boa constrictor attitude

madman · 01-06-11, 07:07 PM

hi people, i am new here and have a new pet ( boa constrictor) red tail about 6ft or a bit more. i do not know the sex. i have rescued him at a cost of 50 pounds. all i will say on the issue is "drugs and snakes do not go together" a sad story but he is out of that enviroment no. i have built a vavarium with the right lighting uv light heat light heat mat aspen bedding logs fake plants etc i have had the snake for about 6 months now he was weak and easy to handle at the begining he is eating jumbo rats and sometimes guinea pigs. recently he as got his condition and strengh back ( looks a beauty) BUT when i try to pick him/her up WOW the attitude on it. i am not a snake person and have never owned one in my life until this one. could he sence i am scared of him now? i am in the uk south east. and i would like someone to be able to try and help me to see what the problem is with him/her. or even find a GOOD home to where he/she will not be sold on but a place to where someone will appreciate and love him/her. i am at a lost end as when he/she was weak the snake was beautiful to hold.. now he/she is like a one snake army any help please...i am even scared of the unknown bite

. like i did mention i have never had a snake but i wont see any animal abused that means if i have to take or pay for a pet to get out of a certain criteria i would do it again and again..any help on what i can do to help the snake please feel free to leave a message..help on helping me or the snake or even a good home for the snake. any help at all please. THANK YOU

infernalis · 01-06-11, 08:58 PM

NennaMeerkat · 01-06-11, 10:01 PM

Welcome to the site. I myself can't give you anything but don't worry there are many many people here who can give you great advice. Good on you though for rescuing, though your snake is mad now it will appreciate the fortune it has in its own way in all due time.

Ch^4 · 01-06-11, 11:49 PM

Welcome and thank you for saving that snake! (More to come on training...)

silvsupratt · 01-07-11, 12:20 AM

Cheers!! Sorry i can't help you either, but I commend you in rescuing it. Animal cruelty in my opinion is one of the worst crimes you can commit and laws should be much harsher.. If i wasn't half a world away it could spend its life with me, but best of luck to you!

Reptile_Reptile · 01-07-11, 03:07 AM

i'd say just work with the snake... wear gloves and just be firm and calm and show him your not going to eat him. it may take a while but that snake will end up being one of your best pets if you can acheive a bond

Lankyrob · 01-07-11, 06:56 AM

Well done for rescuing it - in terms of the bite - if youhave ever been bitten by a puppy or a cat then you have NOTHING to fear from a snake bite - their teeth are tiny and extremely sharp - it hardly hurts, tho it is a shock!

It could be picking up on your fear of him which would in turn make it nervous. There is probably a reptile shop near you that may have someone willing to come take a look at the snake and give you pointers on handling etc if you want ot keep it - or they will probably be able to put you in contact with one fo their regulars that would take the snake on.

Will0W783 · 01-07-11, 11:12 AM

First of all, kudos for rescuing it. Boas are generally pretty calm snakes and usually respond well to gentle taming. It sounds as though this one has not been handled often. I would get yourself a pair of nice thick gardening gloves. Also a snake hook- a lot of snakes are defensive in their cages but are fine once out. Hook the snake and pull it out, then gently handle it while wearing the gloves. Don't let it get near your face and keep a hand around the neck about 6 inches or so behind the head to keep it from getting a good strike range on you. Handle for 5-10 minutes, 3 times a week or so. Never jump or start to reach and then pull back. Snakes don't like fast, jerky movements. If you're slow and steady and calm, the snake is more likely to be calm as well.

However, there are some snakes that will never calm down. I have a breeder female boa that hates ME. Her vendetta is very specific to me, but she hisses and strikes and thrashes and carries on like a nut when I'm in the room. I do not even try to handle her, other than to get her out to clean her cage.

madman · 01-10-11, 06:57 PM

thankyou for your advice. he or she is good on me cleaning the viv ..sometimes i have to put my head in and my hands to change the heat bulb and the snake just ignores me. it is the trying to get him or her out. ( i never knew they hissed so loud) when he or she did that i closed the viv door locked it and left him or her alone to settle down. i dont know if i was right to do so,, but to be honest,,i felt that the right thing to do at the time..( yep ok i was scared) . is there anyone in the uk south east able to help me please. or able to offer the snake a good loving home, a local pet shop was willing to take the snake and the viv and everything BUT was not willing to keep him or her but to sell on. Im sorry but all i want for the snake is a good home where he or she is able to be loved and hopefully helped. ( maybe the help issue is really down to me being scared of snakes) i will help any animal in life scared or not but on accasions like this i think i may be doing wrong.i am not neglecting the snake or ever would neglect any animal come to that. i will always feed water home and love the animal. but i think the fear may not be helping the boa and maybe he can sence that? i honestly dont know. the fear of being bitten or the unknown bite may be the thing i can not say. sorry if i am wasting your time. but if theres ANYONE in the south of uk please could you get intouch? i would show a picture or two but dont know if you are able to on here? any way thankyou to everyone that as responded i appreciate any help and advice. thankyou and speak soon take care

madman · 01-10-11, 07:15 PM

hi people. firstly i would like to thankyou for taking time in responding to the message. i must admit when a boa is cheesed off i did not know the hissing sound was that loud... it did scare me a bit i will admit lol. so i closed his or her viv and left alone for a while for him or her to settle down. i dont know if that was a right or wrong thing? i saw it as we all get bed moods in life maybe it is his or he turn. this as not happened before. i am able to enter the viv and place my head in there and my arms to change the heat light or the uv light strip and water and that, but will he or she let me bring him or her out...not on ur nelly lol... i am scared of the unknown bite i will admit, which makes me a little scared and maybe he or she can pick this up. there is no local vet to us that do reptiles which i find silly. also a petshop was willing to take the snake with all his viv set up and everything which i did not have a issue with until the bloke was going to sell the whole lot.. i am not after people making money from an animal. all i want is someone in the south east of the uk to be able to help me or even a snake lover handler who as room for a lovely snake. i dont want the snake going from home to home i just want the boa going to a perminant place to live the rest of his her life. maybe the snake is nice to handle in the right hands? maybe i am the problem? so if there is anyone in the uk south east willing to love and add an addition to his or her family please feel free to get intouch, or even help me to be able to help the snake even...again thankyou for taking time and reading my post i appreciate your help, i did do a post stating simular to this but i think i hit the wrong button as i cant see it here,,,, thankyou again

TonyDCaver · 02-09-11, 07:13 AM

I know this is an old post, hopefully you haven't killed the snake yet

I've worked with a rescue nicaraguan boa before that had a mad attitude. I found being firm with the snake was the best way to calm her down. Everytime I would open the cage the first thing I would see is an open mouth and loud hissing. I would just go for the punch and take the bite or two she would deliver; as working with gloves wasn't calming her down. She was about 4ft long. If you back off everytime you try to handle her it would reinforce her defensive behavior.

Some snakes are simply cage defensive! If you have to, use gloves to get her out, I always used a hat to throw on the head or keep her distracted while I got ahold of the tail then I'd pull her out real quick. After a couple weeks she stopped trying to bite me. Admittely you become more reluctant to do it after you've been bit 1, 2, 15 times haha.

Good luck, stay firm, if you aren't ok with being bit just use the gloves

bci/boa75 · 02-09-11, 03:31 PM

hello and welcome madman just want to know when was the last time you had him/her out . ok once out is the snake ok with you some snakes can get viv defensive . how big is the viv ?.how often do you feed i live in UK will p.m. you my number and will see if can help if i can . big thanks for tacking the snake on