too late for Bengal?

[BeautyandBeast]

hey all im new to the forums and need abit of help! sorry its long and boring!

18 months ago i got a baby JCP and yeh, he was nippy from day one!! not a problem really cos the bites were nothing at all but unfortunately and unplanned i had to move away for a year and leave my parents to look after him, didnt want to leave him but had no choice! whilst away no one handled him so he never got used to human contact. when i came home i did abit of maintenance in his tank and he just sat there looking at me,seemingly not worried bout my presence but there was also the feeling he was indirectly really focused on me!! then, after i fed him, put my hand in the tank and BANG, bit me!

that was him prob just mistaking me for a rat but it was still a shock. he just seems to be really calm but focused at the same time when i go in his tank, waiting for a chance to tag me! ive tried to get him out but he's really flighty and difficult to handle now.

so i was just wondering, is it too late for him to calm down?! i really want him to relax cos i love him to bits and i want to trust him. its my fault no doubt for moving away but i honestly just couldnt take him cos the flats i stayed in didnt allow pets. so any suggestions?! im home for good now and im not gonna give up on him. i need help tho!

thanks for your time

got a blue beauty snake last weekend and he is the nicest snake! explains my name, blue beauty snake (beauty) and carpet python (the beast!)

[Shelby]

Well I couldn't say for sure, since it depends on the individual animal.. but he may calm down if you handle him regularly.. just for short periods of time at first so you don't stress him out.

[8b8ll]

hey all im new to the forums and need abit of help! sorry its long and boring!

18 months ago i got a baby JCP and yeh, he was nippy from day one!! not a problem really cos the bites were nothing at all but unfortunately and unplanned i had to move away for a year and leave my parents to look after him, didnt want to leave him but had no choice! whilst away no one handled him so he never got used to human contact. when i came home i did abit of maintenance in his tank and he just sat there looking at me,seemingly not worried bout my presence but there was also the feeling he was indirectly really focused on me!! then, after i fed him, put my hand in the tank and BANG, bit me!

that was him prob just mistaking me for a rat but it was still a shock. he just seems to be really calm but focused at the same time when i go in his tank, waiting for a chance to tag me! ive tried to get him out but he's really flighty and difficult to handle now.

so i was just wondering, is it too late for him to calm down?! i really want him to relax cos i love him to bits and i want to trust him. its my fault no doubt for moving away but i honestly just couldnt take him cos the flats i stayed in didnt allow pets. so any suggestions?! im home for good now and im not gonna give up on him. i need help tho!

thanks for your time

got a blue beauty snake last weekend and he is the nicest snake! explains my name, blue beauty snake (beauty) and carpet python (the beast!)

So you went to handle him AFTER your fed him correct?

If thats the case and you say he was "focused on you" then why would you think he would be in any shape to be handled. I NEVER handle my snakes right after I feed them, they will def. still take a bite at me for the most part.

I give my snakes at LEAST 24 hours after being fed before I do any kind of handleing.

Now if I haven't recently fed a snake and go to handle it and it is "focused on me" I leave it alone.

Generally when my snakes are in there hides, or coiled up I will approach them and give them some gentle taps letting them know I am there. If I get a strike I back off (which has never happened) . If I get some hissing that is usually normal. Then I slowly start to move them around and get ready to pick them up, and go from there.

Just gotta read your snakes my friend.

Good luck!

Mike

[BeautyandBeast]

no i didnt go to handle him i was going to change his water, stupid mistake putting my hand in the tank so soon after but didnt think he would actually go out of his way to bite me!

[Shelby]

Ah.. yeah not a good idea to stick your hand in the tank soon after feeding. Even my nice snakes will go for me if I do that.

[dalvers63]

I know your pain, in all ways! I adopted a juvi JCP from someone in our herp society. It seems that the fella that bought her didn't like getting bit, so he finally wanted to get rid of her.

When Jill first came to us, she would bite, defecate and do everything she could to get you to let go. She was already at least 8 months old by the time I got her, too. With semi consistent handling, she is now safe for at least 10 min of freehand holding. I don't trust her yet and may never completely trust her, however she is getting better.

Here are my steps to taming down a snake:

1. Don't be afraid to get bitten. It is going to happen, as long as he's still relatively small he really can't hurt you and most of his bites are going to be quick and not a feeding response. If you don't want to get bit, start handling him with some light leather gloves. It will reduce your heat signature and also help change the smell.

2. If you're uncomfortable or unable to get him out of his enclosure by hand, pick up a snake hook and use that. I use one with Jill and it makes us both more confident. You can now reach into her tub and pick her up without getting bit, but I still have it nearby if needed. They work great for helping to deflect or move the head when it gets too close to you.

3. Other than the first 24hrs or so after feeding, be consistent with your handling. Take him out during the day and not at night (higher feeding response at night = snake that is "on-edge"). Try to handling him daily or at least every other day. These sessions don't need to last long at all. The one thing to remember is to never put him back while he's still biting you or trying to get away. Snakes are not the most intelligent creatures but they are creatures of habit. Once he learns that you will put him back when he's calm, you'll find him being calm more often. When I first started working with Jill, it was 5 min or less of handling time. Now we try for 10-15 and she does pretty well.

4. When he bites you, try not to pull your hand away. This takes some practice since it's only natural to back away from an angry snake. Once he learns that biting does not get him put down he will stop doing it. The same goes with musking and trying to "run" away. When Jill tries to get away I do the snake ladder trick and just let her slide between my hands. I don't hold her tightly, that seems to just upset her more. I only apply enough pressure to keep control.

Give these a try and see if his temperament improves. Of course, before trying any of this make sure his husbandry is spot-on, he's healthy and he's not really hungry. And make sure to keep him out of striking distance of your face.

Hope this helps!