Advanced species.

This is something people that are considering this species should pay careful attention to.

The day before Wallace was supposed to eat I had to perform some in cage maintenance and change out his water. I used the rubber, or handle end of the snake hook to gently tap him to retreat away from the area I was going to be dealing with.

He was fairly keyed up on me so I knew I was going to have to tap him a few times to settle him.

He attacked the handle, and coiled. I tried pulling the hook away and noticed he had it in his mouth. The handle was not scented, it actually had hand sanitizer on it as I typically use it before and after all my snake and frozen rodent interactions.

He never let go of the hook and eventually started to eat the handle end. I ended up twisting it out of his mouth. He remained coiled.

https://i.imgur.com/RYGB0aO.jpg

That is musk or Pee on the glass which I felt was a bit odd during feeding. Possibly a defensive behavior response when I tried to take the hook.

I tried to break the feed response a second time using a closet dowel with a sopping, wet rag dipped in Listerine. He attacked the rag and dowel. The strength of a 8-9 retic is incredible and he yanked the dowel around the cage with ease.
https://i.imgur.com/rya3UGn.jpg

The snake actually began eating the rag causing me a great deal of concern. I dumped a little more Listerine on him. After about 10-15 minutes he let go of the rag. He remained fired up and the next day I gave him a rat, the following day a quail. He usually eats every 10-14 days and doesn't get anything larger than a large rat or quail.
https://i.imgur.com/ztx4njh.jpg
I attribute this completely, out of the norm behavior to some extremely hot and humid temps here. Yesterday we had an 80 degree dew point. Even with AC the snakes notice it. All four were a bit more active than normal, but retics are on another level. This also came on the heals of a 10 day vacation with the house temp regulated to 78 degrees while we were gone.

I spoke with Garrett Hartle for about a half hour the other day and he also felt the extreme temps were part of the issue. I don't have any indication that this was breeding related as there are no female retics, or other male retics here.

I'm going to have to "retrain" Wallace a bit after this incident as he is a bit fired up even still. A cold front came through this morning and things have dried and cooled.

Photo from yesterday morning.
https://i.imgur.com/qzOAgi7.jpg

This post isn't meant to scare people away from retics, not at all. However you need to be very committed to their care and very cautious. I was very surprised that the "old school" yellow Listerine didn't do a thing to change his behavior. At least not for a good 10 minutes, which may steer me toward rum, or Jack Daniels. A shot for myself and a half bottle for the snake LOL!

A 3 year, 1 month old, 8-9 foot male was plenty of snake for me that day. Had he actually gotten a hold of me, my night would have ended on a very bad note.

I am not at all surprised that folks that get into the species, end up getting out after their snake hits its adult size. Mine isn't all that large.

This incident is isolated, I haven't heard many stories like this, but it did happen here and I was lucky I didn't take any damage.

I'm SO glad that you're OK & your snake is OK, and equally glad that you have shared this experience here. It's not as if this sort of thing happens often with
big snakes, but the fact that it CAN happen at any time without warning is very sobering. It's why I'd never personally want a pet like this...I'm a gal, not a big
strong guy, but even you guys need to be careful. Years back, I enjoyed working with rattlesnakes for many years, but to me that was only a matter of planning
my moves, never an issue of size & strength. Even though you don't hear many stories like this, I think it may happen more than you think- just that owners don't
always want to talk about it. Kudos to you for doing so.

You bring up a good point. We're having the first truly hot (as in, over 95*F) days of the summer this weekend and the A/C can barely keep up. Currently it's 80*F upstairs where the snakes are, and not just the retics but the boas and even the ball pythons are obviously looking harder for food.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

You bring up a good point. We're having the first truly hot (as in, over 95*F) days of the summer this weekend and the A/C can barely keep up. Currently it's 80*F upstairs where the snakes are, and not just the retics but the boas and even the ball pythons are obviously looking harder for food.

---

That has to be a major factor. My guy usually perches and he's been on the cage floor a lot. I'm guessing the upper limits of the cage are too warm and he's more comfortable on the floor.

He's still keyed up. I'm tempted to wear gloves for a bit until I can get back to handling him without him being keyed up.

I think mainland animals are a bit more mellow from what I've seen and heard.

I was a bit taken back when the mouth wash didn't phase him.


I've dropped the cage temps and the basement room temp.

Hopefully in the next day or two the cold front will become evident to the snakes.

Great info. Thanks for sharing Gio. We have to be very careful and smart when dealing with these large powerful animals. It's amazing to me how strong they are. I'm glad neither of you were hurt. My larger snake species are still pretty small and young. I'm learning to read their behaviors now before they're big enough to cause any real damage. Again, I'm glad you're both ok.

Great write up and assessment of what happened. Other’s keeping the species could benefit from reading your acute attention to detail in studying behaviors and their relationship to the myriad variables that could influence them. Glad all ended well!


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Awesome thread!!! Thanks so much for sharing.

My Borneo STP has been an absolute jerk the last week or so. I was wondering if the heat wave was riling him up. I haven't observed any changes in any of the other snakes' demeanor, so I was kinda doubting my hypothesis.
Now I'm thinking I may have been on to something...

Anyway, thanks again for sharing!!! This is a great eye opener for those already keeping or considering keeping some of the larger animals.

I'm glad nothing worse came if it for you or Wallace. Hopefully he mellows back out sooner than later.

I'd assume that our houses (along with our snake enclosures) are mostly controlled by thermostat...I wonder if it's not the temperature so much as perhaps
the air pressure they're sensing? Just a thought...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I'd assume that our houses (along with our snake enclosures) are mostly controlled by thermostat...I wonder if it's not the temperature so much as perhaps
the air pressure they're sensing? Just a thought...

---

Very well could be. I know that I can often "feel" storms coming. Apparently it has to do with a rise in atmospheric pressure. It makes all my damaged joints and broken bones sore and achy. So I would think that the pressure may have a similar effect on them?

A keyed up Retic is definitely fun times:O My male platinum tiger is always like this now as an adult. He makes things interesting around here! My biggest female has her moments but she’s generally low key and the others are always pretty mellow. It’s really just my one male that is like what you experienced. I’m guessing it’s the fact he has two females in the room with him and another male around too. And in a split second he can fly across a cage and out the door in a strike. Impressive but I’m always cursing at him these days haha. He does calm down eventually you just have to get through about 5-10 minutes of the crazy. Definitely not animals to underestimate!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Very well could be. I know that I can often "feel" storms coming. Apparently it has to do with a rise in atmospheric pressure. It makes all my damaged joints and broken bones sore and achy. So I would think that the pressure may have a similar effect on them?

---

You know, I always wondered how anyone could "feel a storm coming" but talking to a physical therapist a few days ago, he said that our joints have a small amount of
air in them, so when the air pressure changes it causes pain when that air expands & contracts. I'd never heard that before but it does make sense. And animals like our
snakes aren't distracted by social media & all the rest of our complex lives, so we shouldn't be surprised if they notice air pressure way more than we do, & instinctively
connect it with good times to hunt or when to lay low. Interesting...

There may be something to the heat wave theory. I saw a breeder on FB talking about how a few of his snakes have been amped up and snappy lately. My female bull has been pretty hissy the last few days too. I had already turned her heat mat down but she's still acting way out of character. She's the only one out of my 11 snakes though. All the others have been fine.

My Male ivory blood is acting the same way, he made a mess in his bin and I tried to clean it out and I can't even get the lid off without him go ballistic. Im going to try to feed him in the morning and while he is coiled up on the rat im going to try and clean his cage.

let's get the ball rollin'

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

There may be something to the heat wave theory. I saw a breeder on FB talking about how a few of his snakes have been amped up and snappy lately. My female bull has been pretty hissy the last few days too. I had already turned her heat mat down but she's still acting way out of character. She's the only one out of my 11 snakes though. All the others have been fine.

---

Even in a controlled environment with AC, I'm convinced snakes can tell the difference. In the winter, believe it of not, our basement tends to be warmer because we are running the furnace. The summer tends to be a split of AC or open windows depending on the heat and humidity outside.

My other snakes have increased their activity levels a bit and my boa did participate with his own lunging act, however it was nothing like Wallace's overzealous behavior.

I do adjust cage temps and daylight hours based on the season. Sometimes the season doubles down though.

I'm finding this thread very interesting because many of you have stated your animals have behaved differently as well.

A large part of the nation recently dealt with a heat wave, and the tropical storm season has already visited.

I'm still not ready to go hands on yet with Wallace. I'll give him 3 days from his last meal before I make a move.

He's at least back to being able to figure out the tap training again. I open the cage 3-4 times a day to tap him back into reality in an attempt to establish a pattern he can get used to following again

LOL my high white CA king came after my fingers with a vengeance today and actually grabbed hold of the paper towel I was using to spot clean. So, I got an empty paper towel roll, rubbed some lemon-scent hand sanitizer on one end, and let him get a good whiff of it. He backed off - eventually.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

LOL my high white CA king came after my fingers with a vengeance today and actually grabbed hold of the paper towel I was using to spot clean. So, I got an empty paper towel roll, rubbed some lemon-scent hand sanitizer on one end, and let him get a good whiff of it. He backed off - eventually.

---

That's awesome and funny at the same time.

Oddly enough, I just went down for another tap session with Wallace, he's still semi keyed up but now the boa is totally geared up and ready to strike at the glass and he just ate yesterday. The royal is even out of her hide and its only 2 in the afternoon here.

The joys of hot summer days!

I think there's something to the heat wave theory as well. From what I understand, the current heat wave is a product of a heat dome (where high-pressure atmospheric conditions keep hot air trapped against the land's surface) and a slower, more northerly jet stream (which normally results in hotter, drier summers for a greater portion of the US). Many species of animals - including reptiles, as some of you mentioned - are sensitive to changes in barometric pressure. While I'm not sure of the precise mechanics at work here, it definitely sounds like some peoples' reptiles are responding to the heat dome. They could also be responding to a build-up of more "interesting" scents outside that gradually make their way into peoples' houses. It sounds like more tropical species are getting riled up here, so maybe there's something about the scent of hot, still air that they really like. :rolleyes:

Never one to wait.

I tend to push the issue. I went to the cage door, Wallace struck at air and obviously failed.

I tapped him with the hook, grabbed his mid body and took him out. He was not super comfortable however he was not at all defensive.

It was probably a 30 second interaction yet it built up some trust and confidence for both of us.

As an inexperienced retic owner (3 years) I think I've come to the realization that Wallace is always going to be demanding compared to the others and not a relaxing animal.

I have major issues with placing any pet that I have committed to and have never given up on anything. Wallace is no exception.

The only long term issue is if he gets to a size I simply can't handle on my own. Then he would benefit from being re-homed.

According to Garret Hartle, some of the SD percentage that I was giving by Vital Exotics was a bit off.

Garrett seems to think Wallace is only 25% SD vs the 37.5% that I was told he was.


He's still not huge and I'm not worried since he's already 3 years 2 months old.

Things are cooling down a bit here too so maybe in a day or two all we be back to normal.

I'm ecstatic about getting him out without issues tonight!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

...As an inexperienced retic owner (3 years) I think I've come to the realization that Wallace is always going to be demanding compared to the others and not a relaxing animal.
I have major issues with placing any pet that I have committed to and have never given up on anything. Wallace is no exception.

The only long term issue is if he gets to a size I simply can't handle on my own. Then he would benefit from being re-homed.

According to Garret Hartle, some of the SD percentage that I was giving by Vital Exotics was a bit off.

Garrett seems to think Wallace is only 25% SD vs the 37.5% that I was told he was....

---

I hope it doesn't come to that (re-homing) but I'm glad you're also a "realist"...even for "big strong guys" there IS such a thing as too much snake to handle solo, &
anyone putting safety first is being intelligent about this. I HOPE for your sake (& his) that he doesn't get bigger than you've planned. Also very glad this "re-match"
went well, but I don't think you'll ever be able to let down your guard with "this much snake".

Years ago, I had a 15 foot retic buckle the glass out of the channel on a custom built enclosure. The local pet store had been out of rabbits and she was quite active awaiting the next shipment. My daughter's cat was too much of a tempation and she pushed out the glass. I awoke at 4:30 AM to a screaming cat and the glass, which had just jumped out of the channel, appearing to be intact yet the retic appearing to be on the outside of the cage. Took a few seconds to process all of this. The retic had already grabbed the cat. By the time I ran to the next room and returned with a bottle of rum, the cat was completely coiled and no longer visible. Just poured the rum over the ball of python. She released the cat. I tossed the retic back into the cage and watched the cat stagger drunkenly out of the room. Had a vet checkup later that morning and the cat was OK...but she never went back into that room.

I’m glad you and your snake are ok. I have to commend you guys, I have LOVED snakes my entire life since I was a little boy. That being sad I could NEVER own a snake that big, I honestly don’t ever want a boa or a python over 5 feet, that’s too much snake for me. Seeing constrictors that big or bigger scare me, I certainly would never want to be around one closer than through glass. They are just so big and powerful, there’s a reason why they can eat almost anything in nature.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by NewmanLovesSnakes

I’m glad you and your snake are ok. I have to commend you guys, I have LOVED snakes my entire life since I was a little boy. That being sad I could NEVER own a snake that big, I honestly don’t ever want a boa or a python over 5 feet, that’s too much snake for me. Seeing constrictors that big or bigger scare me, I certainly would never want to be around one closer than through glass. They are just so big and powerful, there’s a reason why they can eat almost anything in nature.


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Hi there,

I just want to let you know that a 6 foot boa constrictor or carpet python are not very difficult to handle.

There are very few snakes, even at 8 to 10 feet that present the issues a reticulated python can give you.

A 7 foot retic VS a 9 foot boa is a mismatch for the keeper in most cases. The longer boa wins out in the ease of care department. That's why I titled this thread "Advanced Species".

It isn't so much the size, but rather the instincts and natural behaviors of the species.


Retics, maybe Olives, Papuans and Scrubs are on another level. In cases where they are beyond 10 feet, they can be as dangerous as some of the venomous animals.

I didn't want to ruffle too many feathers with this post.

Any snake can be an excellent pet.

All of this is a learning experience. Snakes are primitive and not overly intelligent when compared to some other animals, yet they still keep us guessing.

With the right snake and species 6-7 feet is a breeze.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NewmanLovesSnakes

I’m glad you and your snake are ok. I have to commend you guys, I have LOVED snakes my entire life since I was a little boy. That being sad I could NEVER own a snake that big, I honestly don’t ever want a boa or a python over 5 feet, that’s too much snake for me. Seeing constrictors that big or bigger scare me, I certainly would never want to be around one closer than through glass. They are just so big and powerful, there’s a reason why they can eat almost anything in nature.


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You're just getting started, & you're wise to start small, with a snake you feel comfortable with. But I'm willing to bet that as you really get to KNOW more snakes
you'll see that arbitrary limits for the length of pet you're comfortable with are not needed. It really depends on species, as Gio explained, & many snakes that top
out around 5-7' make great pets for most of us. Typically bull/pine/gopher snakes and many rat snakes fall into that range, & they're fantastic pets; on the other
hand, when our fellow members in good standing tell you that something is an advanced species, believe them! It comes down to doing your homework for what-
ever you take on, & being realistic about your own abilities, motives & goals...we're all different. That goes for "hots" & other herps too, not just large snakes. In
5 years from now you may have a somewhat different answer. ;)

I still would love a fully grown ball python [emoji16] my wife not so much.


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Great thread. Glad you and your snakes are ok Gio.

Gotta agree with the whole weather angle since fall/winter have effects feeding as well. Besides breeding desire/season, I believe the weather pressure systems trigger fasting and finicky eating even though our snakes are in a climate controlled environment. Now I know Gio and some other do seasonal temperature adjustments, so that may be different.

These last 9 months have given rise to some firsts for my animals. This winter was the first time 4 of my Carpets and one Boa became finicky about eating. Maybe being fully mature and all males/females kept in the same room and some just being one cage away from the opposite sex had something to do with it, I don’t know.

Now it this is the first summer that every single snake is staying in a state of constant food mode. Even after eating a large meal; it doesn’t matter, 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, they want to eat again. I even caved on a few and Fed again. It didn’t matter, they wanted more the next day and days after.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ff0a00ddb2.jpg

This is making cage maintenance difficult. When I try to tap them with a hook they fly out of the cage as soon as the door opens. Or, as soon as I approach the doors they slam into the door. So let’s suffice to say that the cages are not as clean as they usually are.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1c4d699d52.jpg

Again, maybe because all but the Olive are fully mature. But the Olive has always been extremely cage aggressive, so I have the same issues with her.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...056c1ec747.jpg

These pics were taken within a day or three after feeding. And if I took pics of the others, they would look the same.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a74117a8ea.jpg
One crazy year for sure.

Happy no one was hurt Gio. All my snakes are super hungry this time of year. My king snake seams to always be looking for food. Max my redtail boa often will strike at anything that walks by when it smells rats in the room. Even my ball pythons are super hungry and hunting. Everyone is also having a growth spurt as well.

Retics hold a special place in my heart but they are powerful creatures that deserve respect and a healthy dose of fear when caring for them. They hit hard, are difficult to discourage, intelligent, and bold creatures. With that being said, they are also majestic, beautiful, and amazing species to work with. You cant always count on avoiding a bite or getting one to release unless they want to once they bite you. I am happy I have not received a bite from Rainbow or Aurora. Having help on feeding and cleaning days is a must. You have to keep in mind that retics think with their stomach first and their head second. When food is involved, these guys are no joke.

I handle my retics often and always respect them if they want to be left alone. If I notice they are hungry, I will delay a cleaning for 24 hours and feed them.

The caging requirement are expensive and take up a lot of room if you want to provide them room to move around some and I feel is healthy for them to do so. They are active animals and should have a large swimming area.

I love retics and enjoy working with them. Not for everyone.

Juice (Borneo STP) continues to be a maniac...

The other day while doing enclosure checks I lifted his hide just a little to take a peek and he LAUNCHED himself at me. I thought sure I was getting tagged. He shot himself straight out of the enclosure! I thought he was gonna hit the ground. Luckily he caught the litter dam with his tail and held himself up, about 2/3 of his body hanging out of his enclosure all fired up. (I didn't even think his tail was capable of holding that much of his body weight).

If I go into the snake room and he's poking out of a hide he'll thrash himself like crazy back into his hide, shooting his hide up in the air in the meantime. Typically, he'll just slowly retreat.
If he's in his hide but "peeking" outward he'll thrash himself into a different position, his hide being tossed around on top of him. Usually in this case he'll poke his face out a bit more and curiously look around.

He's still my only snake that I've observed any behavioral change in, but man is it a drastic change!!!
He's usually pretty chill, just sometimes a little hissy when I lift his hide. But I've never seen any behavior like this before out of him.

If somebody was on the fence about snakes or not too sure about them, seeing Juice behave this way would probably scare them straight into a hatred for snakes. Good thing I love the crazy little jerk, hahahhahaha!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Juice (Borneo STP) continues to be a maniac...

The other day while doing enclosure checks I lifted his hide just a little to take a peek and he LAUNCHED himself at me. I thought sure I was getting tagged. He shot himself straight out of the enclosure! I thought he was gonna hit the ground. Luckily he caught the litter dam with his tail and held himself up, about 2/3 of his body hanging out of his enclosure all fired up. (I didn't even think his tail was capable of holding that much of his body weight).

If I go into the snake room and he's poking out of a hide he'll thrash himself like crazy back into his hide, shooting his hide up in the air in the meantime. Typically, he'll just slowly retreat.
If he's in his hide but "peeking" outward he'll thrash himself into a different position, his hide being tossed around on top of him. Usually in this case he'll poke his face out a bit more and curiously look around.

He's still my only snake that I've observed any behavioral change in, but man is it a drastic change!!!
He's usually pretty chill, just sometimes a little hissy when I lift his hide. But I've never seen any behavior like this before out of him.

If somebody was on the fence about snakes or not too sure about them, seeing Juice behave this way would probably scare them straight into a hatred for snakes. Good thing I love the crazy little jerk, hahahhahaha!!

---

Sounds like you spelled his name wrong. You need to add the letter d. Juiced :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Sounds like you spelled his name wrong. You need to add the letter d. Juiced :)

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Hahhahaha.... I've been calling home Juice-ifer. His new alter-ego is evil!!!! Haahahahaa

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Hahhahaha.... I've been calling home Juice-ifer. His new alter-ego is evil!!!! Haahahahaa

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ooh, I like that much better! :)

Gio, thank you for posting this thread. I'm glad you and Wallace are doing ok!

I can be added to the list of having animals acting differently recently. My two retics have only been slightly more active than normal with just cruising their enclosure. Jack did recently start hunting the day after a feed instead of sleeping it off.

The most noticeable change has been my eldest carpet. Her enclosure is the closest to an outside door and with the most ventilation. Normally she is content to sleep in her hide or hang in a hunting position. The past week she has been more active than the retics, poking at her cage. Generally just being more inquisitive and actually coming out to explore when I leave her door open instead of being content in her cage.

My only other snake that is noticeably different recently is one of my corns. This guy is typically shy and was a somewhat finicky eater when he was younger. Last week a few days after feeding I was spot cleaning his tank and changing water. He shot out from under his hide across the tank, got my hand and started to coil. I just left him there and went on with cleaning his tank till he realized I wasn't food.

A lot of my hobbies deal with animals and their behavior. I would say weather has a big impact on animals. Anything from temperature, barometric pressure, to wind speed and direction. Moon phases also play major a part in animals activity, which we just had a full moon last week.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 67temp

Gio, thank you for posting this thread. I'm glad you and Wallace are doing ok!

I can be added to the list of having animals acting differently recently. My two retics have only been slightly more active than normal with just cruising their enclosure. Jack did recently start hunting the day after a feed instead of sleeping it off.

The most noticeable change has been my eldest carpet. Her enclosure is the closest to an outside door and with the most ventilation. Normally she is content to sleep in her hide or hang in a hunting position. The past week she has been more active than the retics, poking at her cage. Generally just being more inquisitive and actually coming out to explore when I leave her door open instead of being content in her cage.

My only other snake that is noticeably different recently is one of my corns. This guy is typically shy and was a somewhat finicky eater when he was younger. Last week a few days after feeding I was spot cleaning his tank and changing water. He shot out from under his hide across the tank, got my hand and started to coil. I just left him there and went on with cleaning his tank till he realized I wasn't food.

A lot of my hobbies deal with animals and their behavior. I would say weather has a big impact on animals. Anything from temperature, barometric pressure, to wind speed and direction. Moon phases also play major a part in animals activity, which we just had a full moon last week.

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Very good point about moon cycles. I hadn't considered that...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 67temp

...
My only other snake that is noticeably different recently is one of my corns. This guy is typically shy and was a somewhat finicky eater when he was younger. Last week a few days after feeding I was spot cleaning his tank and changing water. He shot out from under his hide across the tank, got my hand and started to coil. I just left him there and went on with cleaning his tank till he realized I wasn't food.

A lot of my hobbies deal with animals and their behavior. I would say weather has a big impact on animals. Anything from temperature, barometric pressure, to wind speed and direction. Moon phases also play major a part in animals activity, which we just had a full moon last week.

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About your corn snake: :rofl:

And I hadn't considered the moon phases either. :gj: Moon phases affect humans too, for that matter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

About your corn snake: :rofl:

And I hadn't considered the moon phases either. :gj: Moon phases affect humans too, for that matter.

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My mom used to always say “The crazies come out when the moon is full.” I never fully understood that till I got older.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by NewmanLovesSnakes

My mom used to always say “The crazies come out when the moon is full.” I never fully understood that till I got older.


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And if you want to see it first-hand, just get a job in customer service of any kind...:D

All this excitement everyone's having (feeding their snakes lately), I'm just feeling left out...I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary lately. Sure, it's warm
weather & my snakes are good eaters, but nothing crazy...not trying to eat my hands or anything.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

And if you want to see it first-hand, just get a job in customer service of any kind...:D

All this excitement everyone's having (feeding their snakes lately), I'm just feeling left out...I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary lately. Sure, it's warm
weather & my snakes are good eaters, but nothing crazy...not trying to eat my hands or anything.

---

My turtle got out and took off, he probably left to go chase that female 3 toed I saw in my driveway a couple weeks earlier. His behavior was very out of the ordinary right before he escaped. Two weeks before he escaped he was eating out of my hand and letting me handle him quite a bit. After the temps shifted and this warm front came in he started not wanting to be handled at all and would not eat from my hand and constantly roaming his enclosure. Reading this thread it makes a lot of sense why he was acting like that.

I’ve worked customer service or with people my entire life lol the majority of this population if definitely crazy regardless of the phases of the moon [emoji23]


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They will keep you on your toes for sure.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f4208e7805.jpg

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Wow. Looks like you opened up a thread others can relate to. Well nobody is dealing with anything like your Crazy Story but many seem to relate to the keyed up behavior lately.
2 things you said really made me think. The fact that Retics are so cute and pretty docile as hatchlings has people buying them and breeding them like Hot Cakes, with that said so many people have no clue what they’re getting into. I see Hundreds in Snake rescues. Its terrible.
The second thing was about your Royal. Mine have not used Hides in a month. They’re laying out like my Burm hahahah. I think this weather has all hell breaking loose. My Albino is acting like a Doggy in the Window. She is up all day and watching with her chin on the track. When i slide the door open she comes out onto my shoulder. It cracks me up for snakes that usually stay to themselves. Even the BIL is out and about during the day more. Anyway great thread, I wish people were wise and learned from others instead of having to make all the mistakes ourselves when it isn’t just us it effects. Honestly most people are not like you, most would have that Retic on craigslist after that. This Forum has some dedicated people who’s passion are their snakes. Thats not the majority of who buys them :(


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Skyrivers

They will keep you on your toes for sure.https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f4208e7805.jpg

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My king snake did that tonight! Fortunately it's easy enough to scoop her up and put her back in her tub while she's busy "killing" her f/t mouse.

Yes,

It is obviously the heat and the peak of the summer months.

However depending on the species things can be exciting VS. scary.

Wallace has calmed considerably, actually to the point where I have had him out, if only for about a minute.

Even so, I'm very surprised that a whole rag dipped in Listerine did nothing to mellow his feeding response on the night I had problems with him.

The fact that he struck and tried to eat a 3 foot, steel, snake hook first and then keyed in on, struck and constricted the rag and wood dowel and tried to eat it was a rude awakening for me. Retics ARE an advanced species.

Maybe my experience could be considered isolated. It was very unexpected and worth mentioning.

I personally, would not recommend one as a pet unless you are very experienced and committed with some help. Even the SD and Dwarf types depending on size.

They are wonderful, but not a breeze by a long shot.

Update: Juice is still not quite himself. He seems to have mellowed a little, but he's still constantly in defensive position. He took another strike at me the other night. Typically he will kinda pull back when he see me or if I lift his hide. Now if he sees me he's half out his hide watching my every move. If I lift his hide me comes towards me rather than retreating, which is keeping me on my toes.

Now, I've noticed a change in Dembe, my newest BP. He hissed about 2 weeks ago (first time in my care), and I noticed he was in the very early stages of shed, so I chalked it up to that and let him do his thing...
Since he shed out he's hissed on 3 different occasions, one was one of the most "vocal" hisses I've ever heard from a BP.
So I decided to just leave him alone the first time and take his hint. I just moved on and grabbed a different snake.
The second and third time (just a few minutes ago) I decided I'd just give him a quick pat and take home out. Both times he's been fine once out. He's showed no aggression or defensive behavior at all, but he's much more on the go while out than usual.

Anyway, just thought I'd share since it seems relevant to this awesome thread (one of my favorite threads so far) and see if anyone else has any updates or new developments.

By no means an advanced species, but my ball python has been on his only summer food strike ever since mid May. Also been very atypically active for him. Has never done this in the nearly 10yrs I’ve had him. Luckily hasn’t lost any weight so I’m not worried at all, just annoying really. Neither of the boas are big enough to take his turned down meals. Am I gonna have to get a bullsnake to to clean up after him? [emoji57]


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

By no means an advanced species, but my ball python has been on his only summer food strike ever since mid May. Also been very atypically active for him. Has never done this in the nearly 10yrs I’ve had him. Luckily hasn’t lost any weight so I’m not worried at all, just annoying really. Neither of the boas are big enough to take his turned down meals. Am I gonna have to get a bullsnake to to clean up after him? [emoji57]


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Bullsnakes are great...why would you even need to ask? :D I say GO for it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Bullsnakes are great...why would you even need to ask? :D I say GO for it!

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It’s quite tempting as I feel a need for a North American colubrid in my life again. Went to a buddy’s place last night and saw his Kankakee Bull Snake, MBK, and Eastern Black Kingsnake and felt inspired. I need to wait until I free up a smaller enclosure first. And might be adding a gtp sometime as well. Just don’t want to overwhelm myself and end up with “work/stress” in the herp room instead of “relaxation”. Been down that road once before and not eager to travel it again.

Sorry to derail your thread a bit Gio!


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Wallace is going to shed any day now. He's been mellow during this period.

I've decided to step up the game with him. I just ordered the 5 foot version of this: https://www.aestoney.com/product/poly-gaboona-hook/

I'll likely order some kevlar/leather gloves for those "special times" we may share together in the future. And he'll get a huge, plastic Rubbermaid bin to hang out in when I do my cleaning.

I think in hindsight I should have already had these items even though my current hook is high quality.

It was really the first eye opening experience with any of my snakes here. I've been bitten before and haven't thought much about it.

This non-bite experience however would not have been forgettable had he actually gotten a hold of me.


Time to re-evaluate and put new procedures in place.

Wise is the owner who recognizes a foreshock when the ground only rumbles a bit... may all your "special times" have happier outcomes. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

Wallace is going to shed any day now. He's been mellow during this period.

I've decided to step up the game with him. I just ordered the 5 foot version of this: https://www.aestoney.com/product/poly-gaboona-hook/

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Thanks for the link I have added that to my bookmarks. I am going to need one when my boa and blood get bigger.

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Originally Posted by sur3fir3

Thanks for the link I have added that to my bookmarks. I am going to need one when my boa and blood get bigger.

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Talk about service.

I had standard shipping and it arrived a day later!

A 3-4 foot model would be fine for most boas.

This is a fiver!

https://i.imgur.com/QhoEOPj.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

Wallace is going to shed any day now. He's been mellow during this period.

I've decided to step up the game with him. I just ordered the 5 foot version of this: https://www.aestoney.com/product/poly-gaboona-hook/

I'll likely order some kevlar/leather gloves for those "special times" we may share together in the future. And he'll get a huge, plastic Rubbermaid bin to hang out in when I do my cleaning.

I think in hindsight I should have already had these items even though my current hook is high quality.

It was really the first eye opening experience with any of my snakes here. I've been bitten before and haven't thought much about it.

This non-bite experience however would not have been forgettable had he actually gotten a hold of me.


Time to re-evaluate and put new procedures in place.

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I think I'll be needing one of these soon too bro. I like to live a little dangerously so I'll get a 3-4 footer :). I'll get the kevlar gloves too. It's a shame that we have to armor up to deal with some of these critters. It's still worth it though. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

By no means an advanced species, but my ball python has been on his only summer food strike ever since mid May. Also been very atypically active for him. Has never done this in the nearly 10yrs I’ve had him. Luckily hasn’t lost any weight so I’m not worried at all, just annoying really. Neither of the boas are big enough to take his turned down meals. Am I gonna have to get a bullsnake to to clean up after him? [emoji57]


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Get the bull JMC! They're not an advanced species but a hissy 8ft bullsnake is still a handful. My girl is normally a sweetheart but she's had a couple of bad days recently. Also, what do you think of Olive Pythons? They're large snakes too and usually without nearly the 'tude of a tic.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/KAqL29K.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/lpvBPs3.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/tkx3CZd.jpg

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I think I'll be needing one of these soon too bro. I like to live a little dangerously so I'll get a 3-4 footer :). I'll get the kevlar gloves too. It's a shame that we have to armor up to deal with some of these critters. It's still worth it though. :)



Get the bull JMC! They're not an advanced species but a hissy 8ft bullsnake is still a handful. My girl is normally a sweetheart but she's had a couple of bad days recently. Also, what do you think of Olive Pythons? They're large snakes too and usually without nearly the 'tude of a tic.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/KAqL29K.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/lpvBPs3.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/tkx3CZd.jpg

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I like the idea of an olive, but I think I’m gonna cap the collection at two “large” constrictors for some time as I don’t necessarily want another 6’+ cage to deal with. No immediate plans to make additions here aside from, hopefully, a GTP from my buddy’s first clutch of them back in my home state that just hatched at the beginning of July.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0e5eeff567.jpg
Eventually once I move the boas into a split T25 or their respective adult enclosures I’ll have a T8 freed up which would house a bull/pine/gopher snake nicely... [emoji57]



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