bad drake, biting company!

[recycling goddess]

we've had drake, our hog island boa X for over a year. he comes out to meet and greet company all the time... he's a social butterfly.

he has an attitude, as any self respecting hog island would... but he's all hiss and not bite. at least that what we thought. yesterday a friend came over and we brought out drake to meet him. well almost immediately drake starting striking at him. hit his toque and then his hand. my hubby got him away immediately and drake was hissing and going a little nuts (although i'd say he looks nuts but that's because he wasn't being supported at that time, my hubby was holding him by one hand and just getting him out of the room so drake was kinda weaving in his hand)... but as soon as my hubby got him out of the room he settled right down to his usual self.

no more hissing. my hubby said he just started being... drake. of course, drake was put back into his enclosure right away.

weird how much he disliked this guy... we wonder what set him off. our friend was hung over and stunk like a brewery - but other than that... he's not around rats or mice... and he's had and handled snakes before so it wouldn't be mishandling.

we don't drink so none of my snakes would have smelled beer etc before... but would that smell offend a snake? any drinkers here know?

any other suggestions as to why drake would act soooo out of character here? honestly, until now he's out meeting company all the time but after this, i won't let him near newcomers.

[Freakie_frog]

Could have been the booze smell. Then again he might have seen something about the guy he didn't like..

[Laooda]

I believe that snakes have preference to certain people.... A friend had a 7ft BCI that HATED me. Period. If I walked into the room... she would "watch" me... If she was out and I walked into the room she would go into strike pose... even hitting the air in my direction. She did this with no other person... kinda hurt my feelings!


Sorry Drake tagged your friend! Maybe you nailed it, he might not have "smelled" right???

But here's a HUG for you just cause! *squish*

[recycling goddess]

actually my buddy loved it LOL he's been telling everyone who will listen the story so at least he isn't upset about it.

and since he's had experience with snakes, he's not 'offended' by the experience and isn't holding it against drake. although i won't introduce them again.

one other thing i just thought of though... normally when we have people coming over we bring drake out about 30 minutes before they arrive. so he can slither around and go "up up UP" and get it out of his system before he's introduced to strangers. this didn't happen yesterday. perhaps that was part of it. he was stressed by his "i'm sleeping in my hide and all of a sudden i'm on this stinky guy i don't know".

perhaps our lack of "relaxed out time" contributed to the situation.

[cassandra]

I swear our BP likes men better than women, but our Suri perfers me to Rick...although we had a male friend over and she instantly snuggled up to him and relaxed...must be some pH thing they pick up on and either relax or freak out, hehe...

Either that or your friend was wearing 'Eau de Rat'.

[recycling goddess]

hahahahaha i said... "have you been around any mice or rats lately?" he looked at me like i was crazy LOL and said, "ah, NO aleesha"

hahahahaha i can laugh now, but i was absolutely horrified yesterday. i felt so bad, here i am saying how he hisses but doesn't bite. don't be worried and then wham... wham...

[recycling goddess]

oh and drake looooooves my hubby. definitely prefers him over anyone else.

but, until now, i've never seen drake dislike anyone.

[Freakie_frog]

here i am saying how he hisses but doesn't bite. don't be worried and then wham... wham...

yea like dogs that people say oh she just growles shes never bit anyone :eek:

[recycling goddess]

except if you ever met a hog... hissing is part of their personality. it's like a cat meowing... it's just something they do.

[Nate]

I'm always scared something like that would happen to a person who has a fear of snakes.

I've used my snakes in the past to help people to get over their fear and i'll explain how calm and docile they really are..."never bite, calm, yada yada yada"...
i'm scared that someone will finally begin to get over their fear of snakes and make their first attempt to touch or hold one, and then when they try to touch it the snake tries to make a meal out of their fingers.

Normally when someone is touching for the first time, i'll always move the snakes head to the opposite direction and tell them to touch the body.

At least this guy wasn't upset. For some, it could end up being a very traumatic event and they'll never trust reptiles of any sort ever again.