Snappy girl! Advice?

[Iridium]

I have a rescue Dumeril's who is allegedly 3-4 years old and a sight to behold but terribly hissy, bitey, high strung, and makes any attempt at handling an unpleasant experience for the both of us. According to what I know from the undereducated couple who I obtained her from, she was a "show off" impulse purchase and was never handled after biting the guy once and refusing to let go. I'd like to try and work this temper out of her, but I'm not quite sure how.

Currently I'm giving her limited exposure to the hook, as told by someone else -- about 5-10 minutes at a time once a day to get her used to the sight of it again after a failed attempt to blunder in blindly with it (my mistake). However, today as soon as I begun touching her for the first time again, she pitches a fit; rattling her tail (I honestly thought this was only a colubrid thing, apparently not!) and "bucking" to get it off her even if its only a gentle stroke. I'm kinda alarmed! Is it okay to continue doing this for only a few moment at a time until she gets used to it, or am I causing too much additional stress? Should I just go in cold turkey and try to hold her instead for increasing periods until she gets used to it? What else might alleviate this sort of attitude? She has multiple hide boxes, deep substrate to burrow into, and half the enclosure covered with a blanket to ensure privacy.

[bcr229]

How long have you had her? If less than a few weeks I'd give her more time to settle in. Otherwise it sounds like this girl has had things her way all her life so you're not just taming down a defensive baby, you're dealing with a critter that has been taught that uncivilized behavior gets her exactly what she wants, which is to be left alone.

I think you're correct to start with simple hook training/rubbing, keep sessions short and frequent, and end them the instant she starts to behave.

[Iridium]

@bcr229 - I've had her for about two months now, so like you said, it must be something she's learned. Thank you for the reassurance! With patience I'll hopefully get somewhere, haha.

[tbowman]

Is the snake actually trying to bite? (sort of unclear from reading the post) I have snakes that will do the bucking and hissing thing if you stroke them with a hook also.

I would use a combination of the hook sessions and hands on time. You may end up taking a few hits from her. Either way it sounds like you're gonna have to just be patient.

[Iridium]

@tbowman - Yes, she does strike if one reaches into the enclosure, hook or otherwise. She'll also strike and make desperate dashes to escape if taken outside of the enclosure. Sorry for not being clear on that, whoops!

[JoshSloane]

Sorry to hear this. I am dealing with the same behavior with my retic. Keep on truckin'

[bcr229]

The bucking and initial dash to escape may never go away, my adult male Dum was handled quite a bit as a youngster and he still exhibits both behaviors. Once out of his enclosure and in-hand he is better though. For his length he is one seriously strong snake due to being naturally heavy-bodied, so even a minor tantrum on his part can be intimidating.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

This is my Boa Chester, when I first got him he was pretty snappy. Now he is a puppy! How did this happen? I handled him every single day. There really isn't a trick to it - just patience and a lot of work.

I don't think you'll see a thumbnail but click the link to watch the video:

https://www.facebook.com/ricky.melam...10362231057843

[Albert Clark]

I find that interacting with them for short quality time is a great place to start. Then making sure they are well fed but digested is a good rule also. I would allow him space to crawl around the immediate area of the enclosure but with limitations. Gradually increasing the area that he is allowed to cover. Wear gloves and always have the hook nearby. The hook and gloves will boost your confidence and remember it's a process. When picking up the snake always point his head away from you to help discourage biting. Refrain from grabbing him by the tail always pick him up mid body with or without the hook.