Worrisome new behavior

[Badgemash]

Hello everyone,

I'm a bit worried about Wee Nake's new habit. About once a day when someone walks past her enclosure, she strikes at them (and her pupils dilate really big). 70% of the time it's from her hide, the rest from her favorite branch. She's been in her new, bigger house for about 6 weeks, and has only started doing this in the last 2. She's still eating happily, and is fine when she's handled, temps/humidity are all good. Could she have some kind of delayed onset stress from the move (she's in the same spot, same room, bigger house)? I don't like feeling like she can't be trusted, and the hubby says that if she actually bites, she's got to go .

Thanks,

-D

[Daybreaker]

She sounds just like my Argentine male and albino Colombian girl: they do the same thing (my retic will do this on occasion too). For them it's their feeding response: how often and what size are you feeding your girl? If she's fine outside her enclosure I want to say she's just excited about possibly being fed, and she could calm down once she settles in more to her new place. Personally I wouldn't worry about it, just work with her regularly.

[Badgemash]

She gets a small rat every friday afternoon, which is pretty close to her body width. I always feed her in the bathtub of the guest bathroom, and she's never missed a meal (even the one time my husband fed her in full blue, he knows better now). I suppose it could be hunger, it just seems weird that she never used to do that.

[xFenrir]

It could be anything. Stress, excitement, hunger, fear, a warning to stay away, something smells different... if she's still eating and acting normal aside from the random striking, I wouldn't be too worried. Just warn other people not to go sticking their hands in her space 'cause she's a spaz.

And I GUARANTEE she's gonna tag one of you eventually. It's an inevitability with keeping snakes. Unless you never plan on holding her/having her out of her enclosure EVER for the rest of her life. So if your husband has that "she bites someone, she goes" mindset, I wouldn't plan on having her for (her) life.

[Badgemash]

I think he's just scared (my husband) because I foolishly showed him that thread on the retic bite. I'm more worried that she's lacking something in her habitat, or that there's something wrong with her, but I can't figure out what it is. It's almost like she's getting startled awake.

[DooLittle]

Could be stress from the move? Maybe the new home is too big? Pics and info on set up? And yes, one of these days you probably are going to get tagged. It's not that bad, just startles you. How big is your snake? I feed youngsters every 5 days. And you do not need to move her to eat, that's probably where you are going to get tagged.

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[Badgemash]

Could be stress from the move? Maybe the new home is too big? Pics and info on set up? And yes, one of these days you probably are going to get tagged. It's not that bad, just startles you. How big is your snake? I feed youngsters every 5 days. And you do not need to move her to eat, that's probably where you are going to get tagged.

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I can't do a pic now because I'm at work, but she's about 6-7 months old, ~3 feet, I don't have her current weight off the top of my head. She's in an exoterra 36"x18"x18" for now (planning on building her a big custom enclosure when she's larger) with belly heat and a che since the room is usually only 75. Substrate is aspen, she has two sturdy climbing branches, a big bowl to soak in if desired, a half log over the belly heat, and a little cave hide on the cool side. She spends most of her time in the log over the heat for 2-3 days after eating, then hangs out on the branches. She's never gone in the cool side hide, so I'm planning on removing it. She gets misted in the mornings to keep the humidity up (she does not like the spray bottle and will hide from it), temps are checked with temp gun against an accurite, uth is on a t-stat, che is on a manual dimmer set quite low (since I'm only trying to bring the air temp up 5 degrees). She was previously in a 20g long in the same spot, same stuff, just smaller.

She's a model citizen when I feed her, and once I get her out to hold her (after she poops, normally 2 days after eating), it's just this striking at people when they walk by, and occasionally when I reach in there that has us worried.

[DooLittle]

You may try feeding her every 5 days. And those half log hides are horrible. They do not provide the security balls like. That could be half your problem, as well as why she doesn't use the other hide, its not secure and she doesn't like it, is highly possible. They like tight fitting dark hides. Preferably two matching hides, so they don't choose security over thermoregulating. So put a new too big cage, with two not secure hides, and add one stressed out snake. They are probably defensive strikes. Also, she may be " a model citizen" now, but one of these days when she's hungry, or still in feed mode, watch out.

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[Badgemash]

You may try feeding her every 5 days. And those half log hides are horrible. They do not provide the security balls like. That could be half your problem, as well as why she doesn't use the other hide, its not secure and she doesn't like it, is highly possible. They like tight fitting dark hides. Preferably two matching hides, so they don't choose security over thermoregulating. So put a new too big cage, with two not secure hides, and add one stressed out snake. They are probably defensive strikes. Also, she may be " a model citizen" now, but one of these days when she's hungry, or still in feed mode, watch out.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

I was under the impression that red tails aren't really bothered about hides? If I'm wrong though I will happily give her tighter ones immediately.

[xFenrir]

I was under the impression that red tails aren't really bothered about hides? If I'm wrong though I will happily give her tighter ones immediately.

Seeing as Doolittle wrote "balls", they might've gotten a bit mixed up as to what kind of snake you've got. lol I know lots of people that use hides for their RTB's, and lots of people who don't. It can't hurt to have them in, and if they're not being used then just take 'em out. That's why mine were removed.

Is your girl striking from inside her hides? if that's the case, then you might want to get some with only one opening and face the opening away from the front. That way, if people walk by, she won't see them and strike. I dunno if it'll work, but it's all I can think of.