Help with aggressive snake.

[Driver]

I have a snake that I have had for 2 weeks now. The thing is very aggressive. It has already tried to eat me once. It struck and coiled around my arm. It took a little while to get it off.

The previous owners were only feeding it 2-3 mice every 2 weeks. I started with medium rats for the past 3 meals. Then today feed it a large rat.

I plan on handling it at a bare minimum until its aggression is gone. And even then its still wont be very much, as I got it for breeding.

Its 5 feet long and every time I'm in the room cleaning my other snakes tubs or taking care of the rats, it follows me around. If I come close to its tub it acts as if I'm food.
How should I go about cleaning it's tub? I know if I even get my hand close, it will strike like last time.

[Jonas@Balls2TheWall]

If you say you got it for breeding than be happy he has such a good appetite. If a snake looks like its going to bite me I usually just grab a hide and cover his head (normally they will retract or ball up at this point) then once its in my hands It usually knows Im not food and calms down. The point is to let the snake know your not food.

P.S: I highly doubt the snake tried to eat you.

[cmack91]

a hook is a good place to start, but in general if its an older snake and is aggressive, its gonna stay that way if its not handled regularly. if you want it to be more "tame", your gonna have to deal with some bites, start by taking it out for short periods, remove it with the hook, then once its out, hold it in your hands. and try feeding it at the same time of day, if its only getting fed in the morning, there will be less a chance that it will accociate opening at other times of day with feeding. so feed in morning, clean and handle at night, or vise-versa. eventually it may come to trust you, but its kinda 50/50. what kind of snake is it?

[cmack91]

also, dont ever hesitate to handle or move it, just reach right in there. if you hesitate when its being aggressive, it will associate it as you either being afraid, or planning an attack, which will make it even more aggressive, which can make you hesitate more, and its a downward spiral from there

[MoonlightBoas]

The only way you're going to be able to break your snake of his aggression is by consistently handling him. Your best bet is to handle him for short periods when he's already in a calm state. Try to keep the handling sessions short at first. If he strikes, continue holding him until he calms down. This will condition him to realize that handling is a positive experience and that biting won't get the big bad hand to go away. If you leave him alone anytime he shows aggression, that will simply reinforce the bad behavior. This is easier said than done since the snake is full grown. Good luck.

[trcmustang]

It sounds like you keep the rats in the same room as the snakes. Is this true? If so the room constantly smells of rats so the snake may think its feeding time when you open the tub. . Just my opinion.

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[MidSouthMorphs]

also, dont ever hesitate to handle or move it, just reach right in there. if you hesitate when its being aggressive, it will associate it as you either being afraid, or planning an attack, which will make it even more aggressive, which can make you hesitate more, and its a downward spiral from there

Agreed, if you reach right in they usually tuck their head. May want to put a cloth over the head the first few times.

[Morphing Unicorn]

sounds like some sound advice. I have read a lot lately about handling balls, mostly newer/younger balls. I have had a baby for a couple of weeks and have really only handled him 2 or 3 times and did it for only like 5 minutes. He is very skiddish around me and understandably since he is young and in a new place. I read an article online that suggested wearing gloves and if it is being aggressive do not give in to the behavior and put him down after a strike or a bite but be persistent. I guess this has already been said too.

I know they are typically stressed when handled until they are used to it; although, I guess it might be difficult to say that they handling will never stress a snake out. I am dying to handle mine more but I want to respect him and not stress him out. When I go to pick him up he balls up and hides. Is this a behavior that I should just continue these short sessions until he realizes I am not there to harm him? Or should I wait a few days in between?

I have read that some people will not handle their snake if they go into a ball or are in their hide, but at this stage is it ok to handle him more than a week or so until he is aware that I am not harmful?

[cmack91]

i pretty much handle my snakes no matter what, except while their digesting. if hes new to you, i would give him some time to settle down, but if youve had him a while, i would just go for it, sooner or later, he'll stop balling up when you reach in for the most part, mines 5yrs and he still does it, just not very often

[RetiredJedi]

I would use a towel to kind of cover my pastels head and then reach from behind to pick him up when I first got him. He was pretty scared and was striking at everything around him. I would gradually stop with the towel and increase the handling time. I stopped the towel thing after about three days and then by the end of the week I was handling him about an hour at a time. Another technique I use is every time I put my hand in his tub for whatever reason, i.e changing water, picking him up, putting items that he moved back in their place, I use hand sanitizer to associate that smell with me. The only time I don't use sanitizer is on feeding day and that day I don't mess with him at all. He is VERY calm now and tolerates me touching him with no problems.

Also, like what was mentioned before, even if your BP strikes or whatever you should continue on with handling instead of just closing the enclosure and leaving it alone.