New Carpets Are Nasty

[SWDK]

Well I got 4 new carpets this weekend. They are all very mean and nasty ones and all got a chance to sink their teeth in me. Gloves, long sleeves and possibly a welders mask is in order for these ones. My first handling attempt without gloves ended in a bloody mess.

2010 Male Diamond/Jungle Cross 4' and strong
2011 Male Jungle 30"
2011 Female Coastal/Jungle Cross 3' bit me about 15 times in under a minute
2011 Female Tiger 3' seems to be the least aggressive. Only 1 bite.

Do you think these guys/gals will eventually warm up to handling or ate they too far gone? My other 2012 Male Coastal is nice as can be and handles great.

[Terranaut]

Well if you just got them on the weekend you should not be handling yet. New viv, new view, new smells and new handler= stress and defensive behavior. Wait until you have 2 or 3 meals into them. Then try again. Could be better but maybe not. Did you get all 4 from the same person? Did they handle them? There are a few carpets that never stop being nippy. Most would have by the ages you mentioned. Seriously wait a couple weeks with absolutely no handling. Spot clean and change water but don't touch the snake. I hope they warm up to you. My big female hissed and bit at the pillow case she was in for an hour on the way home after I rescued her. She struck at me when I put her in her viv at home. Now she is absolutely a doll and handles without even a slight worry so be possitive ! Can happen for you too I hope.

[Lankyrob]

Some carpets will never calm down, ours is getting better but even with 2 years + of regular handling he still is all teeth when getting him out of his viv, he does usually calm down once out but it takes a while and some days he will just constantly strike at us no matter how long we keep him out :)

[Gregg M]

Well if you just got them on the weekend you should not be handling yet.

I personally do not agree. If the animals are established, which they clearly are, handling will not be detrimental.

[shaunyboy]

some calm down once they get a bit of size about them,some calm down with handling

that said some don't calm down ever

i look forward to pic's of your new guys

cheers shaun

[TheBoogieDown]

I personally do not agree. If the animals are established, which they clearly are, handling will not be detrimental.

See, I've always wondered about this (not like I'm an expert). I always see people saying you should wait a few feedings before handling, but that just seems... strange to me. I don't know, like I said, I'm no expert.

[SWDK]

Here are a few pics. I didn't get a pic of the coastal/jungle cross bc that was the first one I took out and it but me like crazy. So into its enclosure it went.

Jungle
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r254/hiker4twenty/EF8C8438-A541-491E-9644-C559221750A3-1145-000000E45992AC9C.jpg

Tiger
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r254/hiker4twenty/42EBF69F-8B15-4BA7-ABEF-45C0F6124A54-1145-000000E4613F9AAF.jpg

Diamond/Jungle
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r254/hiker4twenty/98B62BDD-8888-49C6-AD1E-E80D5FC7E9D5-1145-000000E46EC8497D.jpg

[shaunyboy]

looking good mate:D

cheers shaun

[MoreliAddict]

Nice carpets!

The Tiger is my fav, so it's nice that she's the calmest. lol

Be persistent with the handling if you want to take a shot at calming them down, good luck!

[UwabamiReptiles]

Nice carpets! Just keep working with them, they should calm down for you. I've only had one carpet out of six years of keeping them that didn't calm down. So it happens but they usually calm down.

[marvelfreak]

The three thing you need for calming down a carpet are as follow.

1) Misting bottle.
I light misting will calm them right down. Everyone looks at me fun when i say this as some snake will go crazy, but with Carpets it as almost always worked for me.

2) A snake hook.
For the one snake that the misting doesn't seem to work for i use a hook for picking her up. Once out i set them in my hand and she is fine. The hook means they know they are going to get pick up. It's the only time i use it. Never use it when feeding. You don't want them to associate the hook with food.

3) Courage.
When dealing with Carpets if you start to reach in and hesitate you will get bit. When dealing with them just reach in pick them up. If they do bite don't set them right back down as this will reinforce the biting gets me put down behavior. With time you will build trust.

[Tekpc007]

watch this vid a few times .

How To Handle aggressive snakes - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB9S51g60Ig)

Let them settle down in their new home for a few weeks . I have notices that after a month in a new home , they really do settle down and are much calmer. they get used to your pattern of behavoir and smells and routine. they also develop their own so are not so stressed. the video is great , and i used gloves for a good month , then just 1 glove and now bare hands and the hook. it takea good while for them to settle down , they are all spit and fire and they are programmed to bite the giant predator until it leaves them alone. once they learn your smell and that you will not eat them , they do calm down . even after a few months , they will still throw a bite . i wont trust mine near my face though , not anytime soon lol. give it 4 months of handling before you see results , but im not sure you can really trust a carpet even after that . I know by boas will never bite me , but the carpet never gets face time ;)

[Terranaut]

I personally do not agree. If the animals are established, which they clearly are, handling will not be detrimental.

They are in plastic dishes going to a new viv with strange suroundings and smells.
Perfect recipe for snake stress. I would wait until I see them lurking about their vivs and eating regularly.

[SWDK]

Thanks for all the advise everyone! They seem to be much calmer now and not as jumpy. I haven't messed with them except to spot clean twice and change water.

[Gregg M]

They are in plastic dishes going to a new viv with strange suroundings and smells.
Perfect recipe for snake stress. I would wait until I see them lurking about their vivs and eating regularly.

I get it. You have your opinion and I respect that. My personal experience has shown me that it really makes no difference. Well started, established animals will not get too stressed out even in a new environment and deal well with handling. If we were talking wild caught imports, I would agree with you 100%.

[Terranaut]

I get it. You have your opinion and I respect that. My personal experience has shown me that it really makes no difference. Well started, established animals will not get too stressed out even in a new environment and deal well with handling. If we were talking wild caught imports, I would agree with you 100%.

My king and boas were as you say but not my carpets. They wanted nothing to do with anyone. They sat inside their hides (which is wierd for a carpet) and just watched. After a meal or 2 normal carpet bevavior such as climbing a perching returned. Then handling was not stressful for the snake or me ;)
2 of my carpets were adults when I got them. Both did exactly what I said above. My jag was a year old when I got him. Took a few handling sessions even after waiting to calm him down and he is still jumpy coming out o his viv.
My baby carpets I have also waited on handling until they had a few meals and became adjusted to their viv. I respect your experience but this is what I have found with carpets specificaly

[Wama]

Very nice additions. Esp the Tiger.

[SWDK]

Thanks. I ended up selling the Jungle and Jungle/Coastal today. I sexed them yesterday and it turns out they were both males when the j/c was supposed to be a female. I'm keeping the Tiger and Diamond Jungle. They both ate rats without hesitation and are definitely male/female pair.

[jaleely]

very nice!
good looking snakes. I suspect there is a need for more pics!!

i agree with gregg, too. I have rarely had a snake that didn't settle in right away, have an explore and a meal, and tolerate change fairly well. you can always get a fussy one, but i have been lucky and gotten a lot of healthy and well established snakes.