My Snake hates me

[noidea]

Hi there I was just wondering if any one could offer some advice. I have a female yearling stimsons python, to begin with she was placid and loved getting out of her viv then she decided she didn't like girls and would bite me and my female friends now she is one grumpy lil bugger and hisses and strikes at everyone. just wonderin what her prob might be my husband says pms lol

[MrBredli]

She just wants to be left alone. Snakes don't like to be handled, and therefore handling shoud be kept to a minimum. If you want something to play with buy a Bearded Dragon.

[noidea]

i don't think we handle her too much probably once a week for maybe 10 15 mins i'm talkin walk past her viv and she's out and up you as you walk past or lyin in wait to nail ya if you change her water to my knowledge stimsons are meant to be less aggresive than other species or is that incorrect

[Adam]

Maybe she's hungry. How much do you feed her and how old/big is she?

[noidea]

she's twelve months old and about 40 cmsand is eating 3 fuzzy mice every 8-10 days she has no drama with eating and seems happy enough except for this behaviour problem

[cris]

Its not a behavior problem a 40cm snake should be scared out of its tiny brain by a human and the natural thing for it is to strike.

If it is only 40cm it has probably been under fed, but if it was biting out of hunger it would constict you when it bites.

My advice would be to leave it alone and only handle it when required.

[Davem54]

If you wanted to attack train your snake then every time you went near her feed her LOL. I suggest putting her in a plastic tub waiting ten mins then throwing her food in.. Then she won't associate your hand with food. Like Adam has also suggested she may be hungry and something bigger than fuzzies may fill her up better. I read somewhere that the feed should be twice the size of her head. Just my sleepy thoughts. Dave

[noidea]

so how big should she be? you've got me worried i got her from a breeder at what he told me was eight months that was oct last year and she was no more than 20cm long shes obviously doubled in length shes had two clean sheds theres no constriction with the bite totally different behaviour to when she's hungry what i'm saying is she used want out like if i put my hand in to change water she came over and would climb up my arm she's not fed in her viv and thats really the only time she gets handled to come out and be fed.

[Adam]

You sound like you are doing the right thing and she sounds like she is growing well. Try feeding 2 small to medium mice every 7 days. Not feeding her in her enclosure is a wise move. I might be going against the grain abit hear but she may even be underhandled. If you dont handle them often enough they do tend to go more wild. However dont hold her for 2 or 3 days after feeding. Hope this helps. In my opinion holding the snakes every other day for half an hour does not seem to stress any of mine and we have over 30 snakes and have been doing this for 5 years, nowhere near as long as alot of other people on here but most with large collections tend to not have time to hold thier snakes for obvious reasons (too many) or are simply in it to breed them and are just as happy watching them. If we don't hold our scrub python every few days, she tends to get flighty again after just one week of not being held, if we hold her every other day, she is very placid and has never bitten to date.

[noidea]

thanks to everyone for the advice i spose i'll just keep going with what iam am doing and like adam says perhaps she is a little underhandled due to the fact the breeder i got her from hadn't really handled her and i followed the rules of not handling to much. lucky i don't swim too much i'd probably fill up with water what with all the holes in my hands lol any way thanks guys

[rooster]

Could it be a n enclosure sensitivity issue ??
Maybe getting her out of the cage with a hook {less daunting for you and snake }
Then hanlde her when out....This works with some as some just get protective of their enclosure...
Noise and movement levels should be minimised aswell.

[Earthling]

Im going with Roosters comments.
Have you moved the enclosure latley to a high human traffic Zone(corridor, loungeroom)?
Does she have a hide she can fit into and feel 3 sides to make her feel safe?
Temps OK?
A good cheap snake hook for her is a coat hanger bent up, works a treat.

Lastly some snakes go through moods and some dont like being handled period.
Good luck.

[slim6y]

I owuld also like to back up rooster and earthling's comments - My spotted was never bitey but sometimes flighty (at first)so i fashioned a very expensive metal coat hanger into a snake hook. I got her out every second day for 15 minutes when I was relaxed - ie watching tv, didn't have to rush around answering phones and people in the house (if any) were also quiet.

Wasn't more than a couple of times out of the enclosure that my spotted came used to it.

Recently I have found if I get her out at night she is 'angry' (not bitey) and doesn't want to be out. But just before dusk (or even mid afternoon) she's more relaxed.

I haven't a clue if this is normal behaviour or not - But as spotteds and stimsoni are known for their placidness, I guess there's always exceptions to the rule.

If something has changed then maybe unchange it - otherwise go for the 15 minutes every couple of days with a metal snake hook of sorts.

Good luck.

Pics would be nice

[Earthling]

Another trick is to only feed her at night.
Then you only take her out to handle during the day.
then she understands after a period of time that food times night time.

[noidea]

thanks for everyones info but i've got one of those deadly coathanger hooks lol she is only fed at night its the only time she eats but just wondering on roosters comment what would be a sensitivity issue? also she is in the quietest part of the house a bedroom and all her temps are good