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Re: How would you try and tame this boa?
That snake is not "vicious", it's afraid, which is normal. Snakes do not appear to recognize us thru the glass...they see our motion as potential prey or as a potential threat. They DO recognize our scent & touch though...so it only makes sense to me to use their best senses when we deal with them.
The snake needs a better, more secure-feeling set-up (hides & partially covering the glass while it settles in, and possibly a quieter location for the whole cage) & also 'enough' food (in case that's an issue?). It might also be in pain...snakes that are feisty are often handled roughly, dropped or whatever...that does not help.
To be honest, that snake is no worse than my BCI was when I got her as a yearling some 12 years ago from a vet tech who had some other snakes but who did not connect well with this particular one. What I did, after letting her settle in for a couple weeks without being disturbed, was to take a towel & drop it over her and gently pick her up inside it, then sit with her on my lap for 30 minutes or so completely covered...gently touching her...letting her get used to my scent without having a look at the big scary thing holding her. She hissed but did not try to bite thru the towel.
I repeated this process until she was calmer (it was a long time ago, I think it took maybe 2-3 weeks?) and then I started to let her peek out. The hissing started again...but diminished with more sessions when she seemed to learn I wasn't trying to eat her. Please do remember that the only thing in nature that normally picks up a snake is a predator about to have dinner...there is nothing wrong with their instincts. She'd have bitten me at this point but I didn't give her the opportunity.
Gradually her sessions included my hand under the towel, touching her body...until I could tell by her body language that she no longer wanted to bite me...no longer felt she was under attack.
To this day I have never had even one bite from this snake, which is good since she' over 7'. Now & then she will even hiss alot when I need to take her out (say to clean, when she's not 'in the mood'); I have found that she is "all hiss"....she does not try to bite me when I reach in & gently stroke her body for a couple minutes. When she calms down (IMO she is remembering she knows me) I just pick her up and she is fine. Very sweet, actually.
I think that instead of labeling such a snake as evil or vicious, we all try to appreciate that it's a wild animal, not domestic, that it's afraid...and that if we aren't prepared to spend a little time "meeting it halfway", we should find another hobby or type of pet.
Last edited by possum; 06-19-13 at 11:47 PM..
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