Venom - IMG Motley Progression Thread

That snake is AWESOME! :love: His defensive response to you after being on the ground outside was very typical for most snakes- for one thing, when we're not touching them, or when we're not close enough for them to know us by scent, well we're pretty much an unknown visual blur & possible predator. Nothing personal, I've seen it many times, even from small "wimpy" snakes when they're put on the ground, & especially outside. A lot of sensory stimulation there too- brings out their instincts. And they don't generally know us by vision alone...they need more cues (touch or scent). Hey, great seeing this update.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

I guess I let him go too long and when I tried to pick him up he seemed alarmed and showed signs that he was ready to strike. It makes sense…he was probably overstimulated from being exposed for too long.

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My Tarahumaras actually have tagged me if I touch them unexpectedly after they've been free-roaming outside for too long. Even as adults they're more defensive than larger boa species. I make sure to say close and touch them every minute or so, to keep them aware of my presence.

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Originally Posted by dakski

WOW! He's a stunner.

Outside can definitely be overstimulating. He might not have even recognized you when you went to pick him up. He might have been on sensory overload.

Maybe in the the future, either keep holding him, or if you put him down, use the hook (if he's tap/hook trained) to let him know it's you and he's going to be picked up.

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Yes, I think he was definitely overstimulated by all the sounds and smells. I left him roam for quite awhile before trying to pick him up. After seeing his response, I immediately when inside to grab the hook which worked like a charm. Lessons learned for next outing!