angry carpet python

[Serpentes_15]

Hey everyone. My Murray Darling carpet python is getting close to 2 years now and the last few months she's been getting angrier and angrier. I've not been bitten yet but she is consistently curling up into a very aggressive striking pose and one wrong move ticks her off. I have to pick her up with a hook as she lunges when i touch her, but once i have her out of the enclosure she calms right down and is less sensitve to movement, contact etc.

What can i do to try and minimise this innate fear. Can i get her more used to me interfering with her environment. I know that i have not been handling her enough as i didn't like taking her out during winter very much as it was quite cold where i live.

This is my first snake and i do not like the idea of having a very aggressive 3m python later on in life. That could lead to a very sore face:shock:.

cheers.

 

[MissJane]

Temperatures? Also, how often do you feed her and what?

 

[Serpentes_15]

well i have the thermostatset to 29-30 at the cool end. its a large tank so their is a very good heat gradient. a 100 watt ceramic heat emitter and a 60Watt night glo provide basking spots and the night glo is above a rock. i feed her weanling rats at the moment, she just moved up from adult mice. i try to vary it sometimes feeding her fortnightly then say skip three weeks, then after about 10 days. I feed her in the enclosure and usually give her a few days peace after a meal. The response generally resembles fear and defence as apposed to confusing me with a prey item

 

[bundybear]

if she calms down once you have her out, i'd say she's just cage deffensive.......get used to it!
try getting a cool end of around 26-27 degrees, warm end 32-33 degrees.

why do you skip 3 weeks of feeding?

 

[Serpentes_15]

sometimes i might be away and as i dont have a reliable mate or relative to do it for me i feel its best to let her wait and feed her after. I really dont have a proper feeding regime despite having read numerous caresheets and guides on keeping carpets. they all say different things. it would average between 10 and 16 days.