming around his cage. I just went down to check the humidity and as soon as he saw me, he curled up into an S again...

The humidity is low... about 40%. I've been spraying the aspen bedding down to raise it, but it drops back down to 40 fairly quickly.

I thought it was supposed to be 92 on the hot and 82 on the cold, am I wrong on that?

[Dave Green]

You're stressing him out, let him settle in. I wouldn't mess with him for a week.

[alan12013]

I'm assuming he is in a glass tank? Sterilites are so easy to control the temps and humidity btw. A tank will not hold humidity with a screen top regardless of how many plants are in there and how much you spray it... I'm sure people will argue this but I've had chameleons in tanks before and found the only way to keep it humid is to cover the top with something other than the screen. Maybe just set a cut out heavy duty trash bag on top of the screen covering 3/4 of it to reduce airflow and retain the water. Put the water dish closer to where you have the UTH.

I am in the same situation you have with my female pastel. She was always in the chuck norris position ready to strike. Didn't even use her hide much. However I've found out that snakes won't use their hides at first if they are really scared and nervous. Once I found that out I only bothered her to change and clean her water bowl and to give her food. Unfortunately she is shedding right now but I can tell she has calmed down a great deal and if she wasn't in shed then I could probably pick her up and handle her. Like every one else has said, give her time to chill, no need to take him back.

[J.P.]

do not stop handling when it strikes, if you put him back in his cage after each bite, you'll be reinforcing that defensive habit, since your snake will learn that he can make you leave him alone if he bites you.

[Skiploder]

1. Put him in a low traffic area - no foot steps going to a fro. Do not hold him, show him off to friends or even gaze at him for long periods of time.

2. Cover three sides of the tank. If you can manage it, cover the entire tank with a sheet for a week.

3. Make sure he is in a room that is quiet - not next to a TV, a stereo or anything that can make loud vibrations.

4. Make sure your husbandry is 100% correct using real measurements with real instruments - not stick on thermometers and WAGs. You need to have an idea of what his basking temp is, his warm side hide temp, the cool side temp and the overall ambient temp.

5. Make sure he has several places to hide in several temperature zones.

6. Do not move him to feed him. In fact do not feed him until 10 days have passed since you last messed with him. he will not starve.

7. Peek in on him every two to three days - briefly.

Your snake is biting because it is scared. You need to give it at least two weeks to settle in.

[Mognar]

Thanks for the replies.

Not knowing better, I thought that since he was handled frequently at the LPS and was calm when we handled him there, that it wouldn't be an issue. I've only handled him for 3-4 minutes at a time. I'll give him time to relax and settle in to his new environment.

Yes, he's in a 20L glass tank. The back and sides are covered with black construction paper. The lamp hangs over the center and I placed foil over the left and right side of where the light shines in (it's on a hanger), but the humidity seemed to drop severely with the foil on. I took it off and the humidity seemed to stabilize around 40%. I'm using a daylight bulb and blue moonlight bulb for the night cycle. I placed the water dish over the edge of the UTH to help with humidity the day I set the tank up.

J.P. That's why I used the gloves today. I let him strike me and just sat there and let him lay in my hand. He struck me 4 times as I sat down with him in the palm of my hand. After that, he didn't strike again. I only held him for 3 or 4 minutes, then put him back in the tank and though he was coiled, he didn't strike again.

Skiploder. He's in a low traffic area and his tank is set up with "decent" equipment. I spent $400 plus on his setup. Basking spot is 94, warm side hide temp is 92, cool side hide temp is 82 ambient is 85. Have a heat gun as well.

Thanks again for all the input, it definitely helps. I'll give him his space and let him adjust and take it from there. It's definitely a learning experience, but I'm trying to do right by our new BP

Alex

[ReagansViolent]

I'm assuming he is in a glass tank? Sterilites are so easy to control the temps and humidity btw. A tank will not hold humidity with a screen top regardless of how many plants are in there and how much you spray it... I'm sure people will argue this but I've had chameleons in tanks before and found the only way to keep it humid is to cover the top with something other than the screen. Maybe just set a cut out heavy duty trash bag on top of the screen covering 3/4 of it to reduce airflow and retain the water. Put the water dish closer to where you have the UTH.

I am in the same situation you have with my female pastel. She was always in the chuck norris position ready to strike. Didn't even use her hide much. However I've found out that snakes won't use their hides at first if they are really scared and nervous. Once I found that out I only bothered her to change and clean her water bowl and to give her food. Unfortunately she is shedding right now but I can tell she has calmed down a great deal and if she wasn't in shed then I could probably pick her up and handle her. Like every one else has said, give her time to chill, no need to take him back.

I agree I am so over screened tanks

[marya1962]

It is so hard to wait a week to handle, but it is so important to do so. You've got a good set up. It will just take some time to work the kinks out of it. Glass tanks are notorious for being difficult, however they are the first things pet shops recommend. If humidity stays low, a good soak in a bath tub or something smaller daily would be beneficial once the first week is past. Keep the water dish in the tank at all times too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk