seriously!

[kayleegrace]

Okay im a little aggitated at the moment! I have officially had enough of being bit! My small JCP, of which i have had for almost a year now will not stop bitting me! it doesnt matter how i approach him he will strike and constrict! i bought him online from a well known breeder.. who needs not to be named... when i asked him about the handling on him he said that he was a great snake and i would be fine handling him. however that is seriously not the case! now i asked him about what i should do and he says he MAY have a replacement but i would have to pay $50 both ways... i onpy payed 30 bucks to ship him last time!!! man oh man... oh and did i mention that im only 14 and my parents have offically said they dont want me to have a snake that bites! oh what should i do!!!

[Freebody]

he should come around, morelia are bitty as youngsters, im sure by this time next year he will be not so nervous. i got 3 im trying to get to stop biting as well, so i feel your pain lol just keep holding him for 10 min or so every day or every other and be nice and slow and dont reach at him from above like if you were prey. im sure he will come around.

[kayleegrace]

the problem is my parents.... i am considering selling him... or giving him away.

[red ink]

Experienced breeders handling techniques and newbies handling techniques are quite different.

How about giving us a rundown of your typical interaction with the snake. Young JCPs are particularly tempremental, a factor for this from all the JCP breeders I've been having a chat to lately here is also environmental in their opinion. As youngsters they are quite "cranky" if their husbandry is off.

[kayleegrace]

i don't handle him often... i am quite scared... because every time i hold him, without failure i get bit...
so when i do get him out i open the lid slowly.. let him kind of notice me then put my, gloved, hand down, then he strikes at me... i wait for him to cool off then i pick him up again handle him,, then i get bit AGAIN of course. then i usually put him back in... that takes about 5-10 min.. because he is soo tight around my finger.
he also gets into sticking position any time im near his cage...
his cage has a large vine/branch that goes through it. he has two hides an under tank heater and a shallow water bowl... i also have a heater that runs in my room.. keeping it very warm...
so i don't know what could be wrong....

[TylerWortman]

Heres a lil tip.

When you reach into the cage and he bites you, dont back your hand away and "let him cool off" pick him up right away.

After he bites you and you back off and let him cool off its teaching him that if he bites you'll take your hand out of his home.

[Freebody]

hmm whats the temp at in your room 85d ? i know what you mean i do have 3 snakes out of my 18 i have that are just what you are saying, no matter what they bite me as well and i can contest my handling practices are perfect, i have been handling snakes for the past 25 years or so and watched my dad handle his since i was born. try to handle him 10 min a day or every other day, make real slow movements, support his weight at all times. if your folks make you sell it or give it away you cant do anything about that, show them this link. I can almost asure you if your evironment is right and you handle him right you will have a nice calm happy snake with alot of handling and work put into it, but if you dont and you put it back everytime he bites you, it will hate you and know if it bites you, you will leave him alone. break the cycle show him your not their to hurt it, make sure your tank is setup right and he will come around :)

[kayleegrace]

thanks for all the help guys... i will take this into consideration... but i think my parents aren't backing down..

[Geoff]

i agree with freebody keep it up man if u give up and give him a way u will regret it later

[TylerWortman]

do you have any pictures of this little guy?

[red ink]

Hope the mods don't mind but here's an article that may help you.

Untitled Document (http://www.southernxreptiles.com/RA%20Snake%20Empathy.htm)

[percey39]

In all serious i am a firm believer that there should be a bitey snake in everyone's collection as this stops people from becoming complacent with their animals. A bitey snake will also teach you to read a snakes movements and help you judge where their heads at ( in terms of their mood ) and also how to read when they are about to strike.
As for calming a snake its all about their environment ( ie temps, branches and hides ) and how you handle them. Nice slow and gentle handling will help the snake feel more confident around you, make sure to support his weight, dont hold near the neck and face, dont hold/grip just give him something to perch on with your hands and arms. Also with jungles i have found they are best kept on routines while young ie handle every third day for 10-15mins at 5pm, feed every 7 days at the same time, keep a perfect light cycle ( day/night ) and keep the temps the same 24/7. All these things contribute to happy and less bitey snake IME with snakes.

[Jay]

there is no way you can tame your snake he will eventually "tolerate" you just saying
but dont let him cool of that will just show him that striking is scaring you lol i let my monitor scare me he finaly tolerates me lol

[Freebody]

true, i got a few snakes, that even the worst handling is acceptable for them, and i have some that never bite, but you can tell if you slip up they will be more than happy to remind me, and 3 that bite everything but they are real young and it can be expected, IMHO i think all snakes can be made handleable but some are just that much closer to being considered tame :) if that makes any sence.

[kenchenzo]

with snakes that strike i use a hook to get them out this norm helps.
as said before be very slow and gentle don't try to over control it.
also i have found that kneeling on the floor and letting half of them rest on the floor calms them down also.
don't give up mate.

[Will0W783]

Everyone seems to have covered most of the big points already. I do have another useful bit of advice though. There's a little trick I learned for dealing with aggressive snakes. It works best for smaller ones, although I've used it on a lot of medium sized snakes and it works as well. In the wild, when snakes "fight" they will try to push each other's heads down. The winner pins the loser's head to the ground and that establishes dominance. When you go to pick up an aggressive snake, flatten your hand out completely, and quickly but gently lower it over the animal's head, pushing it down. Hold for a few seconds and then grasp the snake and quickly pick it up. It sounds silly, but it does seem to help, and they also can't really get a good grip on a flat surface, so approaching with a flattened hand gives them nothing to bite onto. Also, invest in a good pair of gauntlet gloves or nice thick gardening gloves. The worst thing you can do is to be afraid...your snake will pick up on that and be more agitated. If you are calm and steady, the animal will be more likely to be as well. If you do need to find a home for him, Fauna Classifieds is a good place to look, and I'm sure he'd be able to find a home among the people here. How old is he? Was he a hatchling when you got him? Morelia are born with a "bite first, ask questions later" attitude, and it can take some 2-3 years to grow out of it. Others never bite; it really depends on the snake.

[shaunyboy]

its all been covered for you so best of luck with it

your carpet is most likely scared your going to eat him.young carpets are notorious for this.once he gets used to you he should calm down.

maybe if you explained your age and parents views to the breeder you got him from he may ship the replacement he spoke of for free.it wont hurt to ask as he can only say no.

i know if i was the breeder id make an exception this time round

cheers shaun

[marvelfreak]

I found when my snakes act aggressive when i go to get them out a light spray (mist) from a water bowl always mellow them right out.

[Serpantstrike]

honestly, though JPCs are awesome, you bought the wrong snake if you want one that never bites lol a corn snake or ball python is way easier to handle, practically puppy dogs. I'm 18 years old and I dont even have a JPC because it's just too much of a hassle for me to socialize and handle. It seems your parents already made up their mind so I would look for a good home for him, get a rehoming fee, and use that money to get a less aggressive snake. You could even find someone on here who would love to adopt I'm sure :)