Peeved off spotty

[justin91]

Hey.

To start off, I have researched snakes for hours an hours a day for a few weeks and decided to buy a juvi spotted python. Bought him, or her, not sure, it was dew for a feed but was about to shed so didn't feed it. Had it for 2 days and it shed over night. I fed it straight after I got home from work yesterday in a separate enclosure. My mate came over about an hour later before I put it back in its normal enclosure and asked if he could do it. I said sure cause his had snakes before. Btw, I fed it two fuzzie mice. He put his hand in and pressed on my snakes head into the ground. Looked hard. Picked it up by his head and put it in the normal tank. Since then my snake is one Pissed off mother ****er. Constantly striking at the glass when I walk past or my hand when I put it in to move something around. Is it normal? I know it's just fed so maybe that's why it's Pissed off. Not sure. I know his and idiot for doing that.

 

[roobars]

my calm and placid Ant's get very snappy before and after tea time... strike at the side of tub and all... try to handle it in a couple of days see how you go.

And tell your mate to p*** off, and never grab your snake by the head again, or press it in to the ground. If someone came to my house and treated my snakes like that I would pay the favour forward, and show them what that feels like, I am really not kidding about that...

 

[Blake182]

Yeah your mate sounds like a di*k head and I fell sorry his snakes

 

[Manda1032]

Wouldn't you be a bit peeved if someone came over, mooshed your head into the ground and picked you up by your ears and put you away? I'd be fair PO and very narky thinking some nasty piece of work's gonna come and do that again. Leave the poor thing be for a long while or it'll regurge it's tucker and don't let him handle it again

 

[justin91]

Yeah I know as soon as I saw him do it that he was a retard and told him never touch my snake again. I was pretty peeved off. Gonna try pick it up again on Tuesday maybe. I understand why it's striking so much. I probably would to. Hopefully it settles down and doesn't think I'll do that and strike me for ever Lol

 

[thomasssss]

wow , im with the others tell your mate hes an idiot , theres no need to grab a python by the head unless its obviously angry and needs to be moved like off the road or something in the case of wild snakes , id personally never grab a captive python by the head unless it had just bit me and latched on

to avoid this in the future you should be careful in who you let handle your snakes and if they havent done so before quickly show them how to GENTLY handle the animal

only vens need to be head pinned

 

[justin91]

wow , im with the others tell your mate hes an idiot , theres no need to grab a python by the head unless its obviously angry and needs to be moved like off the road or something in the case of wild snakes , id personally never grab a captive python by the head unless it had just bit me and latched on

to avoid this in the future you should be careful in who you let handle your snakes and if they havent done so before quickly show them how to GENTLY handle the animal

only vens need to be head pinned

Yeah I knew it was wrong as soon as he did it. Just thought he'd have fair bit of knowledge considering his had a few carpets. What a idiot tho. I'm still Pissed off. I'm just worried it'll wreck the relationship I can hate with my snake. Like, I hope it won't have humans forever now

 

[thomasssss]

ah , just let it go in the friend ship sense no point in starting fights over small stuff with mates , just make sure he doesnt do it again now that you know how he handles them , ive got a mate i dont like to let handle any of my snakes because hes really ruff with them , i just find excuses like they've just eaten or are in shed works every time

 

[justin91]

I also forgot to mention that when ever my spotty sees or senses me now, it is violent shaking. Not sure if that's a sign its about to strike or is it because of something else?

- - - Updated - - -

I also forgot to mention that when ever my spotty sees or senses me now, it is violent shaking. Not sure if that's a sign its about to strike or is it because of something else?

 

[Raymonde]

The rough treatment could be the cause of the spotted's aggression, or it could be an after feeding thing, I know my snakes stay in 'feed mode' for a few hours after eating, but 'feeding mode' doesn't last forever, by the next day the are all curled up on their warm spots. Could it be that the snake is now feeling more insecure in its enclosure? Does it have a warm spot to curl up in and digest? Is there enough hides and other cover (like fake plants) so it can feel save and secure? Is the tank open on all sides?

things that might help are (if you are not already doing this): making sure that there is a hide on the warm side of the cage that gets to about 30-32 degrees; making sure you have several hides, at least 2, one at the warm end and one at the cold end, but you can't have too many; if the tank is all glass, cover up the back and the sides, if the tank is in a spot where there is a lot of people activity it can also help to cover the front for a week or 2 while the snake gets used to its new home (it sounds like you have had it for less than a week so it will still be getting used to the new smells and noises).

if it stays aggressive, there are lots of old threads you can search for which give ideas on how to get a snake used to be handled

 

[Hazordous-Herps]

What does your mate treat his snakes like, does he treat his snakes like this? If I were you I would work on trying to get the snake relaxed aaround you again. You should try and handle it a few times, make sure it gets use to you.

 

[justin91]

The rough treatment could be the cause of the spotted's aggression, or it could be an after feeding thing, I know my snakes stay in 'feed mode' for a few hours after eating, but 'feeding mode' doesn't last forever, by the next day the are all curled up on their warm spots. Could it be that the snake is now feeling more insecure in its enclosure? Does it have a warm spot to curl up in and digest? Is there enough hides and other cover (like fake plants) so it can feel save and secure? Is the tank open on all sides?

things that might help are (if you are not already doing this): making sure that there is a hide on the warm side of the cage that gets to about 30-32 degrees; making sure you have several hides, at least 2, one at the warm end and one at the cold end, but you can't have too many; if the tank is all glass, cover up the back and the sides, if the tank is in a spot where there is a lot of people activity it can also help to cover the front for a week or 2 while the snake gets used to its new home (it sounds like you have had it for less than a week so it will still be getting used to the new smells and noises).

if it stays aggressive, there are lots of old threads you can search for which give ideas on how to get a snake used to be handled

They are some great tips and I appreciate the help. He has a nice dark hiding spot that is warm and a hiding spot that is in the cool spot as well. He fed great. Better then what I expected actually. The tank is all glass, I put up a piece of wood at the back of the glass and will put another piece on either side of it, try make it feel more secure. It's currently in my study, next to my computer (thought it would help keeping the tank warm as I spend a fair amount of my time on my computer so its constantly on, its a quiet computer though). I'll track down some of those old threads tonight. Thanks. Really appreciate it.

 

[Reptilez123]

that sucks he probably traumatized your snake

 

[sanna]

What a horrible thing to do to such a little snake! Don't see how somebody thought that would be necessary in any way. 'Ooo look out, juvi spotted, that could do some serious harm if it bit you! Let's grab it like it's a venomous snake'... -_- I would be very angry if somebody did that but nevertheless, it's done now. I wouldn't stress too bad about it. After he/she has settled down for a couple of days he/she should be fine with gentle handling. It might take a bit longer because of that, who knows, but just don't give up he/she is still young enough to be tamed with proper handling.

If I were you though, I wouldn't let anybody near your snakes in future unless you are sure from previous experiences that they do know how to properly handle them. Just for your peace of mind and the safety of your lil guy.

I'd also just check that he/she wasn't damaged from that (assuming it was very hard) because that would make him pretty pissed off. Very unlikely, but just make sure Good luck, I'm sure everything will be fine, despite your d*ckhead mate.

 

[thomasssss]

this is a little bit of info ive copied from a sheet that snake ranch sent out when i got my hatchy woma from them , doesn't say who wrote it but its good advice for the op in future

"much can be gained by providing your hatchling with the opportunity to 'settle in' before any handling or other potentially stressful interaction is undertaken. if conditions are suitable , and privacy is granted, the reptile will adapt quickly to its surroundings. on the other hand , if this initial period is interrupted with bouts of handling, or other factors lead to stress and uncertainty for the reptile , the settling in period can extend indefinitely. stress in reptiles can be cumulative, with each bad experience (e.g. being handled whilst frightened) adding to the store of earlier negative experiences. as exciting as a new arrival can be, the keeper that respects the animal and resists the urge to show it off in the initial period of settling-in, will be rewarded in the long haul."

ill add a little section of the handling advice from the same sheet as its very relevant to this case

"unless there is a need to medicate the snake, inspect its mouth or reconfirm its sex, you should never grab it anywhere near its head or along the first third of its body, as this will cause undue alarm.neither should you hold it by the tail . instead, support the entire snake with your palms pointing upward. if it attempts to crawl forward, you can alternate your hands one in front of the other, so that the snake will move along the equivalent of a never-ending treadmill. "

that all comes from the same sheet it has some good advice from good keepers (snake ranch that is )

 

[justin91]

What a horrible thing to do to such a little snake! Don't see how somebody thought that would be necessary in any way. 'Ooo look out, juvi spotted, that could do some serious harm if it bit you! Let's grab it like it's a venomous snake'... -_- I would be very angry if somebody did that but nevertheless, it's done now. I wouldn't stress too bad about it. After he/she has settled down for a couple of days he/she should be fine with gentle handling. It might take a bit longer because of that, who knows, but just don't give up he/she is still young enough to be tamed with proper handling.

If I were you though, I wouldn't let anybody near your snakes in future unless you are sure from previous experiences that they do know how to properly handle them. Just for your peace of mind and the safety of your lil guy.

I'd also just check that he/she wasn't damaged from that (assuming it was very hard) because that would make him pretty pissed off. Very unlikely, but just make sure Good luck, I'm sure everything will be fine, despite your d*ckhead mate.

Well, not sure how hard he was pressing but looked little bit hard which I'm sure had the possibility of hurting it. Its all good now. Haven't touched it since the incident (3 days now, so hard though haha). Going to try tomorrow to pick it up, be as gentle as possible. I was reading around and saw a reply somebody said about holding the snake and cupping it in your hands. Apparently it calms it down because its dark and warm and they usually go to sleep after a few mins. I'll give it a go if. Hopefully works and calms the poor lil bugga down.

this is a little bit of info ive copied from a sheet that snake ranch sent out when i got my hatchy woma from them , doesn't say who wrote it but its good advice for the op in future

"much can be gained by providing your hatchling with the opportunity to 'settle in' before any handling or other potentially stressful interaction is undertaken. if conditions are suitable , and privacy is granted, the reptile will adapt quickly to its surroundings. on the other hand , if this initial period is interrupted with bouts of handling, or other factors lead to stress and uncertainty for the reptile , the settling in period can extend indefinitely. stress in reptiles can be cumulative, with each bad experience (e.g. being handled whilst frightened) adding to the store of earlier negative experiences. as exciting as a new arrival can be, the keeper that respects the animal and resists the urge to show it off in the initial period of settling-in, will be rewarded in the long haul."

ill add a little section of the handling advice from the same sheet as its very relevant to this case

"unless there is a need to medicate the snake, inspect its mouth or reconfirm its sex, you should never grab it anywhere near its head or along the first third of its body, as this will cause undue alarm.neither should you hold it by the tail . instead, support the entire snake with your palms pointing upward. if it attempts to crawl forward, you can alternate your hands one in front of the other, so that the snake will move along the equivalent of a never-ending treadmill. "

that all comes from the same sheet it has some good advice from good keepers (snake ranch that is )

Thats actually some really good helpful information. I'll definitely take note of all the helpful tips I've recieved from everybody next time. Well, hopefully won't ever be a next time ever again.

Thanks.