Highly agitated/aggressive male Boa

[greengriff]

Hi,

My children had some friends around and they went to look at the snakes. I don't know what they did but my daughter came down and said that the male had struck at the glass of his viv.

He's so far been and extremely placid and pleasant fellow, so thinking she was being hyperbolic I went upstairs to look and found him looking extremely tense, with his head in the air, his neck coiled as if to strike and repeatedly making a long, loud, low, deep and very menacing hiss that sounded like gas being released from a compressed air cylinder. He was alternately curling his lip like Elvis and opening his mouth as wide as it would go.

I - cautiously - opened the glass, put his hide back over him, then covered the viv with a blanket so he had nothing untoward to look at.

Does this mean extreme fear, extreme aggression, or something else?

I'd been handling him only probably 30 minutes before that and he was his normal easy going self.

The children all promised they hadn't done anything. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, could the presence of a few jiggly, excited kids peering in at him have bought on this response?

How long to give him before he will forget about it/calm down?

[greengriff]

Forgot to say: don't know if it's relevant but he had a good meal 72 hours ago and has urinated, but not defecated, since.

[Andy_G]

Is this the new acquisition? If so...he hasn't had ample chhance to settle in so that'd be why. A cpl weeks settling in before unnecessary handling. A common mistake of a new owner is being too hands on before giving their snakes a chance to get used to their surroundings.

[greengriff]

Yes, both of my snakes are new. It just surprised me because up until now he's been very placid. Do the symptoms I describe suggest aggression or fear to you?

[Andy_G]

Snakes are not agressive. This comes down to nervousness/defensiveness. My advice would be to let him chill out for 2 or 3 weeks from this point and only handle during necessary cleaning. The same would go for your female. Sometimes adults take longer to settle in than neonates which is why i recommend these time frames.

[EL Ziggy]

I'm with Andy. Snakes aren't aggressive. They usually strike out of hunger or defensiveness. In your case it sounds like the latter. Let new snakes acclimate for a couple of weeks, get a few good meals in them, and then start the handling process. He may have just gotten a bit worked up by all the activity and attention especially after eating recently.