Costal Carpet aggression

[Pickled_Monk]

Hi all. I am fairly new to snakes, ect. I bought my Coastal Carpet (First snake, named "Rocky") about 10 months ago. He is now about 1 year old and 1.2m long. He is a fantastic pet!
My question is that he has fairly aggressive over the last month and I'm not too sure why. He seems to be hungry all the time. He has taken 3 adult mice in 4 days. He bit me for the first time 3 weeks ago and when I got him out of his enclosure a week go he had a really good go a trying to constrict three of my fingers (They went a nice blue colour). I have recieved some conflicting information about how much I should be feeding him.
Is this behaviour very common, what can I do to keep him happy and how much should I be feeding him?

Thanx in advance for you help!

Mango...

[salebrosus]

My yearling i feed every 5 days and depending on the size of the snake depends on the food size. How are you feeding him? With tweezers or are you using your fingers to chuck the mice in? Try and get your animal to associate hand and hook means handle. Tweezers or tongs etc for food only. Perhaps not handling him a day before or a two days after feeding him might help. How big is the enclosure etc.

P.S. Your not a real herper till you cop a tag or two. Welcome to the club!

Simone.

[Pickled_Monk]

Since I've had him I have been taking him out of his enclosure and into a feeding tank to feed him. Then put the feeding tank in his enclosure with the lid off to let him get out himself (so I never reach into his feeding tank). I have only recently started feeding him in his tank (after he started getting more aggressive and harder to get into his feeding tank). I have been feeding him with tongs but since he has been on adult mice, I have just been holding them by the tail. When ever I handle him (which is never after feeding) I always wash my hands with the same stuff so he can associate that smell with handling, not feeding.
He seems extreemly alert. If you walk past his tank of accidently tap it (which I did when I was checking on him) his hed shoots stright out his cave door and sits there in the "s" position redy to go.
His tank is 3ft x 1 1/4ft. x 1 1/2ft.

[CHONDROS]

how big is he

[salebrosus]

Originally Posted by Pickled_Monk

Since I've had him I have been taking him out of his enclosure and into a feeding tank to feed him. Then put the feeding tank in his enclosure with the lid off to let him get out himself (so I never reach into his feeding tank). I have only recently started feeding him in his tank (after he started getting more aggressive and harder to get into his feeding tank). I have been feeding him with tongs but since he has been on adult mice, I have just been holding them by the tail. When ever I handle him (which is never after feeding) I always wash my hands with the same stuff so he can associate that smell with handling, not feeding.
He seems extreemly alert. If you walk past his tank of accidently tap it (which I did when I was checking on him) his hed shoots stright out his cave door and sits there in the "s" position redy to go.
His tank is 3ft x 1 1/4ft. x 1 1/2ft.

Do you think your animal associates being removed out of his cage for handling as being removed out of the cage for feeding?

Simone.

[Ozzie Python]

are you feeding your ciastal in the enclosure or in a seperate container?

i found by gently running my finger up my childreni's side stopped him tagging me when taking him out. i haven't been hit for ages as he now associates when i do this im going to take him out, and if he behaves he might get fed.

[Pickled_Monk]

Here's some photos. H's about 1.2 M and about 25mm across at his roundest.
This is him checking out why I am near his tank. he reaches right out to get as close as he can to you, then sits back in the "s" position waiting to be fed it seems.

[Pickled_Monk]

Originally Posted by johnbowemonie

Do you think your animal associates being removed out of his cage for handling as being removed out of the cage for feeding?

Simone.

Thats good point. Never thought of it that wy. I have started feeding him in his tank now so that should take care of that.

I will try stroking his side when I get him out too. Sounds like a good idea.

Would his heightened alertness be from hunger or something else do you think?? He will eat if offered without any hesitation.

[Ozzie Python]

i think the best thing you can do is feed him in another container and he will eventually stop wanting to eat your hand. good luck

[swingonthespiral]

pickled monk.... is he in a high traffic area??? like lounge room or something... because my Murray Darling used to be like tha when she was younger.... and i moved her into the computer room and she settled down and is now happy back in the lounge room.... just a thought...

[junglist*]

The feed items youa re giving your snake are far too small for it.

Adult mice to a 1.2 metre snake??? It should at least be onto weaner rats, if not something bigger. This should go some way to placating the behaviour of the snake.

Another thing to trial would be to use your snake hook to remove the problem animal from the tank. When you are going to handle thesnake, begin by tapping the hook either right in front of the snake's nose, or very veyr gently brushing the nose of the snake. When feeding however, do not do this.

This is a simple psychological conditioning, and should work a treat for you.

Then again, your snake may just be getting bigger and deciding that your hand looks about the right size for dinner.

However, if you successfully condition your herp, then you should have no troubles handling it and not getting bitten (most of the time).

Bones mend, skin grows back, but the scars you get to keep forever and make up cool stories about them..



Oh, and the threat display, the waiting to be fed, is a defensive measure. Try to let it settle down before you try to handle it again.

[Serpant_Lady]

Junglist - My coastal is 1.1 appro and she can still struggle a bit if a big mouse comes along.
But I have some weaner rats - just waiting till the last 5 or so mice are used up

[ScardyKate]

I had the same issue with my Bredli male - he was hatched Feb 2006 (15 months old now), is approx 3 1/2-4 foot and he was really agressive and would strike out at us even if we just walked by let along getting him out of the enclosure - very nasty and unsociable - until we started bumping up his food (we still take him of of his enclosure to feed him though). He's now on 1 weaner rat a week (always feeding him on the same day) and he has settled down much more - and we're about to bump up his food again. He's now much more content and is happy sitting on top of his log sunning himself. Haven't been bitten for a couple of months now

[Pickled_Monk]

Originally Posted by junglist*

Another thing to trial would be to use your snake hook to remove the problem animal from the tank. When you are going to handle thesnake, begin by tapping the hook either right in front of the snake's nose, or very veyr gently brushing the nose of the snake. When feeding however, do not do this.

Thanx for the idea. His aggression seems to settle a bit just by gently stroking him with the hook before attempting to get him out. Once he is out, he is great.

Here are some more photos if anyone is interested...

[eladidare]

sorry to give you this news mate... but snakes bite!