My big disappointment.....

[L.West]

Thanks to all of you who have chimed in to help me out with this problem. I do think that to a certain degree - I have become afraid of them because of the attempts to strike at me - thus stressing myself out when I need or want to hold them - thus taking all the enjoyment out of having them strictly as pets.

Maybe I am too wussy for an RTB!!!!

I am working closely with the breeder to come to a good solution.

I so appreciate all of your help and support.

[Greez1986]

If possible you should see if the breeder has any calmer RTB's in stock and see if you would be able to go there and pick one out for yourself. I would have to see and get a feel for the snakes personality before buying a snake that gets that large

[Vypyrz]

Mine do the same thing. It's just the difference in Boa and Ball defense. When BP's feel threatened they ball up. When boas feel threatened they S up. When that doesn't work, their tendency is to try and run. After a few minutes they calm down. Mine aren't even a year old yet and I'm already hook training them. I try not to reach directly in the enclosures at them and don't hook and jerk them too fast. I try to use the hook to coerce them into going where I want them. There is definitely a technique to it. What I do is try and hook them about 1/3 the way down their body. That way, even when they S, the hook will be just behind it and you can keep them moving in the direction you want. I keep the hook in whichever hand is on the same side as their head. Once I have their head and S out I reach in with the other hand and slide it under their belly about half way down or so that I can lift and work the rest of their body out. Once I have them out I set the hook down and raise my free hand up under them to about whre the hook was or so. I'm sure there are alot of different ways to do it, but this is what seems to be working for me and my snakes. I don't worry about getting bit by mine because they are still small enough to not do much, if any, damage. Since yours are older and pack more of a punch, you might try using a leather work glove on your hook hand and wearing long sleeves until they get used to it. I only suggest wearing a glove on which ever hand is using the hook and you should be able to take it off once you get the snake out. If you wear gloves on both hands then you may end up squeezing them harder than you think. I hope you get it worked out so you can start enjoying your boas...

[jfreels]

Thanks to all of you who have chimed in to help me out with this problem. I do think that to a certain degree - I have become afraid of them because of the attempts to strike at me - thus stressing myself out when I need or want to hold them - thus taking all the enjoyment out of having them strictly as pets.

Maybe I am too wussy for an RTB!!!!

I am working closely with the breeder to come to a good solution.

I so appreciate all of your help and support.

NOOOO...you just need the right RTB. I went from a colubrid to a RTB, that's quite a transition. I only did it though because the RTB I found was so "sweet" in nature. She didn't mind her head being touched, she was curious and all that.

She has never tried to strike at me, but when she's shedding, I leave her alone. She'll let you know with a loud hiss that she doesn't want to be bothered when she's shedding. But right after shed, she's begging for a meal.

[L.West]

The strangest thing about this whole ordeal is that when I held each of my RTB's at the show (my RTB are brother & sister) they were just as calm as can be - but the breeder tells me that because they are at cooler temps inside the show - the cooler temps will calm them a bit.

[BuckeyeBalls]

Do boas tend to S up and hiss when u try to reach in for em? When i reach in for my guy he turns the other way and tries to run lol.

@ L.West

Does he calm down at all when he is out? My guy calms down a bit but still wants to get away

[L.West]

Yes, both my RTB's will "s" up when I attempt to reach in their cage. Once I do get them out - they are better but still not calm like my bps are.

I much prefer the temperment of my bps - they will hang around on your shoulders forever if you let them.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I had a similer problem but one that was my own fault. One of my super dwarf retics was spooked by my son and bit me. Prior to this she was sweet and tame. For a long time I had to use a hook to get her out. These guys are flighty anyway but she was terrible after that. It took a couple months but I finally got to where I can take her out without the hook without worrying about being bitten. She is still more flighty than before but Im earning her trust back. Of my 2 boas, the female is flighty and will strike when you try to take her out. They are not for everyone but the bigger snakes can be so rewarding with time and experience. If you trade yours and you ever plan to try again just be sure to get a baby. Maybe go to a show so you can handle different boas and interact with them before making a decision.

[BuckeyeBalls]

Yea iv held many boas and they are more flighty/active then bps. But some are just wild. Our's is wild when hes out but after a few mins he calms down a bit. But if you spook him at all he starts to get wild again.

Maybe you can trade yours in for a baby?

[llovelace]

I have a male rtb that i took in a year ago he is approx 3.5 yrs old, he has cage aggression something fierce, it took time but now he is very docile when out of his enclosure.

Also have a 6.5 foot female that was acquired last Aug. at a show, we should have named her speedy, she used to be all over the place when taken out of her enclosure, but would settle down after about 10 minutes or so. Now when we take her out she will just lay on the bed with you.

How often were these rtb's handled prior to your acquiring them?

Just give it time, they will settle down, but you have to consistent with the handling schedules. just start off with a few minutes per day, and increase from there.

Good luck if you decide to keep them.