New Snake Biting Behavior

[changelingash]

I have finally gotten my first snake two weeks ago and have started doing daily handling, and while handling her she does a very lazy bite sometimes that I have the videos of here. She's too small to get a grip anywhere except between my thumb and pointer finger(AKA the one place that she actually struck at in a feeding response), but I'm not sure what she's doing and if I should stop it and how.

When given her mice and when she felt threatened, she always struck at things, so it isn't like this is how she acts with food too. Should I be discouraging this or let her figure it out? She's only caused pain when she food struck me and one time one of her fangs got a slight grip, but she just seems to wander my hand and do it before simply exploring.

Any thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CYqG8_IZg8

[chairman]

Reminds me of a young kingsnake or a woma python. They're just food curious. Some grow out of it, some don't. If you were to leave a f/t rodent on a plate for the snake then I bet it would find it and start eating the rodent just like it is trying to eat your hand.

If you're not already, then feed the snake once every 5-7 days. Don't handle the snake the day after feeding or the day before feeding. When it starts to bite, see if you can't distract it and get it to crawl through your hands. That may work.

[changelingash]

Thank you, I'll make sure to do that. Handling her today, I distracted her enough to keep her from doing it, and she's set to be fed every 5-6 days.

Let's see if she figures out I'm not good for eating.

[Pythonguy1]

What kind of python is that anyway? Looks like a little anteresia.

[changelingash]

Originally Posted by Pythonguy1

What kind of python is that anyway? Looks like a little anteresia.

Spotted Python(Antaresia maculosa), so you're right!


Also, does anyone else have tips for getting her to stop? She's an angel for the first 4 days after feeding (not that I really know about the first 2 as those are digestion days), but once day 5 comes around, she's hungry again and always trying to eat me. I usually try to feed her every 5 days, where I handle her the morning of day 5 and feed her before I go to bed (to try to get the socializing in), but she's having a slow feeding response all over during that day. I try to distract her but she loves to still try to eat me. Since she's meant to be a program animal later on, I want to nip this in the bud and make sure she's handlable any day of the week.

Any ideas on how to get her to stop? It's always after she's been in my hand for a few minutes.


Edit: Also I could try to get more videos of her biting.

She does the typical nosing into me/tiny fast tongue flicks that signal she is interested in my hand, but she doesn't get very distracted by me verbally warning her, tapping her, or trying to move my hand.

[Pythonguy1]

Originally Posted by changelingash

Spotted Python(Antaresia maculosa), so you're right!


Also, does anyone else have tips for getting her to stop? She's an angel for the first 4 days after feeding (not that I really know about the first 2 as those are digestion days), but once day 5 comes around, she's hungry again and always trying to eat me. I usually try to feed her every 5 days, where I handle her the morning of day 5 and feed her before I go to bed (to try to get the socializing in), but she's having a slow feeding response all over during that day. I try to distract her but she loves to still try to eat me. Since she's meant to be a program animal later on, I want to nip this in the bud and make sure she's handlable any day of the week.

Any ideas on how to get her to stop? It's always after she's been in my hand for a few minutes.


Edit: Also I could try to get more videos of her biting.

She does the typical nosing into me/tiny fast tongue flicks that signal she is interested in my hand, but she doesn't get very distracted by me verbally warning her, tapping her, or trying to move my hand.

What food size is she on? She could be biting if she isn't getting a large enough meal. Also I wouldn't handle her on the day that you feed her. If you handle her on the day that you feed her then she might start thinking that handling day is feeding day and that could be why she is biting while you're handling her.

[changelingash]

Originally Posted by Pythonguy1

What food size is she on? She could be biting if she isn't getting a large enough meal. Also I wouldn't handle her on the day that you feed her. If you handle her on the day that you feed her then she might start thinking that handling day is feeding day and that could be why she is biting while you're handling her.

She's on day old pinkies and is about to move up, I'll get her moved up once I'm out of them.

[Pythonguy1]

Originally Posted by changelingash

She's on day old pinkies and is about to move up, I'll get her moved up once I'm out of them.

Good luck

[Pythonguy1]

Originally Posted by changelingash

but she doesn't get very distracted by me verbally warning her

Probably because snakes are deaf.