BP showing signs of aggression. Advice?

I like this idea but maybe for a shorter period of time, maybe half an hour? I am going to try to handle her as she is only going to learn to tolerate me if I handle. Thank you for your advice! :)

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

She struck and bit twice tonight when I was trying to get her out for a clean. Luckily she bit the hand the glove was on. I did pick her up with an ungloved hand as the gloves I had were too thick for me to be able to function in them (welder's gloves I had lying around)

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I would not worry too much about bite marks unless you have severe anemia or nociceptor sensitivity or any other relevant medical issue. I have had bites from large boa constrictors that healed perfectly in roughly a week. If you do not wish to handle her in the cage then I can recommend hook training, which is what I use with my retics. When I am entering the cage for maintenance or handling, I brush their neck or top of their head with a snake hook before pulling them out, on feeding day all they see are the tongs and the rat. I do this 100% of the time and have seen great results...I am holding a female tiger that I acquired late last month who musked me and bit repeatedly (got me in the face once) when out of the cage. She is now very good and highly inquisitive, the average CB retic.

I have experience with a few feisty ones but for the MOST part they tend to chill out once they're older and have been handled enough times to know that you aren't there to hurt them. I have yet to be bitten by any of my adults but I've had a few bites from babies. I'm pretty confident that yours will calm down with age. My first ball Eve, would S up and strike when she was younger, but I was told to not let her scare me off and show her who's boss. DON'T hesitate when going in to pick them up! That's what tamed her down.... just reach in and pick her up without showing any fear. You can use a hand towel if you are worried about a bite to cover them and even the feisty ones tend to ball up (it also gives you a little more confidence). Just don't hesitate once you enter the cage because it gives them the chance to strike. Eventually you'll be confident enough to just use your hands. Once she's out, let her unball in your hands and make sure she's relaxed before you put her back in. Now Eve is the sweetest and most easy going of all my snakes and never shows any signs of aggression except when she smells her food! ;)

Still, I have one that is always ready to strike when you open her tub (I call it "cage aggressive" but I'm not sure if that's the right term?) and some that are just thinking it must be meal time (my pastel girl is ALWAYS looking for food when you start messing with the tubs!). I use a hook to pull them out and once they are out and figure out it's not feeding time, they're the sweetest things. Hope this helps!