Tips on taming a nippy Jungle/Jaguar carpet python?

tomacbeth182 · 06-14-10, 10:20 AM

Hi there, this is my first post on here =]
I recently bought a young Jungle/Jaguar carpet python. I didn't bother him for the first week so he could get used to his new surrouundings but when i tried to handle him for the first time today he was extremely aggressive, striking at anything that moved! After a lot of striking and squirming I picked him up but the whole time i held him he just comstantly ready to strike. Just wondered if anyone has any tips on how to tame themm down and get used to me?
Thanks,
Tom

infernalis · 06-14-10, 10:47 AM

C#@$e · 06-14-10, 01:34 PM

just hold him frequently...... start with 5 minute handling sessions and eventually work your way up, he will get used to you ( side note: when was the last time you feed him and are you washing your hands before you pick him up) snakes have an excellent sense of smell and if your hands smell like a prey item that might be a reason.

marvelfreak · 06-14-10, 06:05 PM

When you go to get him out if he striking spray him lightly with water. Then pick him up. Like training a dog or cat. Works great for cage aggressive snakes.

Nafun · 06-14-10, 07:44 PM

I've been taming a my jungle carpet. When I first got her, she would strike constantly at me, and even follow me as I walked past and strike at the glass. Today she went to the vet, and she didn't strike at me, or the vet once.

My method, as suggested by my vet, is to wear gloves/long sleeves and just let her nip and ignore it. If she doesn't get a reaction (ie: you don't flinch) she'll give up and just treat you like a soft warm tree.

It worked for me.

tomacbeth182 · 06-15-10, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C#@$e

just hold him frequently...... start with 5 minute handling sessions and eventually work your way up, he will get used to you ( side note: when was the last time you feed him and are you washing your hands before you pick him up) snakes have an excellent sense of smell and if your hands smell like a prey item that might be a reason.

Yeah always washing my hands before and after handling him, he is due for first feeding with me tonight. I am wearing gloves until he "tames" down a bit, is that a good way to go about it?

tomacbeth182 · 06-15-10, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

When you go to get him out if he striking spray him lightly with water. Then pick him up. Like training a dog or cat. Works great for cage aggressive snakes.

Getting him out of the cage is the easy bit to be honest its when he is out he's really twitchy and bitey.

shaunyboy · 06-15-10, 09:47 AM

hello and welcome

make sure he's eating properly before you start to get him to settle down also give him plenty of hides at both hot and cold ends.

young carpet pythons are notoriously nervous and snappy.you have to convince them your not going to eat them.

do not handle him after feeding for 3 days.

take him out and let him run through your hands for 5 minutes.
keep this up every day (except after feeding) until he is happy to let you handle him for 5 minutes at a time.

if he's really bad start by using gloves as sometimes its the heat of your hand that spooks them.once he's happy to be handled with gloves on take one glove of and let him run over that hand.once he's used to the heat off your hand take the other glove off and let him run through your bare hands.i had a jungle that i had to go through the whole proccess wearing gloves.then once he was used to that i had to go through the whole proccess with my bare hands.

once this has been acheived then up the handling time to 10 minutes.

once this has been acheived then up it to 15 minutes.once he lets you handle him for 15 minutes at a time then he will be pretty much ok with you.

young carpets dont like fast hand movements they tend to defensively bite first ask questions later.

what time are you taking him out at ? its just i do not handle my carpets at night.they are usually in hunting mode at this time (after 6,7pm).it also may be the case he wont settle until he's grew a bit more.the extra size coupled with your handling will give him the confidence to let you handle him.all it is for now is he see's you as a preditor that may eat him.most carpets settle down and are great snakes to work with.there are a few though that remain bitey their whole lives.
all the best in getting the wee guy to settle down
cheers shaun

tomacbeth182 · 06-15-10, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

hello and welcome

make sure he's eating properly before you start to get him to settle down also give him plenty of hides at both hot and cold ends.

young carpet pythons are notoriously nervous and snappy.you have to convince them your not going to eat them.

do not handle him after feeding for 3 days.

take him out and let him run through your hands for 5 minutes.
keep this up every day (except after feeding) until he is happy to let you handle him for 5 minutes at a time.

if he's really bad start by using gloves as sometimes its the heat of your hand that spooks them.once he's happy to be handled with gloves on take one glove of and let him run over that hand.once he's used to the heat off your hand take the other glove off and let him run through your bare hands.i had a jungle that i had to go through the whole proccess wearing gloves.then once he was used to that i had to go through the whole proccess with my bare hands.

once this has been acheived then up the handling time to 10 minutes.

once this has been acheived then up it to 15 minutes.once he lets you handle him for 15 minutes at a time then he will be pretty much ok with you.

young carpets dont like fast hand movements they tend to defensively bite first ask questions later.

what time are you taking him out at ? its just i do not handle my carpets at night.they are usually in hunting mode at this time (after 6,7pm).it also may be the case he wont settle until he's grew a bit more.the extra size coupled with your handling will give him the confidence to let you handle him.all it is for now is he see's you as a preditor that may eat him.most carpets settle down and are great snakes to work with.there are a few though that remain bitey their whole lives.
all the best in getting the wee guy to settle down
cheers shaun

Thanks for the advice. Im getting him out usually late morning/early afternoon. I'm feeding him tonight so obviously will have to get him out of his cage as i dont feed my snakes in their cages, so that cant be avoided as they prefer to eat at night. I am wearing gloves when handling him at the moment as he is quite ready to bite. Though i have to say when i handled him earlier today he did seem to calm down slightly and looked more curious that aggressive.

shaunyboy · 06-16-10, 10:17 AM

forgot to say when you handle him make sure its just you and the snake in a quiet room.it will make him feel more secure.if theres humans walking about in the room it will just give him more things to be nervous of.

i feed all my carpets in their tanks.i dont believe the myth that feeding in their tanks make them associate feeding with you going into the tank.so they will bite you when you go into their tanks.

if you applied that theory to taking them out and feeding in a seperate tub. then surely the snake would expect to be fed every time it gets took out the tank,so would associate getting took out with being fed.so it will bite everytime you take it out. no?

over the years i have found nothing to back up that taking a snake out to feed in a seperate tub will do anything to stop it being bitey.some snakes are snappy and some aint.to me its that simple.

all the best with your new carpet
cheers shaun

marvelfreak · 06-16-10, 12:36 PM

I agree with Shauny on this. I feed all my snakes in their cages and mine are tame as can be. The only time their on edge is when they smell food. With in a minute of walking in the room with rats their ready to go.

tomacbeth182 · 06-17-10, 03:22 AM

Thanks for all the tips guys i really appreciate it =]
I will try feeding my snakes in their vivs from now on. I am starting to see improvements with the carpet python already though, he now doesnt seem to react at all to my presence when i look in his viv or just walk past it, when he used to strike at the glass. So thats good lol =]
Thanks again

shaunyboy · 06-23-10, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomacbeth182

Thanks for all the tips guys i really appreciate it =]
I will try feeding my snakes in their vivs from now on. I am starting to see improvements with the carpet python already though, he now doesnt seem to react at all to my presence when i look in his viv or just walk past it, when he used to strike at the glass. So thats good lol =]
Thanks again

it sounds like your carpet was at the worst end of the bitey scale.i had a young jungle like that.he would strike the glass everytime anyone walked past it.once you have him tamed down you will be safe in the knowledge that you've managed to do it with the worst case scenario.any new carpets you get should be easy compaired to your present one.
cheers shaun