Tameing Boas???

[snake_girl]

Hello,

As some of you know I just got my new 3-month-old Boa. Now she's a bit nippy (which I'm use to from my male BP) But I want to use her when she's older in public speeches on snakes at high schools and libraries so if I wanna use her in these things she can't really be nippy.

I know that young snakes will be aggressive because in the wild they are food. Should I just handle her any way, even though she’s frightened? Or should I forget taming her and just love her for her beauty and the joy she brings to my life o> ?

Some one told me that if you get an aggressive boa that you shouldn't stress the boa with handling, that you should just leave it alone. Is this true? I don't own snakes to cuddle with them but it's nice every once and a wail to handle them, right?

Thanks,
Grace.

[jason h]

HANDLE IT!!! alot the more it is handled the more it gets used to it and the less stressful it is for the snake later. start off holding it for ten minutes a day and each week add another ten minutes,it will settle down before you know it.ALL my boids are extremly tame and i can walk around my house with one while i do my daily chores and it doesnt bother them a bit.I have a 16 foot burm that used to do shows at schools etc.with thirdgraders and she still would if i could lift her for more than 5 minutes at a time LOL.:p

[Jezabel]

As Jason said, hadling him often for short period will help taming him but, since you just got him, leave him alone for minimum 2 weeks and wait before he has eaten a few time in a row before handling him more. That's what the other person was probably saying, he has to addapt to his new environement, it's alot of stress for them to be change of "home" and a nevous snake might be more agressive.

Also, another trick. When you'll hadle him, if he bites you, never put it back in his tank cause he'll realize "When I bite her, she leave me alone". I have a really nervous wlp, he was biting me every time I was taking him out of his tank. Once I decide to take the bites and grab him even if he was striking at me. Now he almost dosen't bite anymore.

Good luck