Agression In Snakes

[Skiploder]

Fight over flight aggression is seen in several large colubrids, vipers and elapids. These same species are also quick to irritation-induced aggression.

Maternal aggression is seen in several species of snakes and most species of snakes will display inter-male aggression.

Aggression--the snake comes toward you, seeking you out, to bite you.

Defense--the snake bites you if you come close enough to it, in order to drive you away.

I do not believe there are very many aggressive snakes in the world, and aggressive behavior is seen only in a few species--such as king cobras that defend their nesting areas.

I've never heard of an aggressive ball python that wasn't simply making a mistake (assuming that the warm thing is food instead of a person). All other bites are defensive, not truly aggressive. Ball pythons are not aggressive toward people. Fight/flight responses don't involve charging the target of their fear, the way they can in mammals. Balls don't deliberately seek out people to bite--it just doesn't happen.

[p3titexburial]

Hrm--oddly enough, I'm sure snakes can LEARN to be aggressive.

I had a garter snake who for some reason, started being extremely aggressive towards me after about two years, even though I made sure to not retreat and wear gloves and continue handling. Whenever I walked pass his tank, he would follow me and even try to climb up the glass to get at me. After a couple of months of this, it was just a display animal to me and I stopped handling him altogether. Changing his substrate and water bowl was very much like fencing, and he was just a wee little thing.

However, he was still horrendously afraid of my mom. When I first got him, he escaped from his tank twice and each time my mom was the one who found him and put him back. Every time she came into my room, if he was out of his hide just hanging out, he would immediately zoom into his hide and stick just his head out to make sure where she was. My mom thought it was hilarious.

I don't hold it against them for being nippy or aggressive, it happens, and I like their spunky attitude. Sometimes, no matter what you do, it won't like you, and in that case there is nothing you CAN do.

However, his aggression MAY have been illness related--one day out of nowhere I found him dead, his stomach caved in like it collapsed. I've seen it once or twice in cornsnakes but never in garters, and no one's really sure why it happens. So if my snakes change moods suddenly and for a prolonged period of time--to the vet it'll go. Better safe than sorry.

[h00blah]

I'd love to know the basis for this insightful observation of yours.

pet store myths. no biggie. just educate.

we've all heard 'em at some point.

[Skiploder]

pet store myths. no biggie. just educate.

we've all heard 'em at some point.

Hmmm. I've heard those same myths propagated on these forums.

Kinda like: snakes aren't aggressive.

[h00blah]

Hmmm. I've heard those same myths propagated on these forums.

Kinda like: snakes aren't aggressive.

yes, but normally they are explained in greater clarity by veterans such as yourself. or people who know better, or at least have been part of this hobby for a little longer.

[cinderbird]

Hmmm. I've heard those same myths propagated on these forums.

Kinda like: snakes aren't aggressive.

Every time i see the first of these two statements, it has been corrected in the same manor the OP was corrected. It just simply isn't true and actually puts a keeper, especially one of the larger species in more danger and can create a situation where i dangerous, mistaken feeding response bite is more likely to happen. I have never seen a thread regarding that feeding myth where that has not been addressed and i've been here for over 2 years and browse -frequently-.

I'm still not agreeing with you on the aggressive thing. I understand where you're coming from when you say it, but i have to agree more with WingedWolfPsion, in my (albeit limited) experience owning and interacting with snakes, ive only ever revived defensive-related bites and i have what i could consider a testy animal, every time i open her tub she's there eyeing me up to strike. But -i- encroached on HER space and am bothering her, considering she is new to the routine im not all that surprised she's tried to bite me multipe times, is this an aggressive snake or a defensive snake?

I cant really address what skiploader said, considering i have no experience with large colurbrids or HOTs. :/

[Skiploder]

Every time i see the first of these two statements, it has been corrected in the same manor the OP was corrected. It just simply isn't true and actually puts a keeper, especially one of the larger species in more danger and can create a situation where i dangerous, mistaken feeding response bite is more likely to happen. I have never seen a thread regarding that feeding myth where that has not been addressed and i've been here for over 2 years and browse -frequently-.

I'm still not agreeing with you on the aggressive thing. I understand where you're coming from when you say it, but i have to agree more with WingedWolfPsion, in my (albeit limited) experience owning and interacting with snakes, ive only ever revived defensive-related bites and i have what i could consider a testy animal, every time i open her tub she's there eyeing me up to strike. But -i- encroached on HER space and am bothering her, considering she is new to the routine im not all that surprised she's tried to bite me multipe times, is this an aggressive snake or a defensive snake?

I cant really address what skiploader said, considering i have no experience with large colurbrids or HOTs. :/

I just exchanged e-mails with Ken Foose regarding a large male pseustes he has for sale.

The snake has been described as "Aggressive". I would classify some of my snakes as conforming to the several types of aggression as aggregated in the accepted and defined categories of animal aggression.

So you keep ball pythons and carpets............... do not take this the wrong way, but I would not expect you to be able to address a question regarding snake aggression.

[cinderbird]

So you keep ball pythons and carpets............... do not take this the wrong way, but I would not expect you to be able to address a question regarding snake aggression.

Nothing taken the wrong way i think i actually addressed that at the end of my post. I am very limited in the amount of species i have had enough interaction with to classify as experience.

[Skiploder]

I'm still not agreeing with you on the aggressive thing. I understand where you're coming from when you say it, but i have to agree more with WingedWolfPsion, in my (albeit limited) experience owning and interacting with snakes, ive only ever revived defensive-related bites and i have what i could consider a testy animal, every time i open her tub she's there eyeing me up to strike. But -i- encroached on HER space and am bothering her, considering she is new to the routine im not all that surprised she's tried to bite me multipe times, is this an aggressive snake or a defensive snake?

What's the difference between aggression and being defensive? Is there such a thing as defensive aggression?

Is the snake being defensive or is it responding with aggression to an irritation?

I would categorize rolling up in a ball as defensive behavior. I would categorize a defensive bite as defensive aggression.

There is a recognizable difference between being defensive (running, hiding, playing dead, curling into a ball) and being aggressive in defense - i.e.: striking in response to a perceive threat or irritation.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Yes, there are a few species of snakes that will turn at bay and come toward you if they feel cornered--but not many. As I said. And ball pythons aren't one of them.

MaleXMale aggression is of a completely different type--snakes engage in ritualized combat. They don't bite each other. They don't display this behavior toward humans.

Female pythons defend their eggs. They bite those who come too close to them. They do not leave their eggs and rush toward intruders. This is still defensive behavior.

If someone came toward you threateningly with a weapon, and you shoved them away, and then started kicking or hitting to keep them away when they came back, but never approached them in return once they backed off, would your behavior be aggressive or defensive? I think the answer is pretty obvious.