Advanced species.

[ladywhipple02]

I'll chime in on this topic as I had an "interesting" interaction with my ball python last night. Some backstory: Kaa is usually your typical BP - I've only ever had him come screaming out of his cage once, and that was on a feeding day and years ago. He's also a picky eater. For the longest time, I could only get him to take live mice. I've slowly been working with him, and have just recently gotten him switched over to weanling f/t rats which are the same size I feed my boa, Nagini, at the moment.

I was cleaning cages last night as both he and Nagini had eaten rather messily on Monday evening. As soon as I pulled open Kaa's tub, he launched himself at the hook. I mean, launched, through the air, scared the bejesus out of me because I was so unprepared for something like that from him lol. He grabbed onto the hook and tried to wrap, but slid off, then hit it again. He tried to hit it maybe five or six times. Every time he would release, I'd gently tap him on the head, and he'd hit the hook again. I eventually wrangled him out of his rack tub and into the holding tub. He didn't strike when I moved him back, just immediately slid into his hide and then stuck his head back out, glaring at me.

The boa, in contrast, was an absolute doll, as she has been from day one lol. Slide out, tap, put in the her holding tub, didn't even use the hook to pull her from the holding tub and back into her rack.

The funny part is that I had originally gotten the hook solely for Nagini and my husband, to hook train her up before she gets her full size, as well as teaching my hubs how to use it. He's not at all confident in working with the snakes, is not exactly excited by how big the boa will get, and this allows him a bit of distance and sense of comfort in working with them both. Once I started hook training her, I went ahead and started training Kaa as well, pulling open the tubs with the hook and gently tapping them on the head before reaching in so they know it's not feeding time. Now, I'm definitely glad I did. I'm not afraid to get bitten, but it's proven a useful tool in moving them around when they don't want to for sure.

Not sure what was up with Kaa, if it was the heat/dryness we've been having, the cold front that came through, or if he was just still hungry. Just in case, I've got an order of medium rats on the way