"breaking" a mood burm.

[RandyRhoads]

I've had a male albino burm for 5-6 months. Got him pretty quickly after he was born. He has been an A-hole since then. He's about 2' now. I hold him with leather gloves and love sleeves about once a week. He is a biter. After a few holdings without any attempted bites I thought I had got it. Then he snapped right at my eye. Was watching TV and all of a sudden it bit RIGHT next to my eyeball. All he does is stay in his hide and sleep. If he even see's a person in the room while he's out he burries his head under his own mass, puffs up, hisses loudly, and whips his back around.



I was curious the best way to "tame" him. I don't want to excessively handle him and stress him, but at the same time realize it's better to get a 2' snake to calm down than a 20' snake to calme down, and should do it earlier. I can hold him with gloves but even after a succesfull no attempted bite hold as soon as I put him in his tank he hisses and throws a fit at me.


Wanye do you mind adding a "y" to that mood.

[sickvenom]

it may just take time and persistence. in some cases, nothing will work.

[RandyRhoads]

What would be a good handling schedule? I don't want to stress him out. And I don't want to handle him to infrequently.

[sickvenom]

What would be a good handling schedule? I don't want to stress him out. And I don't want to handle him to infrequently.

i would start with 2-3 times a week. i've been working with a rosy boa for over a year now. i've given up.

[RandyRhoads]

:( aw. Ok so 2-3 times wont stress him out and are a good ammount to try and break him. Thanks.

[sickvenom]

:( aw. Ok so 2-3 times wont stress him out and are a good ammount to try and break him. Thanks.

i would start with that. never let your guard down and watch him at all times.

[mistersprinkles]

Just snap him out of strike mode every time he goes into it. If he even makes an s coil, tap him on the head (not hard, literally tap) with your palm until he stretches back out. Any time he shows any sign at all of being in anything but explore mode or flight mode, tap him on the head. You'll get bitten many more times but it does work eventually. It's just a simple computer. It doesn't think, it just does whatever it's programmed to do. Some snakes have a higher tendency to bite, but if you keep snapping them out of it eventually they stop doing it because it never works. It's not an issue of the animal being aggressive because it has trust issues or anything like that. It's just got too many copies of 'mean snake.exe' running at the same time.

[stephanbakir]

Just snap him out of strike mode every time he goes into it. If he even makes an s coil, tap him on the head (not hard, literally tap) with your palm until he stretches back out. Any time he shows any sign at all of being in anything but explore mode or flight mode, tap him on the head. You'll get bitten many more times but it does work eventually. It's just a simple computer. It doesn't think, it just does whatever it's programmed to do. Some snakes have a higher tendency to bite, but if you keep snapping them out of it eventually they stop doing it because it never works. It's not an issue of the animal being aggressive because it has trust issues or anything like that. It's just got too many copies of 'mean snake.exe' running at the same time.

99% of the time an S coil doesn't mean squat... and snapping them on the head when you think they are in "mean snake.exe" doesn't mean you are doing the right thing, it probably means your gona stress the snake out because he has no idea why the **** with 2 legs is hitting him now

[sickvenom]

snapping them on the head when you think they are in "mean snake.exe" doesn't mean you are doing the right thing, it probably means your gona stress the snake out because he has no idea why the **** with 2 legs is hitting him now

exactly. bad behavior only breeds bad behavior.

[stephanbakir]

Make sure that when he bites you you DON'T put him back in the terrarium till he calms down!
Getting bitten by a 2' snake is a walk in the park, start working on it now because by the time hes a monster a bite puts you at risk and the snake at risk

[mistersprinkles]

exactly. bad behavior only breeds bad behavior.

You don't hit them. You touch them on the head. About as hard as you'd press the space bar on your keyboard. It snaps the snake out of what it's doing.

I don't know why you guys keep attributing 'thought' to snakes. I like them as much as you do but they don't think. It works. The unexpected contact makes the snake react kind of like a roomba driving into a wall, it calmly starts to go in another direction, and if it was going to strike it comes out of it. It worked on the meanest BCI I've ever met. She was a good six feet.

[RandyRhoads]

How long is too long or short? 5-10 minutes? An hour?

[stephanbakir]

We aren't saying your method doesn't work, we are saying

99% of the time an S coil doesn't mean squat... and snapping them on the head when you think they are in "mean snake.exe" doesn't mean you are doing the right thing, it probably means your gona stress the snake out because he has no idea why the **** with 2 legs is hitting him now

An S coil has nothing to do with aggression most of the time, and when you see something you think is aggression and try to correct it, your only working against yourself.

The easiest method of reducing bites is 1, not letting the snake get what he wants after a bite (don't ever put them back in the viv after they bite till they calm down, assuming you don't need to go to the hospital) and 2, keep him "happy" and follow all husbandry methods required by that animal.

[stephanbakir]

How long is too long or short? 5-10 minutes? An hour?

I normally wait 2-3 minutes, and i always make sure the snake is calm when i put him back in the viv

[sickvenom]

You don't hit them. You touch them on the head. About as hard as you'd press the space bar on your keyboard. It snaps the snake out of what it's doing.

yes, they love taps.

I don't know why you guys keep attributing 'thought' to snakes. I like them as much as you do but they don't think.

tell that to the dozens of hogs and grey banded kings i've converted over to rodents.

[stephanbakir]

That and buy a retic one day, they will amaze you over and over, I'm gona jump out on a limb here and call them the smartest snake ever

[mistersprinkles]

yes, they love taps.



tell that to the dozens of hogs and grey banded kings i've converted over to rodents.

I know a guy :rolleyes: who once fed hamsters to his ball python due to a rat and mouse supplier shortage. Doesn't really indicate intelligence IMO. I'm not trying to insult snakes. I wouldn't be here if I didn't like them.

[TeaNinja]

i've heard those random stories about snakes who will only eat a certain colored prey. that's crazy! lol

[sickvenom]

I know a guy :rolleyes: who once fed hamsters to his ball python due to a rat and mouse supplier shortage. Doesn't really indicate intelligence IMO. I'm not trying to insult snakes. I wouldn't be here if I didn't like them.

You're a funny guy. Apples and oranges.

[sickvenom]

i've heard those random stories about snakes who will only eat a certain colored prey. that's crazy! lol

100% true. And people believe snakes can't think????? Incredible.

[shaunyboy]

with carpets rhandy i take them out 5 minutes per day in a room thats quiet with no one other than me and the snakle in it

i use gloves to begin with so the snake don't get spooked by the heat off my skin

once he's ok with 5 minutes per day i up it to 10 minutes

then after he's ok at 10 minutes i up it to 15 minutes

once he's happy at 15 minutes with gloves i bring him out and after 5 minutes slip one of the gloves off and start introducing him to my body heat

after he's used to that i take him out and after a few minutes to settle him down i slip both gloves off and start with 5 minutes with a view to working the snake up to 15 minutes handling with no gloves

you do get snakes that NEVER calm down and tollerate handling so it may be a case of your burm is one of these snakes

he sounds like a nervous snake so you need to be patient and take your time convincing him you are not a threat to his safety mate

let us know how it goes

cheers shaun

[stephanbakir]

I know a guy :rolleyes: who once fed hamsters to his ball python due to a rat and mouse supplier shortage. Doesn't really indicate intelligence IMO. I'm not trying to insult snakes. I wouldn't be here if I didn't like them.

What does a snake eating a hamster have to do with anything, they are rodents and from the snakes POV food?
I would never personally feed hamsters to a snake but hey.

[RandyRhoads]

with carpets rhandy i take them out 5 minutes per day in a room thats quiet with no one other than me and the snakle in it

i use gloves to begin with so the snake don't get spooked by the heat off my skin

once he's ok with 5 minutes per day i up it to 10 minutes

then after he's ok at 10 minutes i up it to 15 minutes

once he's happy at 15 minutes with gloves i bring him out and after 5 minutes slip one of the gloves off and start introducing him to my body heat

after he's used to that i take him out and after a few minutes to settle him down i slip both gloves off and start with 5 minutes with a view to working the snake up to 15 minutes handling with no gloves

you do get snakes that NEVER calm down and tollerate handling so it may be a case of your burm is one of these snakes

he sounds like a nervous snake so you need to be patient and take your time convincing him you are not a threat to his safety mate

let us know how it goes

cheers shaun


Thanks shaun, sounds like a good plan. I hope he calms down, don't know why he's so nervous. Sometimes instead of trying to get away he just tucks his head under himself and whips his tail. It's like wtf do you think you're an iggy now, what will hiding your head do. Reminds me of a child that thinks closing his eyes makes you disappear because they can't see you....

[sickvenom]

What does a snake eating a hamster have to do with anything, they are rodents and from the snakes POV food?

exactly. thank you.

[shaunyboy]

Thanks shaun, sounds like a good plan. I hope he calms down, don't know why he's so nervous. Sometimes instead of trying to get away he just tucks his head under himself and whips his tail. It's like wtf do you think you're an iggy now, what will hiding your head do. Reminds me of a child that thinks closing his eyes makes you disappear because they can't see you....

its just his nature rhandy but in building up the handling time at the snakes pace he may one day make him realise your not a threat

cheers shaun

[stephanbakir]

Just be patient and it should work out

[mistersprinkles]

100% true. And people believe snakes can't think????? Incredible.

A snake that only eats a certain color of mouse just implies that it can't think as far as I'm concerned. It has pigeonholed its food into a specific temp/smell/shade of color category. Most really dumb kids will only eat french fries, pizza, and hamburgers and never touch their vegetables. I just don't think snakes are intelligent.

A large cichlid that goes crazy and starts doing flips when it sees it's favorite food container from the other side of the glass but turns its back in contempt when it sees its least favorite food- THAT'S smart.

[sickvenom]

A snake that only eats a certain color of mouse just implies that it can't think as far as I'm concerned. It has pigeonholed its food into a specific temp/smell/shade of color category. Most really dumb kids will only eat french fries, pizza, and hamburgers and never touch their vegetables.

you're still wrong. your own logic is working against. i shall not feed the troll any longer.

[scottyy]

That and buy a retic one day, they will amaze you over and over, I'm gona jump out on a limb here and call them the smartest snake ever

cobras r pretty smart 2 but yeah i know retics like to look around at you and figure out what ur doing there

[stephanbakir]

My cousins retic knows how to open doors lol, hasn't figured out locks but he lifts his head and opens the door by making a small coil around the handle.
If he ever finds out how to open rodent cages we are in trouble.

[scottyy]

My cousins retic knows how to open doors lol, hasn't figured out locks but he lifts his head and opens the door by making a small coil around the handle.
If he ever finds out how to open rodent cages we are in trouble.

that would definitely be something awesome to see. i wonder what mine will be able to do?

[blindfireak40]

Pics or it didn't happen :yes: :D

[Aaron_S]

I'd like to point out that burms don't always need to be "tamed". They can grow out it. I think people are missing something here, Randy said he's had this snake for 5 - 6 months and it's ONLY 2 feet. Baby burms come out at 12 - 18 inches! What do you feed this thing? I think you should feed it properly and it'll come around.

[RandyRhoads]

I feed it medium rats now.Like most burms it has grown like mad.