agressive bullsnake

[jskora90]

Hi guys.. so I have had Oscar for about 4 months and he is a 6ft bullsnake. This is my very first snake and I was warned that a bullsnake isn't typically a "beginner" snake due to its aggressive personality but I was up for the challenge. For the first few weeks I was able to take him out of the cage and handle him.. when I would scoop in and grab him he would move away like I was told he would do. Today I am unable to touch him without getting bit. I have been told that bullsnakes bluff and they wont always bite... that's not the case with this one.. I have been bitten at least five times. It is important to mention that I feed him by dangling a dead mouse... however, when he has bitten he has not latched on like he would his food.. except for one time when I grazed the back of his head and he turned around and latched on to my hand. I know I am to blame for his aggressiveness towards me because I have not been handling him consistently.. but I would really like to regain his trust and be able to handle him again. I now believe that snakes sense fear. Before getting bitten for the first time I would not shy away.. even if he let out a subtle hiss, I was in charge. Well now I am more hesitant and the tables are turned. If anyone has a bullsnake or an aggressive one like it I could really use some suggestions. If it means dealing with a few more bites so be it (which isn't the best idea considering all the bacteria residing in a snakes mouth, but its worth the risk to me). As I type he has been staring me down for the past 30 min, head poking out of his cage (cage is wide open) instead of escaping as fast as possible... something isn't right. So yeah any help you can throw at me would be much appreciated. And by the way, if any of you are fairly new to snakes too and looking to get a bullsnake don't hesitate. Despite Oscar's attitude towards me, I couldn't be happier. He is an extremely active and curious snake and seriously a thrill to own. Part of me even finds his hissing and aggressiveness exciting. The bites will draw blood but do not hurt one bit.. not even as bad as a needle prick. Anyways thanks for reading and I look forward to your responses.

- Mike

[Terranaut]

Has he shed for you yet? Maybe he is about to?

[marvelfreak]

Have you tried hook training?

[jskora90]

Yes he shed successfully about a week ago... and I have not tried hook training. Thanks for the suggestion Marvelfreak. Would it make a difference if I used gardening gloves? Also I used to let him free roam in my room a lot... would that have anything to do with it?

[millertime89]

I have no helpful suggestion other than I hope you are able to work with him and get him to trust you again. But we have native bullsnakes around here and I was hoping you could post pictures because I seldom see them alive.

[infernalis]

I'm curious as heck... One of the most attractive assets of the bull snake is the attitude and legendary hiss.

Why not be happy that your bull snake is behaving like a bull snake?

I'm a weirdo, but I really like snakes with tudes...

[Will0W783]

I too like a little attitude on a snake. One of my favorites to work with is my Spilotes, who thinks she's a cobra. She lifts herself up, spreads her neck, whips and charges. She's fine once out and on a hook, but it's an adventure removing her from her cage.

Bull snake hissing is loud and entertaining, imo. I had a bull snake for a while, and he'd hiss his darned head off, but didn't bite. I could hold him in my hand while he was hissing, and it cracked me up.

I think hook training is your best bet- most snakes learn to be much calmer about a cool, unscented metal hook approaching them than a warm, smelly hand. Once you can hook him out of the cage, see how he is outside. You may need to content yourself with hooking and tailing him. Snakes do sense fear, fear has a scent that most animals can recognize. They also recognize movements, and if you're confident, smooth and quick in your movements they tend to relax more than if you're shaky and hesitant. Shaky, hesitant movements give them more chance to line up a strike, lol. That being said, you can be afraid but not act afraid and you are usually ok with that. Gloves are a good idea- you can buy snake handling gauntlet gloves that keep your body heat from being sensed, and the snakes are less likely to bite at something that has no heat signature. It then becomes part of the environment.

Best of luck with him, keep us posted! If you need more advice, feel free to pm me. I've tamed more than a few snakes, and learned to live with some more aggressive ones. :)

[totheend]

What are the temps? Pits get angry and aggressive when they are too warm....well more so than normal ;) .

[Uncle_Rev]

Sounds like pretty typical behavior for a bullsnake.

[jskora90]

Infernalis like I said before PART of me does enjoy his ruthless attitude.. I just wish I could hold him again... wish he was more like Willow's bullsnake and hissed more and bit less.. sounds entertaining (expect me to message you Willow.. I have plenty of questions). And Totheend you may be on to something.. come to think of it, Oscar does spend most of his time submerged in his water bowl and when I turn on his heating lamp he just rams it with his head.. so I have not been turning it on. I live in Tucson AZ and at this time of the year the temperature of the house hovers around low to mid 80's.. which is a perfect temperature for Oscar. I'm curious to see if the temperature change will change his attitude.