To stop the striking? šŸ˜…

So I have a question. Iā€™m not used to a ā€˜Strikeyā€™ Snake who wants to kill me.
We used to have a yearling but she would strike once and not close to you, and thatā€™s it. She was your friend then!
And my boy Hideyoshi (Banana) was just hissy but he stopped that very quick.

But my new boy Blaze does it all the time! Even when I go near his tub! He strikes and hits the side. I donā€™t want to be bitten, noone does. But Iā€™m wondering if I just put my arm in, take the bite so i stop worrying about the bite (Never been bitten before) and deal with him being a right moody git! Or if anyone has an idea of how to stop him stressing. Apparently he never struck at the breeder. Maybe he doesnā€™t like me much :joy:
Heā€™s eaten twice since being here too. Amazing eater thatā€™s for sure!

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Do you have the sides of the tub completely blacked out? If not, maybe try that to see if he stops?

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I donā€™t actually, since Hideyoshi doesnā€™t I didnā€™t think too.
Plus we used to have a rack with clear tubs and all the other royals we used to own (had 12 at one point) were fine!
But even in his black hide, if I lift it up to get him out he goes for me!
Heā€™s on his own shelf on the ā€˜Crestieā€™ rack atm. So he canā€™t see anything or anyone at all unless I go over.
I just want to be able to get him out :sweat_smile:
The first day he was lovely! Even my daughter (6) held him, and my nephew (4)!
I have a different snake nowā€¦ :flushed:

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Iā€™ve had a few like this, typically when theyā€™re rack raised by a breeder, this is a stage I deal with when theyā€™re younger, because the majority of their interactions are feedings at that point. When I put them in more open enclosures they could see out of, youā€™d see a lot of the same behavior passing by the enclosure, and when I reached in to manage the enclosure or to handle them, they would ALWAYS get ready to eat, sometimes strike a few times, and I got them over it by using a hook to pull them out of the enclosure, rather than my warm hands, and once theyā€™re out and being handled they tend to get the idea and stop being so bitey.

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I agree covering the back and sides is a good idea.

Plus I think, regular handling is good as long as you donā€™t do it around feeding time :relaxed: Iā€™ve never been bit by our snakes, but thatā€™s because my husband handled the snakes, his been bit a few times but only because they have missed their food šŸ¤¦ senyd like a food and nervous response. Try walking in front of the enclosure at set times of the day and he might get use to it.

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He could also just be one of those grumpy snakes that donā€™t calm down. I have 2 of those, a Banana Super Cinnamon and an OD Leopard Lesser Fire. Both of them are males and breeding size, the Banana is actually around 800 grams now, maybe more. They usually calm down once I get them out the tub and just hold them for a second, but boy do they not want me to touch them in their tubs! I just take a paper towel roll and gently poke their heads until they ball up, then pick them up.

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This is definitely a for real possibility. I have a few ball pythons that come out spicy every time.

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As a Ball Python breeder, it is most likely he was probably ā€œraisedā€ that way on a rack, and always ready to eat. But covering the back and sides, I agree, is definitely worth a try. He is probably just a little beast though in my opinion, Iā€™ve got a few :woman_shrugging:t3::woman_facepalming:t3:. Lol. Try to hold him regularly and get him used to you, Iā€™ve had some calm down that way after a few weeks or months.

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Well when speaking to the breeder he said heā€™s never struck at him. Also was feeding every 5-7 days.
He got him out in front of me etc and handed to me, I saw set up. He was very chill, not even a finch. I got him out the bag etc myself a couple times when checking him out in car, showing the Fam and then again when home and all fine. Itā€™s since heā€™s been here that heā€™s been a pain.
Heā€™s eaten twice, 5 days apart. So due again Wednesday, which will be 5 days since last eaten. I thought Iā€™d do every 5 atm since he is a very hungry boyā€¦ I shall risk my life again tomorrow to great him again :sweat_smile:

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Maybe he will always be like that? Iā€™m sorry I canā€™t do more than say some animals just are like that to certain people. Maybe try to leave him alone to get him used to you? I would just set my hand in the tank of an old aggressive Rosy Boa Iā€™d had and slightly inch my hand forward every day, and eventually they got so used to my hand they used it as a branch lol . That worked for me. That snake manā€¦ Took me months to get him to even trust me. I think he thought he could kill me with his ā€œvenomā€ :joy:, he bit me so many times. Eventually I just left him alone, and slowly started to gain his trust. All snakes are different though, canā€™t tell you anything for sure, but hope something in here helps you. :crossed_fingers:

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I agree, some snakes are like that. It could be because he loved in s track with little to see out, but now he sees a lot.

It could also be that he is with the geckos and senses them, some people say keeping food, such as mice in the same room as snakes can make them edgy. Although we have always kept mice in the snake room with no bother.

We have a snake (Sergai our spider BP) that I donā€™t usually hold because he looks at me like Iā€™m food. Iā€™m not sure why as Iā€™ve never fed him, yet my 7 year old and my husband can hold him with no worries.

Does he have a snug or spacious hide? I found that Sergai was calm when his hide was a tight fit, but when we upgraded him to a bigger one, he wasnā€™t happy - he doesnā€™t do change well.

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Thereā€™s nothing around him so he canā€™t really see anything but walls unless Iā€™m there.

Plus I will add actually, that the rub heā€™s in now is actually smaller than what he had! He bad a bigger one with the breeder, biggest Iā€™ve seen hatchlings in I will say! :sweat_smile:
As I thought with moving him they can sometimes be fussy with eating and from experience they liked a smaller home to start and then Iā€™d upsize again.

Yes the hide is a cosy one! Same one that he had with the breeder :blush:

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He may just be taking longer to get use to his new home?

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Believe this is a strong possibility as well! I usually donā€™t mess with snakes brought in from outside for a couple weeks.

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I really hope so. Other than feeding him a couple days ago I havenā€™t gone over to him much as donā€™t want to stress him more. But I fed Hideyoshi yesterday whoā€™s on the rack in his tub above him so he saw me then for a second as Hideyoshi took his rat instantly so I walked away after, but didnā€™t strike, looked hungry again though :sweat_smile: So maybe he is getting used to me.

Touch wood Iā€™ll be able to update soon to say heā€™s calming down.

I suppose upgrading his home to some like he used to have should wait? He had a lot of room before and me thinking he would prefer smaller now makes me think I didnā€™t need to downsize at allā€¦ As heā€™s always out and about from whatā€™s Iā€™ve seen! Wondering if he would enjoy the space againā€¦
plus I need to clean him out today :grimacing:

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Maybe he is out and about because he doesnā€™t feel secure. I keep hatchlings in small tubs for the first 4 or 5 months roughly until they are what I consider doing rock solid.

Maybe quarantining him away from your collection in a super quiet space may help as well.

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I agree, maybe somewhere away from the rest of the reptiles might help

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One thing to also keep in mind. Some snakes no matter what you do bite they are like people in that aspect.

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Heā€™s not ā€˜alwaysā€™ out but he seems to like to wander and be nosey. Shouldā€™ve put that.
As said he was in a big tub with breeder which was clear and never struck, heā€™s in one quite a bit smaller here because I thought it would be better after the move as others weā€™ve had wouldnā€™t eat right away unless we downsized first. I donā€™t think I needed to put him in smaller though heā€™s a machine.

My other boy is a roamer so I donā€™t think itā€™s the fact heā€™s scared as such. As my other boy climbs and all. Loves the space.

I might bring him inside with me for a bit, but itā€™s not noisy out there apart from calling dart frogs at times :sweat_smile:

He was born 5th July so I can deal with the striking at that size even though not used to it. Itā€™s my daughter really I worry for. She knows atm she canā€™t handle him because heā€™s ā€˜grumpyā€™ though. She gets it so itā€™s fine. She understands the needs of them all luckily, very switched on when it comes to animals and she knows how they can be and act. She just checks in with me that heā€™s ok :relaxed:

Maybe he shouldā€™ve been called Firecracker and not Blaze :joy:

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My man biters tend to accumulate nick names that wonā€™t make it past the filter here. Although I have a couple clever non vulgar ones lol

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