I Am Scared Of My Boa

One thing to consider might be to bump up your feeding schedule to weekly. You can cut down on the size of the feeders so that you don't end up over-feeding. I have always fed every boa I have weekly, no matter the age or size. I find that animals with full stomachs tend to be on the less aggressive side.

Evolution primed these animals to coordinate aggression with hunger. There is nothing wrong with feeding smaller items more frequently. I personally feel that it is less taxing on the animal, makes for steadier healthy growth, and also keeps the snake satiated and full.

Im sure its not this but its worth a shot, check for mites. I got a big female boa from a local breeder who had an attitude. about a week after I got him I noticed he had LOTS of mites, I dont Know how I didnt notice but oh well. I treated her and she is a sweat heart now. Its worth a try to check, maybe your boa is just irritated from mites.

Is this the same male that bit you last year and you've had problems with for a while? If so I don't think the proximity to your female is the problem, I think this is just how he is. I have some adult female ball pythons that are the same way, they are just super defensive, and I keep them well away from my face or I risk getting an unwanted nose piercing.

So... what to do about it? You can continue to try to tame him down, and if he's flighty when being handled then he may not only be scared of you, but also he may be worried initially about falling. Then, because he's a decent-sized snake, when he gets squirrelly and you have to take hold to prevent a fall, your grip is probably firm enough that he feels trapped, so he strikes out.

Assuming you have the space available, try sitting on the floor, put him on your lap, and guide his movements instead of holding and controlling him. When you pick him up, slip a hook under him or even let him crawl over it on his own, and then slide a hand under and lift him off the floor rather than grabbing him from above, so he avoids that trapped feeling and doesn't panic.

Finally, he's a common male BCI. If you give it your best efforts, this guy isn't coming around for you, he's a pet, and you just aren't enjoying him as a pet, there's nothing wrong keeping him as a display animal and handling him minimally for the rest of his life, or with finding a new home for him if you prefer to get a more tolerant snake.

Yep, give it your best shot. In the end he might never come around. It sucks, but sometimes you just get a lemon.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

One thing to consider might be to bump up your feeding schedule to weekly. You can cut down on the size of the feeders so that you don't end up over-feeding. I have always fed every boa I have weekly, no matter the age or size. I find that animals with full stomachs tend to be on the less aggressive side.

Evolution primed these animals to coordinate aggression with hunger. There is nothing wrong with feeding smaller items more frequently. I personally feel that it is less taxing on the animal, makes for steadier healthy growth, and also keeps the snake satiated and full.

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This is a good idea, I will try this starting next feed period

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Originally Posted by Cbean

Im sure its not this but its worth a shot, check for mites. I got a big female boa from a local breeder who had an attitude. about a week after I got him I noticed he had LOTS of mites, I dont Know how I didnt notice but oh well. I treated her and she is a sweat heart now. Its worth a try to check, maybe your boa is just irritated from mites.

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I know what you mean, but it is not mites

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Is this the same male that bit you last year and you've had problems with for a while? If so I don't think the proximity to your female is the problem, I think this is just how he is. I have some adult female ball pythons that are the same way, they are just super defensive, and I keep them well away from my face or I risk getting an unwanted nose piercing.

So... what to do about it? You can continue to try to tame him down, and if he's flighty when being handled then he may not only be scared of you, but also he may be worried initially about falling. Then, because he's a decent-sized snake, when he gets squirrelly and you have to take hold to prevent a fall, your grip is probably firm enough that he feels trapped, so he strikes out.

Assuming you have the space available, try sitting on the floor, put him on your lap, and guide his movements instead of holding and controlling him. When you pick him up, slip a hook under him or even let him crawl over it on his own, and then slide a hand under and lift him off the floor rather than grabbing him from above, so he avoids that trapped feeling and doesn't panic.

Finally, he's a common male BCI. If you give it your best efforts, this guy isn't coming around for you, he's a pet, and you just aren't enjoying him as a pet, there's nothing wrong keeping him as a display animal and handling him minimally for the rest of his life, or with finding a new home for him if you prefer to get a more tolerant snake.

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Yes it is the same animal, and thanks for the advice, next time I handle I will do so on the floor

I don't agree with changing the feeding period, a boa over a year old shouldn't be eating weekly. I'd continue biweekly until it gets older (like 3 years plus) and then continuing to space feeding out. It's best for snakes to have periods where they aren't digesting food, which is why properly spacing feeding is important.

The issue could be in the way the snake is being handled, or it could the smells of females as another user mentioned, or it could even be something else.


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