Day one of working on socializing my ATB, progress will be slow but that is expected. Amount of bites: 4, but I wont be sharing photos of that lol idk how the MMC rules work with blood.
You will need to blur the images on here and put a warning above, then if someone wants to see they can click on the image. If they don’t they can skip. X
ATBs look intimidating to me because they always look like they are in the strike mode. At least to me anyway! . I suppose that’s because I know nothing about them. But to own and socialize one to the point where it would be comfortably handleable, hopefully without gloves, would be so rewarding!
It looks like you have a great start! Keep the updates coming!
I’d say always assume the strike pose will result in a bite, but from the 2 weeks experience I’ve had with Kyrre I’ve learned that they may strike without warning as well. Just a few tounge flicks and then an immediate bite, though I think this may be a feed response from the little one sensing the warmth of my body.
I also now expect at least 2-3 tags from them during handling as the norm, I really do hope with reasonable handling that the little one will calm down though I’ve had it limited to once or twice a week for now as they seem to be a high-stress species and I don’t want Kyrre to be overwhelmed (I’m also still trying to get used to the biting lol. I have been bitten so many times by other species over the 15 years or so I’ve had reptiles, sometimes pretty badly by my adult boa, and I still sometimes flinch from it.)
Well I have not been bitten as many times as you probably have but even still I consider a bite something I can do without. The worst bite I’ve had was compliments of my adult BRB which scared the heck out of me!
I do think I would be slightly intimidated by an ATB!
Yeah I think the bites are a major set off for me about these guys. I am kinda irrational afraid of being bit lol, and they are not very friendly.
I have seen some people do “bite training” where they’ll hold out an object infront of their snake to train them to know the difference between feeding time and handling, kinda similar to hook tapping but idk the legitimacy or science of it to wether or not it actually works. Especially when the issue is more along the lines of defensiveness and not feed responses… but I think I -might- give it a try with my ATB in my trials of socializing. I already have started to work with Kyrre and a snake hook and it seems to be doing well until I actually freehandle the snake, a big part of the biting seeming to be coming from Kyrre sensing my body heat and a small bit of it being from general movement albiet how slow and carefully I move around Kyrre… idk, I’ll just have to try a few methods and see what works.
I love admiring ATBs in displays. That’s where many of them seem to stay. @cmsreptiles, I really applaud you for your efforts in socializing Kyrre. Quite apart from any enjoyment we humans drive from from interaction with them, I strongly believe that it is important for their own sake that all animals are reasonably familiar with handling. From basic husbandry to potential veterinary care, it’s best if handling isn’t super stressful for them.