Dumeril's...again.

[Wretched Deviant]

So, awhile back I got a Dumeril's, it's the first boa that's actually mine, I was attracted to everyone stating they had such a good demeanor and everything...when I got him I posted a thread but I chopped it up to figuring he was probably stressed out about being at a new home and everything. Here, a month and a half or so (I'd have to go find the exact date in my phone or something but it's been awhile) has gone by and he's still acting pretty defensive. It doesn't seem aggressive per say, but if I try to get him out of him enclosure he strikes, if I put him down he strikes, if he doesn't want food but I offer it, he strikes, in which case he'll then continue to hiss and strike at me through the glass, also. He's seems pretty temperamental and gets worked up easily, and just wondering if anyone has any input. He's only bit me once, today actually, but gotten close tons of other times...half the time he doesn't coil back on the first strike even giving little warning at what's going to happen except a minute tensing of the muscles.

[CoolioTiffany]

So, awhile back I got a Dumeril's, it's the first boa that's actually mine, I was attracted to everyone stating they had such a good demeanor and everything...when I got him I posted a thread but I chopped it up to figuring he was probably stressed out about being at a new home and everything. Here, a month and a half or so (I'd have to go find the exact date in my phone or something but it's been awhile) has gone by and he's still acting pretty defensive. It doesn't seem aggressive per say, but if I try to get him out of him enclosure he strikes, if I put him down he strikes, if he doesn't want food but I offer it, he strikes, in which case he'll then continue to hiss and strike at me through the glass, also. He's seems pretty temperamental and gets worked up easily, and just wondering if anyone has any input. He's only bit me once, today actually, but gotten close tons of other times...half the time he doesn't coil back on the first strike even giving little warning at what's going to happen except a minute tensing of the muscles.

It seems he most likely wasn't handled as often as he should've been before you got him. What's your setup like? Substrate, temps, humidity, description of hides, enclosure, etc.

[bananasama]

I agree, sounds like he just wasn't handled enough before. Also keep in mind that Dum's have a very strong ambush tendency, and so normally you have to be careful getting them out of their enclosure. But that doesn't really explain the other circumstances, so guessing it was lack of human contact when he was younger.

[PyroPython]

Could just be an unfriendly snake. A friend of mine has a BP he's had since it was a hatchling and handles it all the time, and it still (5 years later) acts like it's got to kill everything.

But yeah, most likely a handling issue. Try hooking him out of his enclosure before handling him? Maybe when you reach in you trigger the feeding response and it's just a really strong one. I had an old BCC that acted like that, unless you let him come out on his own or used a hook. Same case with him, always handled from day one but even 20 years later (He belonged to a friend of the parents) he was still aggressive unless you let him know somehow it wasn't feeding time.

[wafisherman]

Could just be an unfriendly snake. A friend of mine has a BP he's had since it was a hatchling and handles it all the time, and it still (5 years later) acts like it's got to kill everything.

But yeah, most likely a handling issue. Try hooking him out of his enclosure before handling him? Maybe when you reach in you trigger the feeding response and it's just a really strong one. I had an old BCC that acted like that, unless you let him come out on his own or used a hook. Same case with him, always handled from day one but even 20 years later (He belonged to a friend of the parents) he was still aggressive unless you let him know somehow it wasn't feeding time.

I'm leaning toward this well. Snakes are not all carbon copies of eachother. They can have different temperments.

[Wretched Deviant]

Thanks, I thought it was probably something along those lines and you're right, not every creature is the same. He's a total sweetheart until you put him down I'm thinking about getting a snake hook for getting him out of his cage at least. I have him in a vision cage, I kinda hope sometime I can get a glass one so I could get him out from above where he usually doesn't try to strike or anything. Would it be possible for him to calm down now at an older age if I handle him a decent amount? I think the previous owner said he was only about a year or so, so he's not real old.

[PyroPython]

I don't think age is an issue. If the snake feels secure, it will likely calm down, unless it just has a bad attitude like we mentioned. And glass won't change the striking, they go up just as well. The hook seems the best route to me, if hides/leaving him alone for a bit didn't work out for you.