My Dumerils has started biting me! - Page 2

SnakeyJay · 07-22-13, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocknhorse76

Remember, he's a boa, not a ball python (pet rock). Boas have more attitude and personality than a BP, and you definitely know it when they're not happy. They'll hiss and bite when they're pissed instead of starving themselves lol. Just makes them more fun in my book!!

Exactly how I feel about my boas! They can be a pain but I love them for it

rocknhorse76 · 07-22-13, 02:22 PM

Amen to that!

Kid Boa · 07-22-13, 02:23 PM

Good afternoon.

A lot of good info given here already.

I would have to agree with feeding your snake larger prey. I think in a few weeks of feeding large rats that he will calm down again.

Again as stated above, a little less handling for a few weeks may help too.

KWenger · 07-22-13, 02:52 PM

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I didn't realize Dumerils had so much "personality" or I would never have gotten one in the first place. I wanted and expected a snake with a "puppy dog" personality as I've often heard Dumerils described. In my house a snake that is inclined to occasionally be pissy and bite just wont work. Don't want an animal I can't trust and enjoy handling without fear of getting bitten. And if he ever bit a child......don't even want to think about that. In any case, the breeder has agreed to take him back so he will be leaving my house in a couple of days. I guess I'm just a "pet rock" kinda guy. My BPs and Corn are sort of boring......but sweet and docile too. Thanks again and good luck to all of you with your boas.

Terranaut · 07-22-13, 03:05 PM

Bite and hold sounds more like a feeding responce. Usually a defensive strike is "bang" and the snake doesn't hold on. Exceptions to every rule but my guess is a hungry snake.

KORBIN5895 · 07-22-13, 03:20 PM

Hmmmm. Maybe you should rehome your other two snakes also. They are wild animals and could honestly turn on you at any moment. Especially that royal. Those heat pits give them deadly accuracy. on heat sources like hands.

KWenger · 07-22-13, 04:04 PM

Thanks KORBIN for that useful suggestion. I think I'll hold on to my potentially deadly BPs though and take my chances. And my 8 year old corn snake too. No telling when he might decide to attack me. Seriously though, I took to heart all of the suggestions and comments I heard from folks on this forum and others. What I basically learned....please correct me if I'm wrong......is that even the very best cared for Dumerils can get cranky from time to time and bite. Isn't that right? I also know that a fully grown male like mine should be in the vicinity of 8-10 lbs or so, and one of you said that the older they get the more likely it is that they will be cranky on occasion. When my 1 1/2 lb guy bit me it didn't really hurt, but there was a remarkable amount of blood. What happens if a 10 pound adult gets pissed off for some reason and bites? I would assume the results would be far more painful than the wounds I recently received. I thought I did a lot of careful research before I bought my Dumerils...a couple of month's worth......but I honestly did not encounter anyone who suggested they would be prone to bite sometimes. I most often heard them described as "puppy dogs." For me, rehoming this snake back to the breeder I bought him from....I'm NOT asking for a refund and am gladly paying the shipping charges......seems to be the most sensible and prudent thing to do. I didn't risk giving him up to a "bad" new home with a "free to a good home" ad on Craigslist or something like that. I'm returning him to where he came from and hope that his next owner gives him a good life. Just doing my best to be responsible.

rocknhorse76 · 07-22-13, 04:10 PM

You're really going to give up that easily? You haven't had the snake for that long, and I can tell you with almost absolute certainty that he's stressed out and hungry. Feed him a few big rats and give him some space, and I almost guarantee that he'll become a very easily handled snake. My Dum has only bitten me once in the 2 1/2 years I've had him, and that was while he was still underweight and new to my home (hungry and stressed out). Now he'll lay in my lap for hours if I let him.
Hell, even my ball python has bitten me a few times......again, this was right after I rescued him and he was new to my home, stressed out, and hungry. If you give up the Dumeril's this quickly because you're afraid he'll bite someone, then you may as well give up all of your snakes because ALL snakes have the potential to bite at some time. My snakes know that I'm not afraid of them biting me, so instead of doing that, they'll just huff and puff and/or crap all over the place to gross me out.

Mikoh4792 · 07-22-13, 04:27 PM

He wants a snake that acts like a puppy. Your giving up on a snake because it acts like a snake?

It seems to me like you are keeping snakes just to handle them. What happens in a couple of years when handling your snakes become boring? Are you going to rehome the rest too?

smy_749 · 07-22-13, 05:02 PM

Patience is a virtue. Everyone has a bad day, even cats and puppy dogs (real ones) have bad days occasionally. I don't advise you to rehome him, wait a bit and see what happens.

Lankyrob · 07-22-13, 05:10 PM

Reptiles are wild animals, they always will be and wild animals are likely to bite back at some point. Part of the appeal of reptiles is that they are not tame in the way dogs and cats are.

If you never want to be bitten then reptiles probably arent your thing.

marvelfreak · 07-22-13, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KWenger

Thanks KORBIN for that useful suggestion. I think I'll hold on to my potentially deadly BPs though and take my chances. And my 8 year old corn snake too. No telling when he might decide to attack me. Seriously though, I took to heart all of the suggestions and comments I heard from folks on this forum and others. What I basically learned....please correct me if I'm wrong......is that even the very best cared for Dumerils can get cranky from time to time and bite. Isn't that right? I also know that a fully grown male like mine should be in the vicinity of 8-10 lbs or so, and one of you said that the older they get the more likely it is that they will be cranky on occasion. When my 1 1/2 lb guy bit me it didn't really hurt, but there was a remarkable amount of blood. What happens if a 10 pound adult gets pissed off for some reason and bites? I would assume the results would be far more painful than the wounds I recently received. I thought I did a lot of careful research before I bought my Dumerils...a couple of month's worth......but I honestly did not encounter anyone who suggested they would be prone to bite sometimes. I most often heard them described as "puppy dogs." For me, rehoming this snake back to the breeder I bought him from....I'm NOT asking for a refund and am gladly paying the shipping charges......seems to be the most sensible and prudent thing to do. I didn't risk giving him up to a "bad" new home with a "free to a good home" ad on Craigslist or something like that. I'm returning him to where he came from and hope that his next owner gives him a good life. Just doing my best to be responsible.

Not to sound like a a hole but i hate these words. Have you ever seen a puppy dog that didn't bite? I mean really what the hell is puppy dog tame? Puppies bite, they ****, and piss every where. But because they are furry it's cute but a snake does it let's get rid of it?

Your seriously going to give up on the snake that easy? WOW YOU DISGUST ME! God i hope you don't have kids. I can see it now one of them gets sick or lord forbid bites you or another kid. Better send it back to the hospital or orphanage.

Everybody here has told you just feed it bigger food and cut back on handling for a bit and he'll go back to his old self, but lord forbid you do what's best for the snake. Please do you and your other snakes a favor and just re home them now.

KORBIN5895 · 07-22-13, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KWenger

Thanks KORBIN for that useful suggestion. I think I'll hold on to my potentially deadly BPs though and take my chances. And my 8 year old corn snake too. No telling when he might decide to attack me. Seriously though, I took to heart all of the suggestions and comments I heard from folks on this forum and others. What I basically learned....please correct me if I'm wrong......is that even the very best cared for Dumerils can get cranky from time to time and bite. Isn't that right? I also know that a fully grown male like mine should be in the vicinity of 8-10 lbs or so, and one of you said that the older they get the more likely it is that they will be cranky on occasion. When my 1 1/2 lb guy bit me it didn't really hurt, but there was a remarkable amount of blood. What happens if a 10 pound adult gets pissed off for some reason and bites? I would assume the results would be far more painful than the wounds I recently received. I thought I did a lot of careful research before I bought my Dumerils...a couple of month's worth......but I honestly did not encounter anyone who suggested they would be prone to bite sometimes. I most often heard them described as "puppy dogs." For me, rehoming this snake back to the breeder I bought him from....I'm NOT asking for a refund and am gladly paying the shipping charges......seems to be the most sensible and prudent thing to do. I didn't risk giving him up to a "bad" new home with a "free to a good home" ad on Craigslist or something like that. I'm returning him to where he came from and hope that his next owner gives him a good life. Just doing my best to be responsible.

Now this will be fun.

First off throw out any idea that your snake is well cared for. You handling him every day is good or proper care.

Secondly two people have said your snake sounds severely under weight for the age yet you are sending it back where it came from? Well played.

So you are keeping an animal that is completely unpredictable and then complain that it is defending it self when you harass it? Seems legit.

The best Part is where you obviously believe that there is a species of snake that doesn't defend itself.

@Chuck

Now please tell us how you really feel.

marvelfreak · 07-22-13, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

Now this will be fun.

First off throw out any idea that your snake is well cared for. You handling him every day is good or proper care.

Secondly two people have said your snake sounds severely under weight for the age yet you are sending it back where it came from? Well played.

So you are keeping an animal that is completely unpredictable and then complain that it is defending it self when you harass it? Seems legit.

The best Part is where you obviously believe that there is a species of snake that doesn't defend itself.

@Chuck

Now please tell us how you really feel.

Ok i feel like these guy is a total freaking dill wad. Oh and BTW get rid of all knives in your house they have the potential to cut you. Oh and don't cross the street you might get ran over. This guy sounds like such a pansy that i bet the only reason he got snake to begin with is so people would think he was cool or a bad a-s. When in reality he just a sorry waste of space.

rocknhorse76 · 07-22-13, 06:52 PM

I rescued my male from a pet store when he was about 3 1/2 feet long and less than 2 years old. I'm his 3rd owner. The original owner fed him mice exclusively, and said that he was "too aggressive", so they gave him to the pet store. Another person bought him, still only fed him mice, and returned him after only a month due to him being "too aggressive". After holding him a few times at the store, I decided to take him home....knowing exactly what is in store for me. He was fairly shy and defensive for the the first month or so with me, and liked to strike once in awhile. After an exhausting process of switching him over from f/t mice to f/t rats (and then working him up to the appropriate size), he became quite docile and tolerant of handling every few days. Now, he's a total pig that eats a jumbo rat every 3 weeks, and will chill on my lap. I even let my 6 y/o nieces pet and hold him under direct supervision!! Long story short.....BE PATIENT and he'll end up being a great pet.