Turning aggressive

My RTB seems to be turning aggressive. He cant be hungry. Just fed him a few days ago. He strikes at the glass when I walk by. Most of the time. He just defecated and urinated. Went to try to clean it out. And he comes up to the top of the tank, and stares me down. So, I didnt try it yet. What does that mean now? He even stares my dog down.

how big is he? might be time to size up a meal, boas have a heck of a feeding response. The dog thing is what makes me think of it.

he may just be nervous with the striking the dog's smell / seeing him may make him nervous and cause to strike. Most recommend covering the cage and keeping the other animals away from the cage if this is happening... As for the staring, mine do that...boas are curious and will watch you, etc. It does not necessarily mean he is aggressive.

If you don't already have one, I would get a small snake hook and start hook training him. When you need to move him, clean the cage, etc. always rub him with the hook first, then use it to pick him up. Once out of their cage, most boas aren't as defensive. You can also use the hook as a buffer between your hand and his head... i.e. put the hook between his head and where your hand is working so that he can't strike you. Only use the hook when handling / cleaning. Never use the hook when feeding, that way, he will not associate it with being fed and should not strike.

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Originally Posted by JohnNGriffin

My RTB seems to be turning aggressive. He cant be hungry. Just fed him a few days ago.

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LOL want to bet? Mine would eat every few days if I let them. Greedy little things!

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He strikes at the glass when I walk by. Most of the time. He just defecated and urinated. Went to try to clean it out. And he comes up to the top of the tank, and stares me down. So, I didnt try it yet. What does that mean now? He even stares my dog down.

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He's likely expecting to get fed. Manna from heaven (rats) drop from the sky, so when you open his tank he's going to look for food.

I would get a hook and gently touch his head or rub him lightly with it before you take him out, it helps break the food response. They learn that when the tank opens, hook = no food, otherwise food is coming.

He is about 4.5-5ft.... Was feeding him about once a week. Then was told thats too soon. To feed every 10-14 days. Was better when I was feeding him once a week. He really just stares the dog down like he is saying "Damn your fat!". May just try and feed him again...

Yes, weekly is too often for a boa that big - it should be at least every two weeks. What size feeder is he getting?

Also, they will "beg" after a few days, at least my males that size do. They're on a large rat every three weeks.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Yes, weekly is too often for a boa that big - it should be at least every two weeks. What size feeder is he getting?

Also, they will "beg" after a few days, at least my males that size do. They're on a large rat every three weeks.

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medium sized rat...

The others make good points. I think maybe you should try a larger size as well, and another thought is the quail equivalent to a large rat,,, change it up. Do not feed under 10 days though. It's too frequent if it actually becomes a routine.

At times, I'll give a meal that is technically too large, and then skip a month. Then the next meal may be quite small, undersize of what would be normal. I change the size, frequency and choice of prey fairly often, however I never feed under a 10 day stretch and average 12-17 days between meals.

What temps are you running? Evenstar runs her's a bit cooler and seems to have success with that. Eternal hot temps, not providing a night drop and some other factors could keep your boa hungry all of the time. Obviously the heat speeds along the metabolic/digestion process.

When winter comes, some very experienced boa folks will drop temps and go most of the season with only one meal. The lower temps slow activity levels, along with decreased seasonal daylight.

It's really hard to say what the issue is for sure. I would not recommend a lot of traffic by the cage, and I'm not sure having an animal like a dog walk near the cage is a good idea either. As a matter of fact, I'd try to avoid the dog near the snake room/cage.

I like the suggestion of covering the cage.

What size is the cage, and how open is it to the world?

Just consider a few of the things mentioned and see if anything works.