Very Defensive Coastal, nearly 5'.

TG22AR · 02-01-15, 01:06 AM

Hey guys, I dont have much time to get on here but I need to ask: Does anyone have any tips on building trust with a very defensive Coastal? Picked him up from Eric Koller back in the summer when he was about a yearling. I try to handle him regularly, and once hes out of his enclosure hes mostly calm. But inside his viv, all he wants to do is "S" up and strike. I didnt mind it when he was smaller in size, now that he is gaining size the bites are drawing more blood. And id prefer not to get whacked everytime I reach into his viv. I usually make contact with a rubber tipped hook prior to using my hands. My IJ from the same breeder is a total sweetheart. Theyre like night and day. Any tips or input is appreciated. I love him, but he doesnt feel the same about me.

MDT · 02-01-15, 06:13 AM

sounds like individual temperaments...you're using the hook to somewhat "diffuse" the situation, which is good, but some snake are just plain ol' cage defensive. then once outside, they're fine...very jekyll and hyde-ish. keep it up so there is some sense of acclimation, but it may be as good as it gets.

good luck with him

Mikoh4792 · 02-01-15, 07:42 AM

Most snakes I've dealt with that came nippy, calmed down over time. There are a minority that never calm down.

What works for me is to always use a hook to take them out. I don't feel I need to "tap" them with the hook(in regards to hook training). Just getting the hook under them and picking them up seems to do the job. Then I place them on my hand/arm and let them roam around after getting calmed down. It can take a few weeks, months, or years depending on the individual.

Moreau · 02-04-15, 01:26 PM

I have found that a set of snake gloves works a charm on cage defensive snakes. With the gloves on (or glove, sometime I only use one) I just reach in very quickly, covering their head right away with my hand, scooping them up all at the same time. They have no time to react to bite. A few weeks of doing this, they normally are not as cage defensive and then the gloves are not needed to take them out. This way you are not nervous or worried at all at getting bit, and your quick movements give the snake less time to get nervous about your presence.

This worked on a cage defensive jag I have.

reptiledude987 · 02-04-15, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDT

sounds like individual temperaments...you're using the hook to somewhat "diffuse" the situation, which is good, but some snake are just plain ol' cage defensive. then once outside, they're fine...very jekyll and hyde-ish. keep it up so there is some sense of acclimation, but it may be as good as it gets.

good luck with him

I agree with mdt on this. my Bredli is very much the same. sometimes calmer when our of the viv but still very cautious cause even once out he will still come at me.

metalcopper · 02-04-15, 08:47 PM

I have a Jungle that I got from Eric Koller too, he is very nippy at almost two years old. I didn't handle him much, just seeing if gaining some size would give him confidence and settle him down naturally, but it hasn't. I am just starting to handle him every day, and after about ten minutes, he calms down and stops striking at anything that touches him. It's been about 4 days now of handling, and today he didn't strike once. He is still a bit flighty, and it will take some time, but I think this is going to really help settle him down.

shaunyboy · 02-05-15, 10:48 AM

use gloves to mask the heat of your hands while taking him out...

let him run through your gloved hands till he calms down,then take one glove off at a time,until he's ok with hand heat

that said,some Carpets never calm down regardless of what we do mate

cheers shaun

marvelfreak · 02-05-15, 07:40 PM

For Carpets i found a misting bottle works great. Give them i light spray and they clam right down for me. Now Retic and Bloods it will just piss them off more but always work great for my Carpets.

IW17 · 02-05-15, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

For Carpets i found a misting bottle works great. Give them i light spray and they clam right down for me. Now Retic and Bloods it will just piss them off more but always work great for my Carpets.

No doubt lol. My Retics will freak if I spray them. My blood however doesn't mind. But he's getting very relaxed as he grows older.