A little upset....

I've had my RTB for a little over a month now and he has always been good about being held and such - well, this weekend I noticed that he was laying in his own pee so I lifted off his hide so I could take him out to clean the tank and I realized that his eyes were blue - I know this isn't the best time to bother them when they are getting ready to shed but I didn't really want him to sit in his own pee for days so I took him out - he let me take him out without any problem but after I cleaned his cage and went to put him back in - I reach into his holding container (a tub) he struck at me - he didn't get me or even come close but I was shocked. I proceeded to pick him up so I could put him back in his cage and he struck again - I guess I sorta had my feelings hurt - LOL!!!

By causing him to strike have I started a bad thing - will he continue to be aggressive like that or can I totally attribute it to the fact that he was in shed.

Any helpful wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

he's in blue and can't see very well and probably felt a lot less secure about things. I really wouldn't worry about it.

This was the first time ever that I was even struck at - although I knew I was bothering him at an inopportune time.

Would you guys have cleaned up his cage right then or waited?? Just want to know what was the right thing to do.

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Originally Posted by L.West

This was the first time ever that I was even struck at - although I knew I was bothering him at an inopportune time.

Would you guys have cleaned up his cage right then or waited?? Just want to know what was the right thing to do.

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You did the right thing by cleaning the cage right away. He was just upset because he couldn't see well. If you are ever worried about them striking, I highly suggest using a hook to get them out of their enclosures.

Where can I purchase a nice/quality hook?? I would like to have one on hand for these rare occassions.

I know this is silly but I just can't help taking in personally - like he doesn't like me or something - It was on my mind all weekend worrying that he will continue to bite me all the time - silly I know.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by L.West

Where can I purchase a nice/quality hook?? I would like to have one on hand for these rare occassions.

I know this is silly but I just can't help taking in personally - like he doesn't like me or something - It was on my mind all weekend worrying that he will continue to bite me all the time - silly I know.

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he's a snake, they don't hold grudges. You can purchase a snake hook at most reptile sites, i think reptilebasics.com has some, if hot im sure some of the other sites do.

I have a little collapsible one that works great for informing some of my more ...hungry snakes. lol

I will check Reptile Basics right away for one.

So, from what you have said the snake probably never gave it another thought that he tried to strike me - I need to watch letting my human emotions take over.

Thanks

I found a nice hook at Midwest tongs.com - it is on its way to me. I will know better next time to use the hook if I think they are in any way ornery that day.

One quick question, if he hasn't shed out by tomorrow - which is feeding day, should I proceed with feeding him or hold off. I am new to RTB and was just wondering.

Thanks

There is nothing wrong with feeding during a shed, unless they won't take it. Boas are usually awesome feeders, and I highly doubt he'll refuse it, shed or not. Out of my nine snakes, only my BP refuses to eat during his shed cycle.

It's funny about the shed aggression thing. It makes sense that they might be less secure because they can't see, but personally I've never had any of my snakes try and bite me during this time. In the future if your worried about moving him during a shed, you might have better luck if you just avoid fast, sudden movements. Good luck!

He didn't even come close to tagging me but it did shock me. I understand that he was probably cranky and I normally wouldn't bother him but I didn't want him wallowing in his own excrement for two days - yuck.

I will attempt to feed him tomorrow as usual - he is an awesome feeder. I am used to BP's which can be a pain in the butt when it comes to feeding.

We, as owners, need to realize that our herps rely on instinct and pretty much that alone. They dont think and make cognitive decisions like we do as mammals. Dont take it personally. No matter how much we think they love us or how much we love them, they are still truely wild animals. They are going to do what is best for them and they are still going to act out of instinct to survive even though they are perfectly safe. But millions of years of evolution has programmed them to strike, hiss, coil, and run at certain times. He cant really see, so its more beneficial for his survival to be safe than sorry. He struck because he couldn't see. For all he knew you could have been a predator coming in for lunch.

The bottom line is our herps are wild animals, and we need to treat them as such. Having your snake strike at you for the first time is a bit scary, i know. And i have even caught myself being afraid of a snake that have tagged me a few times. But in reality these taggings were my fault. I either smelled of rat, grabbed him while digesting, or when to grab him from a box after cleaning his cage. We cannot really blame our animals. Everything they do is truly for themselves. Their instincts cause them to make the reactions they do such as strike at times, but we need to realize they want to survive and usually we were in the wrong.

Please dont take it personal. Not to break the bubble, but he is never going to love you, no matter how much you want him too. I love all of mine, but i know they dont love me. They are one of the first things id grab in an emergency, but i know they wouldnt grab me in an emergency:rolleye2:.

Thanks "redstormlax12" you sure put everything into perspective for me.

Yep...they do this all the time when in shed. It's normal.:gj: