Will he strike while I am replenishing his water

Hi guys

Maybe just a stupid question but I don't know and wanted to ask. A lot of the times when I am filling up Monty's water bowl he will often come out of his hide to check out what's going on. Sometimes his head will get pretty close to my hand and although he has never struck me, I was just wondering if that was a possibility? Obviously he can smell (I believe their vision is not great) the fresh water being poured into his water bowl.... I was just curious about how they think / their level of comprehension - which is obviously quite limited. Like I said probably a dumb question but one that was interesting to me and wanted to get your thoughts.

Thanks

I do all the water checks and spot cleaning early morning whilst they’re all asleep or very subdued


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From my experiences they really only bite when threatened or mistaking you for food, I always make sure to wash my hands before putting them in the cage to make sure I dont smell of anything he may want to eat, and if he is coming to you I doubt he is feeling threatened, maybe seeing if you are food.

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How old is Monty and how long have you had him?

Hi Midwest

I've had him for a year and a half and he is 3 years old.

Most likely he's just being curious. At his age he's well past the nippy/defensive baby stage.

I do have a couple of adults that will take a swipe at me, but you can see them winding up for it as soon as their tub is opened.

Is it possible he may bite? Sure, but generally, you'd be able to see it happening before it does, so probably just being curious. Are you asking if he won't bite you because he understands you're giving him water? I would have to say no, he does not understand that.

Bites are always possible but can be avoided for the most part by being aware. I never put my hands in the enclosure when the snake is in feed mode. Especially the boas. If the snake displays an aggressive stance, just let them be and give them their space. If you need to do something like clean or water them, maybe just move them with a a hook if they get pissy or just do it at another time.

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Originally Posted by alilak

Hi guys

Maybe just a stupid question but I don't know and wanted to ask. A lot of the times when I am filling up Monty's water bowl he will often come out of his hide to check out what's going on. Sometimes his head will get pretty close to my hand and although he has never struck me, I was just wondering if that was a possibility? Obviously he can smell (I believe their vision is not great) the fresh water being poured into his water bowl.... I was just curious about how they think / their level of comprehension - which is obviously quite limited. Like I said probably a dumb question but one that was interesting to me and wanted to get your thoughts.

Thanks

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Not a stupid question: Monty is going by your heat signature & your motion...both say to him "might be prey!" If you aren't making a point of directing your scent to him, don't count on that preventing a bite. If a snake is hungry & "optimistic" they can easily nip you when you're tidying their cage...don't take it personal, & in fact, it's your "fault" & perfectly avoidable. It's very difficult to be sure if your snake is just curious or hungry enough to nip...personally I like to avoid nips. It's perfectly acceptable to take something like a piece of cardboard & put it between your snake & what your hand is doing...& your snake will likely back up at that point. I actually have a ping-pong paddle that I use with my large adult Florida rat snakes, as they are fast & "very optimistic": when I change their water bowl or spot-clean & they're in their hides, I put the paddle in front of the doorway (of the hide) until I'm done. Otherwise they'd strike first & ask questions later, lol...even though they handle just fine, it's "motion" that gets them going. BP's have heat-pits too, besides chasing motion...and any snake can make a mistake. Not their fault, & easy to prevent. They don't want to bite us, but instinctively they're always paying attention.

(short answer is "yes" or "maybe", by the way) ;)