What to do what to do what to do?

[Reptilian]

Hi all-

I have a bit of an issue with my black hooded, Emma. Sometimes when I stick my fingers in the cage for kisses, or belly belly belly (when i rub their bellys) she'll bite, hard. It's kinda like she's in 'treat' mode and will bite and pull.

They don't get fed treats thru the cage. Only when I open the door and they come to me.

I thought it may have been a scent on my hand. I have mice and thought maybe it was that. So I'd wash my hands and she'd still bite. So I thought maybe it was my soap i was using, it's apple scented. So I'd wash then use antibacteral gel. She still bites.

I make sure to announce myself when coming up to the cage.

She's recently bitten and drew a small amount of blood. I thought maybe hormones were to play and she was protective of her babies, but she wasn't pregnant.

She's now taking custom to lunging when I go to open the cage or change the waterbottle. I have have hanging on the outside and have a metal clasp I need to take off of it to release the bottle.

I am at a loss as to what to do. My fiance made the remark that if she doesn't shape up she'll be snake food...I told him I was leaning that way. I hate to put her down, she was so sweet in the beginning.... what do you guys think I should do?

Oh, the mice have since been moved to a different room.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I have two heavy nippers. I just learned to not give them the oppurtunity to bite that way.

Sweetpea, my albino, and Maya, my black self, are both like that. I just approach them with more caution. I find that if they are in hand then they don't nip, but will if I extend my fingers. So when I give them treats I make them stretch out to get them, so they can't nip, and I scoop them up from the rear end to handle them.

I had Maya bite through the skin on my hand a few times. They do the *bite and shake*...

Never considered putting her down, just changed the way I approach her. I find the longer I do it, the more they expect to be interacted with that way. They both used to lunge, but now they don't, as I think they know my fingers are never going to come directly at them, or be in front of their faces... ever.

When they are nursing, I don't bother them for the first 4 days or so. When I do I scoop them up quickly, and again, do not give them the oppurtunity to bite. They are both great parents and produce nice healthy pups and good sized litters.

Not sure if that helps.

Bruce

[Bruce Whitehead]

One other thing...

They both used to bite oppurtunistically, when I changed the bottle etc. So what I would do is bring my hands near the cage, but not close enough they can reach me. They come to the cage... do a bit of a gnaw, then lose interest. Then I change the water bottle.

Bruce

[littleindiangirl]

I had a female that was nice in the beginning, but she very quickly learned that when I opened the cage, she got a treat. This turned into her biting me hard whenever I opened the cage and happened to have my thumb close enough for her to get to. She won't bite when I had her in hand. So I would give her a treat first and then pick her up.
I never stuck my hand in the cage without her first having a treat. She was a pig and refused to let go of the treat at all costs, so it worked in my favor.

I also have a rex male that has tagged me a few times on the tips and bit HARD. He used to play with me through the cage bars, but one day he got me twice. That was because I used to give treats through the bars. My bad. I worried so much about it that I was really nervous about doing anything in the cage, because when ever he saw my hands, he would take a nip, and they do hurt. He was going to be snake food very soon after the second hard bite.

I tested him to see if it was agression. I would put any item up to the cage, and he would "attack" that and try his hardest to eat it. Pen caps, paper, cardboard, leather belt, clothes. It didn't matter, he thought he was getting food. So I started to squirt him with water whenever he "attacked" the item. I would train him daily, and soon he was wary about taking anything through the cage. He's very good about it now and it only took 2 weeks for him to refuse anything through the cage bars.

Now he only gets a treat after I pick him up, rub him all over and mess up his hairdo to get him used to being handled without food, and then I give him a treat. He gets a treat after I pick him up and coddle him. He's a sweet little booger now and doesn't bite anymore.

You can do one of a couple things: Stop giving her treats all together and teach her that when you open the cage she doesnt get yummy food.
Or teach her that she gets a treat after she's in your hands and been ruffled and coddled with.
Good luck with her.

[dsirkle]

I dont know much but I would say that it sounds like you have an aggressive snake.You just need to either stop treating it like a docile snake or get rid of it. Sounds like you want a pet and maybe this one should be kept by someone who wants a breeder.You know the old saying "You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear".

[frankykeno]

I dont know much but I would say that it sounds like you have an aggressive snake.You just need to either stop treating it like a docile snake or get rid of it. Sounds like you want a pet and maybe this one should be kept by someone who wants a breeder.You know the old saying "You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear".

She's talking about a rat.