Quote Originally Posted by richardhind1972 View Post
Hi dakski
I had her since she was 3 and I always stroke her when I go in She’s never once hissed so never gives a warning before a strike at least Medusa gives a hiss if she don’t want to play, they reckon a lot of Central American genes can be quite feisty like with Medusa but she has calmed down with training so I always handled her babies from approx a week old a couple of times a week and will do from this litter, I sometimes had the odd hiss when they was
In shed but on the whole all where nice and tame for when there new owners had them and all still are as I hear back regular on there progress, no one like a grumpy big boa, lol


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Yeah, I certainly do not want a big grumpy Boa! That's why I am working with Behira on the hook training and regular handling. Although, I am convinced it was a food response bite I got. She was upset my arm wasn't a rat, and when she realized it wasn't, let me pick her up and was fine. Either way, bites are never fun for everyone involved.

That sucks - no warning!

Does she calm down when you pick her up, or can she still be aggressive/defensive then too?

Cool the babies are pretty docile and get used to be handled. I hear most BCI's, as you say, are pretty chill. Hoping Behira continues down that path!

Who knows what she went through/how she was treated before you got her though. I know it's different, but I have a dog, a mutt, Banning, who I adopted when he was 9 months old. He had been abused and thrown out of a car onto the street when he was 6 months old. Starving, he got taken into a kill shelter. I got him a few months later (he was shipped up from Georgia, or about 1000 miles away from Connecticut, where I live). The first night I had him, I took my belt off, getting undressed and ready for bed. He cowered in the corner. We had a little talk and I told him I would never hurt him. 9 years later, he still puts his head down and gets spooked often when I, or especially someone he doesn't know, goes to pet him. Loud noises are a big no-no for him too. So is dropping something off the counter (by accident of course).

So, I get it's hard taking in an animal with an unknown, or known abusive, past.

Kudos to you for sticking with her. Seems you know your way around BCI's anyway. I am still getting used to Behira, and her to me.