How to Tame a Boa

ok so i think i might own the worlds deadliest 30 inch boa.... (or at least thats what he thinks) anyone but me he is almost always in strike mode around them, me he usually is really nice and fun, but today when i took him out well that was a different story i took him out re arrange his cage cause he hates when i mess with stuff while he is in there, so i put him on the couch and well that is all she wrote, he was like a cobra striking at anything that moved i couldn't get near him. i ended up having to throw a towel over him cause frankly i don't feel like getting bit right now. I did notice his tail is a lot darker than normal, could he be going into shed and thats why he's so aggressive? and at the show he was so nice but since i've brought him home he has been nasty...am i a bad parent and doing something wrong?

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Originally Posted by eddyhead

ok so i think i might own the worlds deadliest 30 inch boa.... (or at least thats what he thinks) anyone but me he is almost always in strike mode around them, me he usually is really nice and fun, but today when i took him out well that was a different story i took him out re arrange his cage cause he hates when i mess with stuff while he is in there, so i put him on the couch and well that is all she wrote, he was like a cobra striking at anything that moved i couldn't get near him. i ended up having to throw a towel over him cause frankly i don't feel like getting bit right now. I did notice his tail is a lot darker than normal, could he be going into shed and thats why he's so aggressive? and at the show he was so nice but since i've brought him home he has been nasty...am i a bad parent and doing something wrong?

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Stress bro. Think of it this way. You are the snake and you are placed on the couch. you see a huge animal running buy trying to pick you up. It goes into defensive mode. Not mean....

try using a box or a tub to place him in while you work in the cage.

A bite from that size will break the skin but will scare oyou more then anything. It might be a one time thing too. My calmest snakes have their days.

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Originally Posted by Gary Orner

Stress bro. Think of it this way. You are the snake and you are placed on the couch. you see a huge animal running buy trying to pick you up. It goes into defensive mode. Not mean....

try using a box or a tub to place him in while you work in the cage.

A bite from that size will break the skin but will scare oyou more then anything. It might be a one time thing too. My calmest snakes have their days.

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yeah its just been the last couple days, he used to be good to where he would want to come out and would just crawl all over me and be very ornery just like a boa, but the reason i put him on the couch is because he almost struck me when i was holding him so i put him down.

lately hes seemed nervous to come out but usally i just lightly rub on the side and he immedietly is ready to come and be his normal self, but not today i rubed him and he was still not wanting. i should of left him in

Yeah some people call them bad scale days. Sometimes it could be just the snake going into blue. It could be something spooked them. I would not worry about it so much. give the little guy a few days and then try again. Before you know it he will be back to his normal self.

Hey Zach!~ My little Zelda sends very clear signals to me and I totally respect those signals given she'll be very big and strong one day!! When she goes into an 's' when I'd like her to come out and amuse me, I just leave her along for another day. This is usually all that it takes! :)
She just got finished with a shed and had a piece still on her tail. 2 days ago I tried to take her out but she really wasn't into it. Yesterday I took her out, got the skin off and held her for a long time. She was very cool and seemed to be diggin the change of scenery. :banana:

How often do you "re arrange" his cage? They get really stressed when you move things about all the time. I would give him like a week or so with just the neccesities and see how he is then.

Remember, hes a new guy to you, and hes prolly still not too sure about things!

Good luck!

yea i got a narsty 6 foot boa about a month and a half ago and now hes awesome with me but nasty to other people it has to do with his stress level and his comfort and security. so if hes stressed out hes gonna lash out if hes hungry same thing if he just doesnt wanna be bothered hes gonna do it i was struck at once by my big guy but that was when i first when to pick him up outta the tank at the petstore and everyone there ran away and thought i was crazy for wanting him. but i would recheck your husbandry and see if he has any security issues

the reason i rearrange his cage is because i removed everything that he could climb on, cause the vet told me to, and i was just putting it all back in...he has not used his hide once in the 3 weeks but i do have some plants and i made to where he could get behind it for cover and he really likes that..i did take the hide out cause it was just taking up space

Ok good. Just have patience and he will get better!

I trick Ive used it put a used tshirt into the tank, like the one u use for sleeping, that way they get used to your scent, and beleive me, it really works!

handling is the key to taming i mean you arent gonna get them 100% tame they still have the wild side in them so there is still a chance of being bit no matter how calm or tame your snakes my be always be mindful that they can bite

so i cant even get him out of his cage...he seems fine at first when i started to pick him up and then he just started striking like crazy..missed me every time. but i got the message lol. so i let him stay in...im lost and confused on what to do...i mean if he is striking obviously he feels threatened so i dont want to stress him out by taking him out even when he is striking...

i would handle him in the cage and let him crawl around your hand and get used to your scent

OK, try this.

when he looks like he is gonna strike spray him with a water bottle, might knock him outta that mode.

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Originally Posted by Monty

i would handle him in the cage and let him crawl around your hand and get used to your scent

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thats how it started and he was fine..for like 3-4 mins then i wanted to get him out cause he seem fine. and as soon as i almost got towards the oppening and started to strike randomly every where it wasnt even close to me, so i just set him back on his vines

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

OK, try this.

when he looks like he is gonna strike spray him with a water bottle, might knock him outta that mode.

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ill try it....is this a common practice? seems like it would piss him off more lol i know it would be me

might just be scared of the inital pick up i would just keep handling him in the cage and let him crawl up your arm by himself and i would also say if you can get him out of the cage i would sit in a chair or something near the cage so you dont move him around to much when your handling him until he is used to it thats what ive been doing with the big 6 footer i got and he seems to hate going back into the cage. but least you got a lil guy the bite wont be as bad. im just waiting for the day

Some people tap the snakes head, some people blow air in their face, some mist with water in the face (im not saying to just hose him, but a gentle spray).

Once he is in your hands does he calm down, or have we not got that far yet?

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Originally Posted by Monty

might just be scared of the inital pick up i would just keep handling him in the cage and let him crawl up your arm by himself and i would also say if you can get him out of the cage i would sit in a chair or something near the cage so you dont move him around to much when your handling him until he is used to it thats what ive been doing with the big 6 footer i got and he seems to hate going back into the cage. but least you got a lil guy the bite wont be as bad. im just waiting for the day

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ok i will try that, im still havent recieved my first bite so im still nervous for the first one...and yes i am glad hes not as big as your guy.lol im more worried bout my friends..i dont want him to bite anyone..except for me

lol well getting bit has to do with the nature of owning snakes ive been bit plenty of time from smaller pythons and baby boas. i dont think ill be ready for this guy but o well and also keep your movements at a steady motion no jerking around no sudden bumps or anything and keep the room quiet. i would say handle him only bout 5 - 10 mins if you even get far enough to take him out of the tank. once he realizes that snapping in the air will make you put him down he will "learn" that and use it to his advantage.

im just frustrated cause at the show and the first week he was SOOOOO nice and the last 2 weeks hes been an :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:

i know some locals of boas seem to have more of an attitude then others just dont give up and youll have a great snake in no time

sorry for the double post my browser gliched up a lil bit

so we did the handle with gloves by his cage and he was fine..held him for 5 mins. put him back in his cage and well...ive never seen a more pissed off snake..he struck the glass at any movement. i mean like 15 times and i finally just through a towl over the cage to make it dark so he can calm down....im just frustrated cause first week he was fine. 2nd week he was fine. then 2 weekends ago i had 8 friends come and stay with me and the first day they were here i got him out and he was fine. he was nice to me and 2 of my friends held him and it was ok. then the 3rd day they were here i took him out again cause they wanted to say goodbye to Old Gregg and i got him out and he was latched around me so hard..and was in strike position and watching my friend Tyler every movement he made my snake watched him never struck but was ready and since then he has been pissed off and mad...i did catch some of my friends tapping on the glass at him when i was out of the room. do you think this could of caused some of his aggression? i mean he was MAD i've never even seen videos of a snake this mad

Alot of the snakes are calm at the shows because the temps are usually lower there. Once you bring them home and warm them up you will sometimes see an entirely different attitude. I always try to put my hand on their head a few times if they want to strike. Go from above so its harder for them to tag you :P I have also heard tossing a rag over their head helps. Can anyone else confirm that?

well i took the towel off..after his settle down time (and as soon i took it off he went back into strike mode!!!) but i noticed something and well hes shedding. he has it off his head now.

wait till he sheds feed him then start handling him 48 hours after feeding and yea i think your friends had alot to do with his anger. whenever anyone is over i tell them specifically not to tap on anything in glass cages. or there will be severe coinsquenses

Sounds like he was stress out to me. Many things can cause this. Starting to shed may be one of them.

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Originally Posted by eddyhead

i did catch some of my friends tapping on the glass at him when i was out of the room. do you think this could of caused some of his aggression?

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Yes, this could have definately stressed him out, on top of the shedding. Make sure you humidity is good, and wait until after he sheds to handle him.

You've had this snake for about three weeks - right?

If this is incorrect, then disregard what follows:

First, there is no such thing as taming a snake. You can acclimate a snake to your presence, to his surroundings, etc. but any things outside of the routine, or outside of what he has been acclimated to will result in defensive or stressed behavior.

Your boa is not striking because he's mean - he's striking because he is stressed. Bringing him home, putting him in a new enclosure, rearranging his environment and going through a shed are all individual stressors. Leave him alone for a while. Change his water if necessary, spot clean when applicable, but maintain routine. For the most part, stay away from his cage.

After you give him some time to acclimate and he begins to show signs of settling down, start out with short handling sessions. If you are afraid of being bitten and show nervousness or hesitation, use a hook or a glove to remove him from his enclosure. Start out with brief handling sessions, letting him move freely through your hands. Don't plop him on a couch, the floor, show him off to your friends, walk around with him, etc.

I picked up a cribo from Delta Dash last summer, after I got the snake home, I held it for about 30 minutes examining it and marveling at how well-behaved and calm it was.

That was the last peace I had with that animal for 5 weeks. It's very common to handle an animal with no issues at a show, a pet shop or a breeder with no issues and then have that same apparently calm snake do a 180 on you when you bring him home.

Skiploder that was very helpful and reassuring to me!! he sheded Completely in one piece! and he looks amazing!! so now maybe that the shed is gone..im going to give him some rest and then we will go from there

Zack, think like a small boa for a moment. He's gone through a change in his existance that he cannot even begin to understand. Then there's been changes even in that enclosure with your removing things that he may have just been starting to get used to. Then there's your buddies who sound like they probably scared the beejesus out of him with that knocking and overhandling.

Really Zack, what would you expect an animal as instinctive as a snake to do? He's become defensive - not aggressive in my mind - and it's going to be up to you to take the time and show the patience to help him calm down again. You are also going to have to decide that this snake deserves better than a crew of your buds doing that sort of thing to him in the future.

For now I would take this snake back to day 1. Double check your setup to make sure that's all good as far as temps, humidity, security, peace and quiet. Btw what is his feeding routine like as far as frequency and type/size of prey?

Move his enclosure if you need to, to a quiet place - cover his tank with a dark thin cloth if you need to help him feel secure again. Get into a routine of handling him even for 2 minutes. Be calm, be smooth in your movements and confident - not grabby or hyper, just firm but gentle. Get a grip on him and just hold him for a few moments then return him to his enclosure when he isn't fighting you. The point isn't to keep him out for long or give him free movement right now. It's just to get him used to removal and return to his home without stress. It could take weeks or months to get him calm enough to be able to stay out with you for any reasonable amount of time. With any snake it's about patience and baby steps.

He was calm, he became stressed - it's up to you to review what's occurred over your ownership of him and make the necessary adjustments to minimize that stress.

I know what you mean now..i guess i made some new owner mistakes. But i am going to give him his time to settle down and like you said take baby steps into getting him to feel more secure.

as far as eating he eats every monday. I now have him on F/T and im feeding him mice that are about 10% of his body weight. he eats fine no problems at all!!

i just looked in his cage to check temps and water and i havent got his shed out (should i get that out soon?) and i noticed something black...he pooped in his shed :) easy clean up.

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Originally Posted by eddyhead

yeah its just been the last couple days, he used to be good to where he would want to come out and would just crawl all over me and be very ornery just like a boa, but the reason i put him on the couch is because he almost struck me when i was holding him so i put him down.

lately hes seemed nervous to come out but usally i just lightly rub on the side and he immedietly is ready to come and be his normal self, but not today i rubed him and he was still not wanting. i should of left him in

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If he is going into a shed, I have found, that sheds can cause a boa to stress more. My guy is usually fine, but when his eyes cloud up for a shed, he seems justifiably more defensive. Shedding is a very vulnerable time for snakes in the wild.. and sice boas are more sight-oriented than, say, a BP with its heat pits.. the cloudiness in the eyes could make him freak out more..

I'm just wondering if the mice are enough. Boa's grow pretty quickly and I know when we raised Severus he went from mice to needing the bulk of rats pretty quickly. I'm absolutely no sort of boa expert though so hopefully someone like Jimi can chime in here.

The boa we are fostering, Morgaine, will get VERY snappy when she's hungry and it's not unusual for her to slam her tub once or twice out of pure hunting excitement as soon as she even scents her weekly rat. It's quite the exercise in fast, exact movements to get her tub lid off quickly enough to get her dinner in before she manages to tap her nose too much on the side of her tub.

yeah i want to feed rats. im just not able to get any..i go to college at Ohio University so for those who know Athens, there aint many options as far as food. i have been getting mice and doing about 10% his body weight..he feeds 2maro and i was thinking about 2 med. Mice. Im not reallly one for muliptle mice but its the best i can go..Once June comes around i will be back at home and be able to get rats for him

Can you order some F/T rats?

I could...but i dont have place to put them..and every place ive seen sells in bulk..

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Originally Posted by eddyhead

I could...but i dont have place to put them..and every place ive seen sells in bulk..

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What size F/T rats do you need? If I have them I will bring as many as you want and sell them to you at cost every month at Columbus. I get boxes from Rodent pro. And then when you are ready to get a bag yourself you can just buy them from Casey at the show.

Let me know bro. I have no issues in doing that. I will just pick up an extra bag and pack what you can take in ice. No worries at all.