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I got a bit carried away with the size of the enclosure but it came out good .Wanted to go bigger but moving it would have been a drama .This puppy rolls on 8 wheels and is fairly easy to move about but at 200kg + i'll have to hire a tilt tray truck to shift it to the next house . https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?v=2291854152460 .posted this one not long ago but you will get an idea of how she tests me .
 
i will offer you another point of view,Why bother with "calming" a snake which is displaying its natural behaviours ? just let the snake be how it wants to be with out trying to change it. If the owner doesn't want to get bitten just get another species thats already calm i think there much better though when you have a snake that stays defensive,than a slow boring quiet one.
Most snakes calm naturally and its hard to get one that stays true to its behaviour. The only difference is when you go to handle it you have to watch out for it trying to bite ,but thats not hard to do and helps you build up experience to keep dangerous snakes.
 

Yeah I would be crapping myself hahaha, easy, thats a decent sized python!

I got a bit carried away with the size of the enclosure but it came out good .Wanted to go bigger but moving it would have been a drama .This puppy rolls on 8 wheels and is fairly easy to move about but at 200kg + i'll have to hire a tilt tray truck to shift it to the next house . https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?v=2291854152460 .posted this one not long ago but you will get an idea of how she tests me .


HAHAHA LOVE IT. Thats an awesome video haha she was not happy lol!
 
If it was me.......and I know it wont ever be me I'm too much of a chicken.....(I love my jungles).....but if it was me handling a scrubbie.....I would include some protective glasses....just in case......they have a nasty bite and if they get your eye you could lose your sight.....better safe than sorry
 
You ever heard of the term "bad egg"?? I'm guessing it hatched from it :lol: I had a 7ft water python that never liked me... EVER! As much as I tried, as much as I hoped, it always wanted to draw blood :lol: You might just have to give it the space it obviously wants. Good luck.
 
Hi there, i havent read all the above comments so sorry if im mentioning something twice! I have had a few scrubbies over the years and i have been able to calm them all down.. Its a bit tricky though when they are past the 6 month old stage as they start to figure out that their bites do cause harm. Also when you pick him/her out the first time your more than likely to get pee'd on ;)

I've never used gloves as bites dont worry me a whole lot but i dont see a reason why you cant but make sure they aren't the material ones because if the snake gets crazy he might do some weird biting skills (I have seen them do some crazy things lol) and hurt his teeth or loose them. So use the strong rubber/ leather gloves.

Number one thing i have learned is that when they pee on you or bite you DONT put them back in their enclosure because then the snake learns that if he pee's or bites he gets put back and left alone. What i do to get them used to being handled is just take them out of a morning and watch a quick TV show with them and then put them back.. When you sit down it will be wise to have a towel over you that you dont mind to get pee'd on lol. If they want to explore something and smell the smells around your house let them but dont let them wander too far away.. If he gets angry when you want to pick him up just put your hand flat up to his face and this SHOULD stop him from biting. I think this is a dominance thing where he sees you are not afraid of him.

Another good way to bond with him is take him out in the sun on a warm part of the day- ALL snakes love this. I try to take all or most of my snakes in the sun about 3 times per week for half an hour each time, it gets a bit hard though when you have a large collection. In general if you are serious about calming him down try and spend as much time as you can with him whether it be sitting watching TV or going outside with him or just letting him check out the different smells. This is what has worked for me and anyone who has seen my scrubbies in person can definitely vouch for me that they would have to the some of the most if not the most relaxed scrubbies they have ever seen.

I hope you can calm him down but be prepared to put lots of time in! :)
 
Thanks everyone for the advice! I have lots to try and am starting to get a little confident and hopeful, ha ha.

I understand it might never be brilliant, but it's worth a shot. There's only one way to find out and at this stage I really want him a bit calmer before he reaches giant proportions.

Snakelady, I've been peed on by so many reptiles it's not funny, but thanks for the heads up, I would've completely forgotten he could do that until it happened! Still, better that end than the sharp one =P
Love all your advice, I'll try to keep everything in mind when I next encounter him. Do you have any pics of your scrubs? They sound magnificent! Very jealous of you =)
 
Hi there, i havent read all the above comments so sorry if im mentioning something twice! I have had a few scrubbies over the years and i have been able to calm them all down.. Its a bit tricky though when they are past the 6 month old stage as they start to figure out that their bites do cause harm. Also when you pick him/her out the first time your more than likely to get pee'd on ;)

I've never used gloves as bites dont worry me a whole lot but i dont see a reason why you cant but make sure they aren't the material ones because if the snake gets crazy he might do some weird biting skills (I have seen them do some crazy things lol) and hurt his teeth or loose them. So use the strong rubber/ leather gloves.

Number one thing i have learned is that when they pee on you or bite you DONT put them back in their enclosure because then the snake learns that if he pee's or bites he gets put back and left alone. What i do to get them used to being handled is just take them out of a morning and watch a quick TV show with them and then put them back.. When you sit down it will be wise to have a towel over you that you dont mind to get pee'd on lol. If they want to explore something and smell the smells around your house let them but dont let them wander too far away.. If he gets angry when you want to pick him up just put your hand flat up to his face and this SHOULD stop him from biting. I think this is a dominance thing where he sees you are not afraid of him.

Another good way to bond with him is take him out in the sun on a warm part of the day- ALL snakes love this. I try to take all or most of my snakes in the sun about 3 times per week for half an hour each time, it gets a bit hard though when you have a large collection. In general if you are serious about calming him down try and spend as much time as you can with him whether it be sitting watching TV or going outside with him or just letting him check out the different smells. This is what has worked for me and anyone who has seen my scrubbies in person can definitely vouch for me that they would have to the some of the most if not the most relaxed scrubbies they have ever seen.

I hope you can calm him down but be prepared to put lots of time in! :)

Snakelady96, I've seen and questioned some of your comments on here before, basically to do with your level of experience. I've also asked if the "96" is the year of your birth, which seems likely, and you sort of disappeared for a while. Those with verifiable experience with this species will all agree that being casual around a "relaxed" large scrubby is a dangerous thing indeed. Certainly, like most animal species, there is a variation in temperament, but Scrub Pythons have a reputation which is well deserved.

I've been keeping snakes of many species, including scrubs, professionally and privately for decades, and I'll tell you now that if I put my hand up to the face of one of my scrubs now, I would lose a lot of blood. Your suggestion would be laughable if it wasn't potentially harmful.

Joemal, I know what you mean about the overhead scrubby thing! I once had a couple of scrubs sent to me by Eric Worrell when I was living in Perth... not familiar with them, put them in a large outdoor enclosure (summer) and with a few high perches. Changing water one day and BANG - a full bite across the back of my neck! I guess the offender would have been maybe 3.5m, but is ure scared the crap out of me and I lost a lot of blood! My neck was a deep purple, then green, then yellow for weeks :)! Never again did I take their "quiet' status for granted.

Jamie
 
Snakelady96, I've seen and questioned some of your comments on here before, basically to do with your level of experience. I've also asked if the "96" is the year of your birth, which seems likely, and you sort of disappeared for a while. Those with verifiable experience with this species will all agree that being casual around a "relaxed" large scrubby is a dangerous thing indeed. Certainly, like most animal species, there is a variation in temperament, but Scrub Pythons have a reputation which is well deserved.

I've been keeping snakes of many species, including scrubs, professionally and privately for decades, and I'll tell you now that if I put my hand up to the face of one of my scrubs now, I would lose a lot of blood. Your suggestion would be laughable if it wasn't potentially harmful.

Joemal, I know what you mean about the overhead scrubby thing! I once had a couple of scrubs sent to me by Eric Worrell when I was living in Perth... not familiar with them, put them in a large outdoor enclosure (summer) and with a few high perches. Changing water one day and BANG - a full bite across the back of my neck! I guess the offender would have been maybe 3.5m, but is ure scared the crap out of me and I lost a lot of blood! My neck was a deep purple, then green, then yellow for weeks :)! Never again did I take their "quiet' status for granted.

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

I dont really comment on these forums any more and would rather talk to people over facebook. Im pretty sure that everyone by now knows that '96' is my age as ive stated on a few facebook comments ;)

I agree with you that you can never put all your trust in them as yes even mine have their bitchy days but i have never got a bite from the ones i have had over 3 years. They do deserve alot respect also and it might be that i do something different in terms of affection and i really do believe despite what anyone says that they DO realise that you are the one that cares for them, feeds them and gives them freedom and the pleasant behaviour i get from them is their way of 'saying thanks'- not that they would know any different unless if its an older animal of corse.

Your scrubs seem to be a lot different to mine by your comment too. I think all of my animals have a very good attitude though to most, maybe they realise they are spoilt with reptile toys (cage furniture) lol and they come outside for 'walks' and get lots of time out of the cage, i could go on for ages but as i have already said people need to see them first before saying otherwise about my reptiles :)
 
Hi Jamie,

I dont really comment on these forums any more and would rather talk to people over facebook. Im pretty sure that everyone by now knows that '96' is my age as ive stated on a few facebook comments ;)

I agree with you that you can never put all your trust in them as yes even mine have their bitchy days but i have never got a bite from the ones i have had over 3 years. They do deserve alot respect also and it might be that i do something different in terms of affection and i really do believe despite what anyone says that they DO realise that you are the one that cares for them, feeds them and gives them freedom and the pleasant behaviour i get from them is their way of 'saying thanks'- not that they would know any different unless if its an older animal of corse.

Your scrubs seem to be a lot different to mine by your comment too. I think all of my animals have a very good attitude though to most, maybe they realise they are spoilt with reptile toys (cage furniture) lol and they come outside for 'walks' and get lots of time out of the cage, i could go on for ages but as i have already said people need to see them first before saying otherwise about my reptiles :)

OK, so you're 16, (nothing wrong with that), but experienced enough with scrubbies (started with them at 13 - where were your parents???) to tell someone seeking advice that it's OK just to put your hand up the face of the snake to deter biting? How many compliant scrubs do you have - sounds like you have heaps? As far as the snakes "thanking" you for giving them a good life... give me a break!

I should point out, by the way, that I think scrubbies are magnificent snakes, and are rewarding for experiernced keepers to maintain, but anyone interested in them should understand that they are a big responsibility, and your expectation of a scrub should not be to that it will become a pussycat - as snakepimp says, just take them for what they are. If you get a good one, that's great, but the chances are you won't lol!

Jamie
 
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OK, so you're 16, (nothing wrong with that), but experienced enough with scrubbies to tell someone seeking advice that it's OK just to put your hand up the face of the snake to deter biting? How many compliant scrubs do you have - sounds like you have heaps? As far as the snakes "thanking" you for giving them a good life... give me a break!

Jamie

Not jumping in to argue here, but I think she meant she is 96 years old, not born in 1996.
 
lol :) That thought had crossed my mind too...

Look, soon I'm going to be fried for discouraging a younger site member by being sceptical of her advice and experience, but in a case like this where the advice she has given is incorrect and potentially harmful, I feel I should say something. I'm all for people who want them being able to have them, but they need to know what comes with them to ensure the association between keeper and kept is a rewarding one. And heaven forbid, if a keeper who is casual with a scrub comes to grief with a child or a dog - where does that leave keepers in the eyes of the legislators.

If this child was allowed to keep Scrub Pythons at the age of 13, I hope she was NEVER allowed to handle them unsupervised.

J
 
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I have 4 scrubs, one is 3 years old, one is 2 and two are yearlings. If you dont agree with something i say that is fine but there is no need to start getting rude, this is the reason i 'disappeared' for a while. I have no doubt you know your stuff but dont just think because of my age i have no right to give advice, this is what has worked for me with all sorts of pythons. If you dont want to believe or agree with something i say thats fine but as i said you dont need get all keyboard warrior over the internet.
 
There is a significant difference between scrubs and "all sorts of (other) pythons." So, you have young, relatively small animals. I certainly agree that you have every right to give advice, but it should be correct advice, and you should, as I do, always err on the side of caution. The consequences of others taking (your) bad advice may reach further into the hobby and legislation than you think, and anyone giving advice about handling dangerous animals (and large scrubs are potentially dangerous animals) must be mindful that there ar lots of people out there who will take risks, and maybe they will take that risk because you told them it's OK.

For the most part, the advice given here, if incorrect or misleading, has few negative consequences other than sick or dead animals, but where the potential for personal injury is part of the equation, then we all have a responsibility to offer caution as the best piece of advice we can give, Putting you hand up to the face of a 1yo scrub may not have many negative consequences, but trying it with a 4-5m adult will cause a lot of grief. if it does, and there is negative publicity, the consequences may further snowball, especially with legislators who don't like the fact that we keep these things anyway.

Jamie
 
Ok fair enough i see where you are coming from but i can assure you my 3 yr old scrub is not small, he is 4.5m length and weighs about 9kgs last time i weighed him. Also i have had more than 4 scrubs, they are by far my favourite python over any other. The most difficult pair i have ever had was a pair that was given to me, they were psycho and were about 2.5-3m each. I never got them calm like my others that i have now are they were always bitey but in the end they tolerated being held and didn't bite or strike but there was always that tention there (im sure you know what i mean) that i was expecting them to strike.
 
A scrubby is the LAST python you would want to get a bite from, Very alert powerful snakes.. I will never even Trust my "tame" ones let alone my agro ones!
A flat hand up to the face of a bitey scrubby has got to be some of the most stupid advice ever given on a forum, DON'T DO THAT!

e11357fe.jpg
 
Hmm...what I've learnt from this recent argument is that scrubbies are in a class of their own and behave in a way that is unique to other pythons. Not only do they seem more intelligent, but it seems you can never fully trust a scrub and should never let your guard down, even around a calm one.

I've had a bit of experience with other pythons (ants, carpets, aspidites and liasis), but that doesn't seem like it'll help too much when dealing with this scrub. Very much looking forward to working with such a challenging animal.

And Bluey, your patternless scrubs are gorgeous! Breeding the parents again this season?
 
snakelady96 , i just tested your hand theory with my mental coastal , he just took his striking pose and had a quick go hit me square in the palm but it just deflected and i got my hand out quick smart before he could "reload " as i call it , lucky it wasn't a large scrubby hey
 
Hmm...what I've learnt from this recent argument is that scrubbies are in a class of their own and behave in a way that is unique to other pythons. Not only do they seem more intelligent, but it seems you can never fully trust a scrub and should never let your guard down, even around a calm one.

I've had a bit of experience with other pythons (ants, carpets, aspidites and liasis), but that doesn't seem like it'll help too much when dealing with this scrub. Very much looking forward to working with such a challenging animal.

And Bluey, your patternless scrubs are gorgeous! Breeding the parents again this season?

Never trust a scrubby and you will be fine.

My pattenless do have patterns on the middle of their bods, and yes trying them again :)

99b5b70c.jpg
 
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