Scarlette - 2022 Colombian BCI

[Bogertophis]

Alright! When she is out I keep a close eye on her, and if I'm moving around a lot i'll usually just let her sit on my shoulder which she does fine with. I do my best to handle her calmly, often moving slowly and letting her get settled in my hands when I am handling. She is always sure to find a good spot.

About the caution lol, I was doing a cleanout and change of water for my newest girl yesterday. I handled her shortly while getting some new paper towel in there, and then let her back in, directing her to her hide. I went to go grab the pitcher I use for their water bowls, only to find out she had crawled onto a whole different shelf and curled up around a bottle. She seemed content with this, so I cleaned out her water bowl and topped it off, along with misting to keep her humidity up. When I went to add her back, she was much more tense, and clearly reared up in an 's' pose. I guess she must have just gotten a little spooked by watching me work on her enclosure, and she struck at me (missing by a lot). She sure acted like she did NOT want to go back to her tub as I hooked her to move her back lol.

I find that when most snakes "lose touch with us" (ie. when we put them down, even though we're nearby) they often don't recognize us visually & may respond defensively as if we never met. Not to worry- it's normal- give them time to recognize you by your scent & touch & they normally settle right back down. Snakes are ruled by instincts- when we're just nearby, they often see us as potential predators rather than the person that just held them- they can't help it. I've seen it many times over the years, & with all kinds of snakes that were always docile when held. They just don't recognize us visually- it's not their best sense.