hog island boa turned nasty

maybe something smells different in the room or on the people?

(I'm grasping at straws here)

Is the enclosure in a high-traffic area?

I know it is your choice, but I really wouldn't jump to rehoming him so soon, if he doesn't "smarten up." Especially at this size, even a good bite won't pose any real danger to yourself or your children. I understand that that is completely your choice also, to keep a snake that may bite your children, but I really wouldn't worry much about it. That's just me. I would give it some time, and maybe even use this opportunity to learn how to pick up a grumpy snake. My experience is as long as you go about it assertively, you minimize the risk of being bitten.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Aleesha what's the hoggie like once he's actually out? Does he calm down then or still try to strike once he's out and away from his enclosure? The reason I ask is that Brannagh during the worst of her striking/biting time was far worse when we were in her "space" but calmer as we moved her away from it.

I'd say check the husbandry first, double check you are feeding an appropriate prey amount so the snake isn't hungry and then get a set of leather gauntlet style gloves and just have at it. We calmed Brannagh down by simply removing her, holding her firmly and under control and just letting her fight it out, once she calmed down she was allowed to go back in her enclosure. Eventually she got it through her snakey mind that her games wouldn't work, she couldn't drive us away, if she was calm life was better and nothing was hurting her. They may not do higher math but they aren't dumb about this stuff if it's done over and over and over again.

Remember too that if the snake intimidates you, it will know this. I firmly believe Brannagh could sense my fear of her aggression and when I was calm, she was less reactive to me. The kids were never allowed around Brannagh back then, now all 5 feet of her is flopped over anyone that wants to hold her (well except feeding day...she's still not a snake to mess about with on feeding day LOL).

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he hasnt' been out... he gets grumpy, starts striking (closed mouthed) - holds his mouth open hissing like crazy and we leave him alone. :eek: i can't believe i'm so freakin' stupid *knocks head on wall* geesh i should know this stuff.

thanks for pulling my head outta my butt jo... i'll make sure he's held... regardless of his complaints. i guess the whole... striking and restriking our friend made me very very leary of taking him out. i am not his handler... ever cause i am intimidated... i'm a wimp - i can admit that... but my hubby isn't at all afraid of him and i'm the one telling him to leave him be.

so tomorrow... he gets held - whether he wants to or not! and we'll work from there.

thanks jo... for shining light on my mistake. i don't know how i forgot rule #723: "A snake will misbehave to get what it wants".

i'm going into his room (rapture, he's in my bedroom, always has been... very quiet - low traffic space except during the vibrational breathing at night) and i'm going to inform him that he's implementing rule #723 and therefore i will have to bring on the counter-rule #1684 "No... I'm da boss"

*whew* I'm feeling so much better already! :carrot:

LOL it's okay hon. Believe me it was very, very odd to be standing beside big butt Brannagh's tub back then literally talking to myself..."Jo you will NOT be afraid, you can doooooooooooooooo eeeeeeet LOL"...then the talk to Brannagh..."okay missy we are doing this, nasty or nice, it's getting done". Then I'd usually either distract her and grab her tight behind the head so she couldn't turn and nail me, or drop a small facecloth on her head so I had enough time to actually grab her (she was sooooo fast). Lots of deep breathing and settling myself down too Aleesha as I truly believe snakes "smell" that fear coming off humans (makes sense to me that a predator would).

I don't have direct experience with hogg island boa's so I don't know how they differ to ball pythons but we just found that consistent, firm and direct handling with Brannagh slowly stop the aggression. We'd just get her out, keep her under control until she stopped fighting, allow her to relax a moment and put her back in her home. Over and over again...till she got conditioned that handling wasn't harming her and biting wasn't driving us away. Small steps and she backtracked a few times on us to see if we'd back off again, but when she got it through that small brain of hers that acting up wasn't getting her any place fast she gave it up as a bad idea eventually. I still don't mess with her on feeding day but that's perfectly okay with me.

i told my hubby and he said, "no problem i'll haul his butt outta the enclosure and show him how's boss" LOL so i'm pleased. i feel like a renewed relationship opportunity has been gifted to me.

thank you thank you thank you!!!

(oh and i will not be brave but i will stay out of the room so he can't smell my fear) :rofl:

It's more than likely just that. With Hogs, in my experience, you just have to let them think they are boss. They are very vocal little buggers! I think it's cute, but Christina thinks it's not so cute...lol. She's scared silly of my girl Hog and won't even walk by the enclosure. I can't help but laugh when I hear Hog's are good beginner snakes, 9 out of 10 Hogs have HUGE attitudes and need a pretty seasoned keeper to tame them, or a very unfearful one! Hope your hubby keeps up the good work and congrats on not re-homing him!

Yeah I agree, Jim.. an adult hoggie can be quite intimidating for someone without a lot of experience (and for those with it too!) my big girl hisses a LOT.. I just ignore it, but it can be very scary for some people. I also find if I just reach in there and grab them, I'm much better off than if I act scared of a tag. I think that just makes the snake more nervous.

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Yeah I agree, Jim.. an adult hoggie can be quite intimidating for someone without a lot of experience (and for those with it too!) my big girl hisses a LOT.. I just ignore it, but it can be very scary for some people. I also find if I just reach in there and grab them, I'm much better off than if I act scared of a tag. I think that just makes the snake more nervous.

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Couldn't agree more. You just have to grab them, it gives you much less of a chance of getting tagged and it doesn't give the snake as much of a chance to get defensive.

well we're still on the fence about rehoming him... we have to get him out and work with him before i'll jump off my little fence post :giggle: but i certainly feel 100% better about the situation now.

sometimes, even when you have the info tucked away in your brain somewhere, you need to hear it from others to make it come to the forefront. i cherish each and every one of the members here... for reminding me of what i know and filling in the blanks of what i think i know or don't have a clue about :hug:

we finally got him out for a short time. my hubby's been working 12-16 hour nights so he's been sleeping all day...

anyway, no hissing... he was out about 5 minutes and he hissed once (on my hubby's shoulder the whole time) and my hubby just told him to stop being silly LOL

my hubby feels confident that drake is going to be back to our usual, vocal, somewhat well behaved boy LOL and that's GREAT news in our home!!!