Tank aggression?

So when I first got my hatchling RTB, I would reach in the cage and she didn't react at all. Recently, I've noticed (since the first time I fed her, I guess) that she is much more alert of any and all movement in the tank. She seems like she is going to strike me.

Tonight, she struck at her hide when I went to get her out and looked like she just dared me to put my warm-blooded hand in there. I ended up getting a wooden spoon, and she didn't seem to like it at all, and she was very nervous. Once she was on my hand, though, she settled right back into calm, sweet, and curious.

Any ideas? Thanks!

I don't have this problem with any of my boas, but what you can do is start to hook train her. I do something similar with some of my ball pythons. I gently touch their heads with a paper towel roll and they know they aren't getting feed. You can also use the hook to pull her out. This is what most people do with their boas I believe.

it happens, the more you reach in and take it out, the more it'll be inclined to not worry that the giant thats ripping its house apart isnt going to cause any harm lol, mine always looks like she wants to strike me too, but she never has, and she calms down immediatly after i touch her or pick her up. and they are very alert snakes most of the time, so thats normal

My year and a half year old boa does about the same thing. He has struck the tub before when I or my bf would walk by, and when I reach in to get him he gets into a "S" strike position and looks like he'll strike at me (he hasen't struck at my hand though, it's a bluff). He can be kinda squirrely out of the tub but he does calm down like yours does.

Double check your husbandry, make sure you're feeding the proper amount, and next time she throws a fit don't hesitate and get right in there and pick her up. In time she'll calm down and realize her huffyness isn't going to make her get out of being picked up.

Some just develope cage aggression, I have 1 that hisses & strikes like a madman, has done it since the day I rescued him. but once out of enclosure he's an angel :), hook training is a good idea.

Mine has never struck at me. Mine is still fairly small. I open her enclosure and she comes on out to me. I hear that hook training works for most. Not necessarily to get them out with but to rub them and let them know your not food.

I know a few people who have boa's who are 'cage aggressive', they are all hook trained and once out of their enclosure are very easily handled. Hope this can help.

i agree with everyone above, hook training will probably do good. my rtb is cage aggressive but once she sees the hook come in she calms down and is easily handled. good luck

Im gonna give you my advice based on similar situations i've had with boas who associate feeding with opening their enclosure... Get a cloth or a small towel or whatever you have similar to this and when you open the tub/terrarium or whatever... just cover the boas head with the piece of cloth and pick her up.... I have a year old salmon male that wasnt handled by its previous owner and only was opened to get fed.... so it took a couple of weeks of doing the "cloth thing" to get it to know it wasnt always feeding time... Another option is feeding in a separate tub so they wont associate feeding with you opening their cage..! good luck and hope i have been helpful!

I have all of mine hook trained, even the BP. I use a hook mainly to keep control of their head when I remove them, because sometimes, they want to go in a different direction than I want... :)