Moody Teenager Stage?

Obsidian_Dragon · 03-17-15, 08:28 AM

So, my formerly placid MBK has become quite the temperamental pissbaby lately. I thought it was a winter thing--but he's in fully active warmer weather mode now, and still gives me tail rattle and angry peeing if I take him out most of the time.

Do they have a moody teenager stage? I can only guess at his age--I'd say he's around a year-ish, now.

He's scooting around plenty and eating and shedding and otherwise seems fine. Just...cranky.

**Minkness** · 03-17-15, 10:28 AM

Hmmm...I dunno. Calypso was a pisser last week too, but this week she's fine. She's also much younger than your baby lol.

Obsidian_Dragon · 03-17-15, 12:04 PM

He's over two feet long now! It's kind of amazing how much he's grown.

D Grade · 03-17-15, 12:30 PM

Its exactly what it is. Im going through this with my King, sometimes he's placid and cooperative, sometimes he wants to bite. Less biting lately since even when he does bite, I still hold him.

Whatever you do, still hold your snake when he attempts a bite when you go in to handle. If it realizes biting will get you to go away, it'll keep doing it. If he's in a good position to strike and a bad position to pick up, try moving him to a better area in his home to scoop him up. Remember to always try to scoop it up from the bottom or pick up from the rear (supportively of course). This will prevent a bite in the first place and keep your fingers out of strike range.

Obsidian_Dragon · 03-17-15, 02:32 PM

He doesn't bite, thankfully. I just get a lot of rattlesnake tail and--it's not musking. I get musked all the time thanks to my garter snake. It's just...peeing. Angry peeing.

I'm going through a lot of hand towels handling him and my garter these days, haha.

drumcrush · 03-17-15, 08:09 PM

Ammit went through this stage a bit. All i got was some tail rattle and some musking, she went through it pretty quick though.

the surprising thing is, Ammit musked on me more than my garter lol

Lefitte · 03-17-15, 11:52 PM

Angry peeing, that a perfect description haha! Everyone complains about how bad musk smells so Eir must angry pee instead of musk because I can't ever smell it unless I'm trying to. She does it and rattlesnake tails all the time. Had her since September and handle her 1-2 a week.

**Minkness** · 03-18-15, 01:34 AM

Heh, I thought the rattle tail was normal! Lol. If I so much as look at Calypso the wrong way she rattles at me. And angry pees alot as well. I handle her about 2-3 times a week and it's never changed. Her 'fits' are if she's trying to get away. Normally she rattles and pees but doesn't really dart anywhere, but when she's having a tantrum she becomes a little whip snake and flails around all over the place lol.

D Grade · 03-18-15, 03:38 AM

Haven't gotten the wanna be buzztail action nor musking from either of my snakes. Just bites, I guess my fat white fingers represent fuzzies or something.

Obsidian_Dragon · 03-18-15, 08:17 AM

Oh musk is....something else, haha. I don't find it terrible--getting the full, post-feeding pee 'n poop combo is worse--but it's...not a pretty smell, no.

My garter musks every dang time I pick him up. Noodle was actually great for a long time--musked the first couple of times, then quit entirely. I had no attitude handling him at all really from mid-July until...November. Then he was pretty quiet over the winter and didn't want to come out much, and now...more of the same, haha. He's out and about! BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN TOUCH ME, HUMAN. Rattle, rattle, pee.

Yesterday I frowned at both the older snakes and said, "Your new little sister is nicer."

Sulky pissbaby.

Sylphie · 03-18-15, 08:22 AM

Hahaha, maybe he will be fine soon

And he's really beautiful!

**Minkness** · 03-18-15, 09:50 AM

Maybe it's the change in weather?

Rattlehead · 03-18-15, 09:59 AM

I had something similar with my milksnake (never got musked, but she was super scared). Now I handle her only when she has been in the fresh zone of the terrarium for a while, so I know she won't be agile.

Jrich · 03-18-15, 12:59 PM

I was always getting pooped on by my milk snake when I first got him so I started wearing gardening gloves that go up to the elbow, that helps. Getting my snakes out with a rubber snake hook first and gently transferring them to my hands made getting them out for anything so much smoother and less stressful.

Obsidian_Dragon · 03-25-15, 08:39 AM

I changed his hides last week--I bought some Reptile Basics ones, as I had an order in for my newest acquisition. Up until now he's had a mix of cardboard tubes, half logs, a cave that's possibly a little big, and some weird...ceramic half-tube that I found at goodwill.

ANYWAY, I thought he might like some more secure hides.

NOPE. He's been avoiding them and then this week, refused to eat (he generally wants to eat from inside his hide--he's a shy eater, and has only eaten out in the open a couple of times. Mostly after being in blue when he's extra hungry).

I swapped back his warm hide, at least. Is this just a hissy fit over the hides? Is it kingsnake breeding season, too? He's only a year old, ish? As far as I can guess, so I wasn't think he'd be old enough for that yet.

This is the first time he's failed to eat for me when he hasn't been in blue. :|