Worrisome new behavior

[DooLittle]

My bad, I didn't notice this was in red tail forum... It's not as obvious on tapatalk... Yeah, my advice was for a ball, not boa. Sorry.

Strike the 5 day feeding, young boas should be every 7-10 days. Also strike the tight fitting hides, lol.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

[Daybreaker]

As long as your husbandry is fine I just wouldn't worry about her striking at passing things. As mentioned, a few of mine do the same thing and their temps are spot on and nothing has changed inside their tubs or otherwise. My advice is to put a towel/blanket over her and handle her regularly. She may grow out of the behavior once she gets older too.

[Badgemash]

My bad, I didn't notice this was in red tail forum... It's not as obvious on tapatalk... Yeah, my advice was for a ball, not boa. Sorry.

Strike the 5 day feeding, young boas should be every 7-10 days. Also strike the tight fitting hides, lol.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Ha ha, no worries, I thought it might be something like that.

[Badgemash]

As long as your husbandry is fine I just wouldn't worry about her striking at passing things. As mentioned, a few of mine do the same thing and their temps are spot on and nothing has changed inside their tubs or otherwise. My advice is to put a towel/blanket over her and handle her regularly. She may grow out of the behavior once she gets older too.

I'll give the towel a try. I hope she grows out of it. Even though she wasn't purchased with intent to breed or anything (always a valid excuse in my household for spending absurd amounts of money on snakes and putting up with strange snake behaviors) I really like having her around. But things that are "funny" or "cute" for a baby, are a lot less cute in an 8 foot snake. I hate this sudden feeling of doubt with her, that she can't be trusted.

[Annarose15]

If you're concerned, just hook train her. And if you're really concerned, quit moving her on feeding day. I had my boa for 20 years, and the ONLY time I was bitten was the day I reached in to take his tank-mate out on feeding day (bear in mind, this was 25 years ago). My 5-foot (at the time) boy mistook my hand for dinner and latched on. It hurt, I froze, and George let go after about 90 seconds. A few bruises and some hydrogen peroxide, and it was like it never happened. BUT - I promise you I never reached in his cage bare-handed again.

[Badgemash]

If you're concerned, just hook train her. And if you're really concerned, quit moving her on feeding day. I had my boa for 20 years, and the ONLY time I was bitten was the day I reached in to take his tank-mate out on feeding day (bear in mind, this was 25 years ago). My 5-foot (at the time) boy mistook my hand for dinner and latched on. It hurt, I froze, and George let go after about 90 seconds. A few bruises and some hydrogen peroxide, and it was like it never happened. BUT - I promise you I never reached in his cage bare-handed again.

Wouldn't feeding her in her cage reinforce the idea that things coming into the cage are edible and encourage her to strike? It's just her in there, and she's not going to get a buddy. My justification for having her (to the hubby) is that she keeps our freezer clear of rats when the BPs get picky about their food. Apparently I have used "because I really like it" too many times, now things must have a purpose in our household if they require feeding.

[Annarose15]

Wouldn't feeding her in her cage reinforce the idea that things coming into the cage are edible and encourage her to strike? It's just her in there, and she's not going to get a buddy. My justification for having her (to the hubby) is that she keeps our freezer clear of rats when the BPs get picky about their food. Apparently I have used "because I really like it" too many times, now things must have a purpose in our household if they require feeding.

I think "because I really like it" is a perfectly good argument! In the twenty years of feeding my boa in her cage, I was only bitten the day I stuck my hand in on feeding day (thawed rat in the room). After that, I used the precaution of a towel or hook, but never had another issue. The logic on cage aggression from feeding doesn't make sense - why wouldn't she get used to thinking anything going into the tub with her was edible? Wouldn't she start trying to bite any time a bath was needed, or when you have to move her back to her cage? Don't you reach in the cage to handle her more often than you do to feed her? I NEVER touch my snakes after feeding that day - it's just asking to have an accident (like mistaking my hand for seconds).

[Badgemash]

I think "because I really like it" is a perfectly good argument! In the twenty years of feeding my boa in her cage, I was only bitten the day I stuck my hand in on feeding day (thawed rat in the room). After that, I used the precaution of a towel or hook, but never had another issue. The logic on cage aggression from feeding doesn't make sense - why wouldn't she get used to thinking anything going into the tub with her was edible? Wouldn't she start trying to bite any time a bath was needed, or when you have to move her back to her cage? Don't you reach in the cage to handle her more often than you do to feed her? I NEVER touch my snakes after feeding that day - it's just asking to have an accident (like mistaking my hand for seconds).

I suppose that makes sense, and she does get wiggly when I put her in the tub! I think I'll just use the gloves from now on, and hopefully she'll start adjusting to having more space. I also think 'because I really like it' is valid, but to be fair I use it a lot.