Got my first Tic

[stretcharmy]

Well I took the plunge and got my first tic after trolling for about 6 months and deciding if I want to take on such an adventure. A lavender albino tiger. Good looking snake, but like an idiot I didn't weight it when it was still in the shipping bag.

Nippy would be an understatement. Totally pissed off would be more accurate. Wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't say I was questioning my decision.

[distaff]

Sounds beautiful.

I tend to second guess animal acquisitions too. The first few days an new *anything* are very stressful. I actually RETURNED the last dog we took in. I just felt completely overwhelmed. BF convinced me to go back to the shelter for her. She turned out just fine.

Good luck with your tic.

[stretcharmy]

I'm sure she will calm down, the first week is always sketchy with anything I bring in. I just normally don't flash forward in time and imagine a 15'er trying to rip my face off!

[BFE Pets]

not sure what kind of reptile experience you have but retics can be a huge challenge but the rewards are well worth it. I'm fairly new to them also being as I got my first one 2 years ago. but same as any species give it time to settle in and relax before attempting to do anything besides maintenance. hook training is a must when young to prevent accidents in the future. they have an awesome feed response so be sure to use extreme caution on feeding days. the biggest tip I can offer on handling is watch the eyes and body language. if the eyes are dialated then they are not relaxed or comfortable yet. I have a couple that I hook and let them come fully out of the enclosure before picking up with my hands just because they dont like anything in their home. feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions and i'll help the best I can. also if youre on facebook be sure to join the retic nation group if you havent yet. they can be a lot of help and a lot of good info being shared. Enjoy your new baby

[frostysBP]

My goldenchild girl was the same way when I opend the bag. The first time I held her she was a doll and for the most part is sweet as can be. I say most time because she was rather grumpy this morning when I tried to clean her cage. Just handle them with confidence and use a hook for sure. gental rub her back lets her no im not food and I can go rite in... congrats and enjoy my retics quickly became the favorites in my collection.

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[stretcharmy]

not sure what kind of reptile experience you have but retics can be a huge challenge but the rewards are well worth it. I'm fairly new to them also being as I got my first one 2 years ago. but same as any species give it time to settle in and relax before attempting to do anything besides maintenance. hook training is a must when young to prevent accidents in the future. they have an awesome feed response so be sure to use extreme caution on feeding days. the biggest tip I can offer on handling is watch the eyes and body language. if the eyes are dialated then they are not relaxed or comfortable yet. I have a couple that I hook and let them come fully out of the enclosure before picking up with my hands just because they dont like anything in their home. feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions and i'll help the best I can. also if youre on facebook be sure to join the retic nation group if you havent yet. they can be a lot of help and a lot of good info being shared. Enjoy your new baby

Thanks, I've had snakes since high school. I just figured it was time to take the plunge, I've been wanting one for some time but with the lacy BS it moved my time line up. Not that I really had a time line but I figured now is as good of a time as any. Ever since I laid eyes on the bright morphs I had to have one.

[stretcharmy]

My goldenchild girl was the same way when I opend the bag. The first time I held her she was a doll and for the most part is sweet as can be. I say most time because she was rather grumpy this morning when I tried to clean her cage. Just handle them with confidence and use a hook for sure. gental rub her back lets her no im not food and I can go rite in... congrats and enjoy my retics quickly became the favorites in my collection.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

I've got the hook, I've read so many times about the hook it was the first purchase. I learned on my first snake that confidence wins the day. What caught me off guard is that once I had her she turned on me. Every other snake i had once I got a hold of them and got them out they were more worried about getting away. She is young, I wish I weighed her, she has that neonate "OMG I'm being EATEN! panic in her eyes".

[stretcharmy]

Well I couldn't wait the whole week. I took her out on Friday and she snapped twice but once I got her out of her bin and away from it she turned into another snake. I've heard a few others talk on the forums about how they are quite territorial about their living quarters. I scented her with a used t shirt as well, she was crawling all over that so hopefully that will imprint on her well.

The one thing I can't get over is the eyes. I'm used to those ball python eyes of emptiness. I def get a feel of consciousness behind hers.

I named her Helena. I name all my girls currently named after Orphan Black characters. She is Helena because she has sweet intentions but won't hesitate to kill you if need be, I thought it fitting.

[JoshSloane]

I feel your pain, literally. I have had a dwarf retic the last few months that has been verging on satanic. I posted this in other threads, but it took us literally months before he didn't tag me repeatedly every handling. He still nips once in a while, but its gotten better.

I am going to retry hook training. The first time we initiated the process, he would lunge and strike at the hook. Consistency is key with these guys. And I definitely know what you mean about still striking once out of the cage. My dwarf will strike at anything that moves even while in my hands.

[Gio]

I feel your pain, literally. I have had a dwarf retic the last few months that has been verging on satanic. I posted this in other threads, but it took us literally months before he didn't tag me repeatedly every handling. He still nips once in a while, but its gotten better.

I am going to retry hook training. The first time we initiated the process, he would lunge and strike at the hook. Consistency is key with these guys. And I definitely know what you mean about still striking once out of the cage. My dwarf will strike at anything that moves even while in my hands.

Good advice Josh,

And seeing how you were ready to give up when confronted with the same issues, and then deciding to keep at it speaks volumes. You are one of the folks that can offer REAL advice from personal experience!

I can see people reading your advice in the future and you directing them back to your initial posts that show the same initial concerns.

It's nice of you to step up in this thread because I know where you were at just a few months ago.

I'm not sure how to go about it, but I think Josh deserves some "Reputation Points" for this. Even though he is still working with his animal, progress has been made and he is certainly a good resource for a person trying to calm down a new baby retic.