How long before he tames down?

[EvaS]

I got my Jungle last summer at a petstore in July.He was covered in shed and mites(Ive honestly never seen mites as bad as he had).I dont know what his age is.
He has doubled in size and is still a monster.Actually I dont mind but he is unpredictable.One time he is mellow and the next second he's after your face...
My Blood python tamed down in half the time and frankly Im wondering if the Jungle will always be a biter.Has anyone had one tame down after a long time?

This is a pic of him a few weeks after I brought him home.He is probably double, maybe even 3x as big, he has grown alot.I dont have a recent pic and I just fed him today so need to wait to get one.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a75/gerbig4/JCP3.jpg

[stephanbakir]

It takes time and patience, You can actually tame down wild caught adults if you have the patience, I lost my link to how to do it, hopefully someone here can help you with exactly how to do it.
It is possible though.

[Lankyrob]

Judging by the size in that pic i would say he was about a year then, they do tame down over time but with ours it was a case of taking the bites. He would bite for a couple of minutes at first before calming in our hands, over time it has got to the point where 9times out of 10 he wont bite at all but the one time he does just let him fo it and then he settles. If you pick him up amd he bites and you pit him back straight away he will learn that biting gets him his way, he needs to find out that biting wont get him put down and this does take time.

[EvaS]

Ive always hooked him out of his cage.If were to reach in there it would be asking for it.
Once out he isnt as bad but he will be calm for awhile and suddenly bite for no apparent reason.I dont put him back right away either.I use gloves about half the time.Depends on my mood but I usually at least try and have long sleeves, this guy has a long reach.

[stephanbakir]

Never tried to hook a non hot that wasn't like 12 feet+ long lol but yeh what lanky said was the best advice you can give any snake/dog/kid whatever owner, When something does something to hurt you, don't react like they want you to, never put a snake away soon after a bite because it enforces the wrong thoughts of "all i need to do to be left alone is to sink my teeth into a human"

[EvaS]

Really.I use my hook all the time.I touch trained all the boids with a hook.I learned the hard way years ago that a boa can sleep really hard and when you suddenly pick them up they can react badly(LOL)..So I touch them first with a hook then get them out.
Ive notices that my blood sleeps the hardest and sometimes I have touch her a couple times before she suddenly wakes up and knows Im there to pick her up.
IDK, I love my hook and use it for all kinds of things including picking up stuff off the floor.They are really useful for reaching way in the back of an enclosure to peel up newspaper thats stuck..

BTW I dont put him back, he just bites pretty much any time.When I pick him up, when i put him back, when I open the cage, when someone walks by, he doesnt seem to need a good reason.

[stephanbakir]

Ohh, you meant hook training, i thought you meant using the hook to handle them. hook training is a must for all large snakes and helps with the small ones.
That was my fault, i misread your statement.

[SnakeyJay]

So whats the difference between hook handling n hook training? Probably a silly question but I dont know. X

[Jaydee]

I just got a 5 month old male Jungle and he sort of does the same thing! I have handled him everyday ( apart from the 3 after he has fed ) Every now and again when I think he is calm he tries to tag me.. I guess i am lucky he doesnt have a very good aim yet. He also likes to reach out at my face!

[Lankyrob]

Handling every day can be stressful to the snake, try doing it just a couple of times each week instead

[EvaS]

The fact that they can reach so far amazed me the first time he struck.My 9yo was walking by and almost got it too.Ive been more careful since and make sure my face is well away from him.
The problem is the bigger he gets the less I want to get bit(LOL)..Before long its going to really hurt ;)

[stephanbakir]

Generally, the older they get the tamer they get, but that's only if you train them from babies.
I hook train all the snakes I work with, but I only hook handle the hots, and the large aggressive snakes. It helps me keep their front end farther from my body.

[EvaS]

Steph I was under the impression that there were alot of rules about keeping snakes up there in Canada. Is it legal to keep hots? I thought I read that they dont allow snakes over 6ft either.Its not like ive made an effort to find out or anything so I dont know for sure.

[stephanbakir]

I don't believe that Canadians are allowed to own hots, and we are allowed to own large snakes (depends where you live) but I spend allot of time outside Canada, I've been to most of the states in the US, allot of central and south America, Cuba and the Dominican.
Wherever I go for a vacation, I always spend most of the time herping, Caught wild rattlers and vipers all over.
Also, Canada has its own rattlesnake called the Massassauga rattler (no not the Mississauga rattler).
With regards to snake size, It depends where you live. In Quebec you are allowed most snakes(no hots) and some places in Ontario you can own them as well.

[stephanbakir]

That being said, it's important to point out that the massasauga rattlers are spreading, I have found a few in Gatineau quebec. And they have been found in Ottawa aswell.

[Jay]

you will never be able to "tame" your snake, although with regular handling and maintenance your snake should settle down and tolerate you

[Lankyrob]

you will never be able to "tame" your snake, although with regular handling and maintenance your snake should settle down and tolerate you

Must admit i almost posted this earlier! :yes: i think the word "tame" can cause some passionate arguments in the herp world.

I totally agree that reptiles in general will only learn to tolerate interaction rather than become tame along the lines of a cat or dog.

[stephanbakir]

My dogs "love me" my cat freaking hates me lol, every time i take a mouse/mole/rat "present" she gives me and toss it into the swamp she gives me hell and bites/claws me lol

Dogs are cool, Cats are mean little creatures lol.

[EvaS]

I dont know that everyone thinks of the term "tame" in the same way.I dont think of dogs or cats when talking about my snakes.Like I dont want to teach it to sit or walk on a leash or even lick my hand (LOL!!)...I just want to be able to change his water bowl without spilling half because he's trying to kill me.

Steph sounds like you have a pretty exciting life.Lucky you.Ive been all over the US and down into Mexico but thats it..

[stephanbakir]

We have foxes that come back every other year to the swamp in front of my house, they are cuties, it toss them moles and mice and animal innards from hunting/fishing, every once in a while i see them and its worth it.

[NennaMeerkat]

I got a little spit fire of a hognose. Had her for a couple of months now and she will do damn near everything a hognose is known for in hopes that I will put her down. Her favorite is to curl up in my hand and poop getting it all over her and my hands. She will hiss, flatten out her head, "leap" from my hand. About the only thing she won't (or hasn't done yet) is play dead or bite me. I figure with her attitude problem it would only really be a matter of time. I still hold her *maybe* once a week for 5-10 min. despite the poop and such. I honestly just think she is full of piss and vinegar.

[stephanbakir]

Nice, I really hope to one day own a hoggie, they look amazing and seam to have a ton of spunk.

[NennaMeerkat]

Nice, I really hope to one day own a hoggie, they look amazing and seam to have a ton of spunk.

Well the one I had before was uber mellow but she wouldn't eat for me. So the breeder traded this little spunky one for the mellow one. This one eats no problem but hates being handled. Would much rather an eater any day though.

[EvaS]

I love those hognose as well.I was looking for one at the last expo but they didnt have anything.No hoggies, no corns and only 2 beardies.It was a really worthless show.
I ended up with a pair of gophers so it wasnt a complete loss.Im really happy with them too.The attitude is so funny, hissing and tail rattling and rearing up like a rattler.But they dont bite(which is refreshing)...

[stephanbakir]

I hope to find some nice snakes at the toronto expo, im not sure if i want another retic or a rainbow boa yet, still have 2 months to find out

[EvaS]

If I was younger and stronger and had more room Id get a burmese.I love those normals, just beautiful..I have a friend who had a burmese for 30 yrs.She got it in the late 70s or early 80's as a baby from a petstore.It had to be put down a few yrs ago from a chronic mouth infection that got really bad and the antiboitics just werent working.She was pretty upset.

[stephanbakir]

Having a pet for that long is amazing.

[shaunyboy]

i agree with rob in that your jungle looks around 1 year old

with regular handling it may calm down once it grows a bit more as the bigger their size the more secure they feel

that said there are exceptions who just never calm down

nothing like a bitey carpet to keep you on your toe's :yes:

cheers shaun