How to love an unloved python

[Richard Biffin]

If it's at all useful, I employ the same strategy mentioned above when raising Lace and Heath Monitors (i realise they are not pythons but I think the same applies). Some take longer (females up to 5 years in one case), to other individuals, I'm basically a piece of furniture within a few months of hatching, BUT, they all get there in the end with a hands off approach as John has made reference to. Time's on your side, I think. Even if it doesn't completely "play the game" it will likely improve.

 

[-Adam-]

Okey dokes. Either one of you can take him if you're keen? Give it a go
[doublepost=1588436400,1588434745][/doublepost]Sdaji, this boy is apart of my life now. I took him on because I knew he was taken on as a cute little novelty and the novelty wore off. He was too big to be cute anymore.
He is old and boring now.
But I'm not a about to give My boy to anyone else. No Way in Hell. I wouldn't sell him for anything.
.i just want to know ways to tame him, to make him feel comfortable with me

Hi KrystalBallz,

I don't have much experience with snakes so take this post with a grain of salt. But if I may (and I humbly post this as respectfully as I can - please correct me if I'm wrong) - as I understand it your current position is:

a) You've acquired a snake that has little handling in the past
b) You've acquired a snake that is highly defensive
c) Your attachment to this snake is one where you won't pass it on for any reason
d) You don't want to accept the snake's current state (highly defensive) and want to change it's behaviour.

I have no problems with what you're seeking - I just have one question to ask you and that is "what if it ends up that the snake is one where it's nature is not going to change and it will never become familiar and comfortable with you?" Are you willing to accept that, and if so - what evidence or point do you need to get to a point to realise that? Or is that too not an acceptable outcome - and will you choose to continue to try for the rest of he snake's life - even if it means that it ends up making the snakes existance more stressed?

I don't think you're at that point at present. I think @Sdaji has given some real sound advice for you to try, and if it were me - I'd be just like you - wanting to learn what options are available as well to try - to see if it is possible. However in saying that - you have placed some tight conditions on possible outcomes - so I would encourage you to ask yourself and answer the question as to whether you are willing to accept the snake for where it is now if change is not possible.

If it was me - I would try to work on the snake following @Sdaji's advice - and be very patient - but if I continued to fail I would consider making it a breeder (or moving it onto someone who would), so it has a life that doesn't require much handling and accept that it will be defensive, and acquire something else for more handling. But that is me - I don't see snakes like I do a dog where there is a two way bond that occurs and remains for life. Snakes are very different animals with very different needs.

 

[Sdaji]

If it was me - I would try to work on the snake following @Sdaji's advice - and be very patient - but if I continued to fail I would consider making it a breeder (or moving it onto someone who would), so it has a life that doesn't require much handling and accept that it will be defensive, and acquire something else for more handling. But that is me - I don't see snakes like I do a dog where there is a two way bond that occurs and remains for life. Snakes are very different animals with very different needs.

I would never use this snake as a breeder. Temperament has a large genetic component, and since there is no shortage of Coastal Carpet Pythons in the hobby, it makes little sense to be reproducing this one. You'd have great difficulty finding anyone who was going to do a quarter decent job of breeding and had any interest in using this one anyway. Unless it was being done as a favour you'd struggle to find any experienced breeder willing to take him for free.

If someone wants to make this their behavioural project animal that's their choice. It will hopefully be a big learning experience in this case (and if not the snake and owner will both suffer!).

Krystal, just understand that right now, this snake does not want interaction with humans. It is terrified of them. It can not comprehend the concept of 'lets just gradually get you used to what you're scared of by increasing your dose of it', and even in humans which can understand that concept, it is counterproductive if the exposure is enough to illicit an instinctive fear response, and the snake is going to make no attempt at deliberately controlling that fear, because it doesn't think there is any reason to. As someone else said, this is likely to take years to resolve (if it's possible at all), so be prepared for this to possibly be a lifelong 'look but don't touch' pet, which is what would be ideal for the snake in any scenario.

 

[Susannah]

For an old, adult snake with that established attitude it's likely to be difficult. This is a great example of a snake which doesn't suit the standard advice everyone will give you (keep persisting with handling until he gets used to it). The standard advice is most of counterproductive in these cases, as I described above, and in the mean time the snake is being traumatised and you're being frustrated and bitten. It will occasionally work, but you've already tried and found it not to (which is what you'd expect 9 times out of 10 in a case like this), so it's best to go with what's more likely to work.

Stop handling. Reduce interaction to the minimum you can. If there's anything which upsets him (going near the cage making him react fearfully, picking him up to clean the enclosure, whatever it might be), don't do it, or do it as little as possible. Now the big monster (you) has stopped trying to kill him (gently interact with him). Hopefully over time he'll get used to you and lose fear, now that you're just a part of the scenery and not something which tries to kill him. Then you can very slowly start to increase interaction. To do this properly takes a lot of effort and understanding, and to gain the experience which would make it easy, you'd need to work with a lot of snakes for a reasonable amount of time, and by then you wouldn't be interested in taming a snake like this anyway. In reality, a snake like this is best off with someone who will treat it like most people treat fish - look but don't physically interact. If you're happy to do that, great, and that's also the most likely way to get him to change. You might find that in a different person's care, the new person's attitude and different style may quickly or even immediately calm him down, and if you're going to get him to change, you'll have to change yourself. If you do have your heart set on an interactive snake, you're probably better off finding this one a new home. Probably a difficult snake to rehome though; people like me who can do it won't generally want to, and people who would want to generally can't do it. Whether you keep this snake for a short time or long time, cut out the interaction for the foreseeable future, and never opt for any interaction which is at all stressful to the snake.

This is good advice.

Plus, don't feel guilty about not playing with your snake if he's not receptive to it. *They* don't need it. They're not cats or dogs or dolphins. They need water, food, heat and somewhere to hide. And occasionally they *want* a mate. That's it. That's all. Like humans, snakes will have personality. Some bite more than others. Some are more introverted than others. This guy might like to be alone? If he's not hungry or cold, he's probably happy. It really is up to what *you* want in a pet. If you have the energy to attempt to tame him, it'll be a long and slow process and possibly still not 100% effective.

Good luck!

 

[reptileandsodaz]

IF YOU DONT LIKE THE SNAKE AND YOU GUYS ARE ON DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF STRING THE SNAKE IS BETTER OF IN A DIFFERENT HOME [also did u know when an animal is unloved it doesnt live its best possible life] get the guts and make the right choice which i know you will do.........well it seems you disagree now i shall say that taming a snake that is not young and doesnt like its owner it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get any improvement but i would say that their are a few things that may help your relationship with your snake------ DO NOT THINK ABOUT GETTING BITEN THE SNAKE CAN SENSE YOUR NERVES------- HANG AROUND THE SNAKE LIKE READ A BOOK RIGHT NEAR YOUR SNAKE TO GET IT USED TO YOUR PRESENTS.....these are the main things but ((taming also mean handling and making your snake and your relationship better)) here are a few things you can do ----gently stroke your snake---- AND BEFORE HANDLING LET IT KNOW YOU ARE THEIR---- if you want to tame your snake here is basicly all you could know CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS ---WATCH THIS IF YOUR SNAKE IS STRESSED = WATCH THIS FOR GENERAL TAMING= have a good day

 

[-Adam-]

I thought about posting that video of Snake Discovery as well - but I think @Sdaji hit the nail on the head when he said (and I quote)

This is a great example of a snake which doesn't suit the standard advice everyone will give you (keep persisting with handling until he gets used to it). The standard advice is most of counterproductive in these cases

As a result - I think that the video would be more misleading to the original posters situation than otherwise.

 

[Herpetology]

IF YOU DONT LIKE THE SNAKE AND YOU GUYS ARE ON DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF STRING THE SNAKE IS BETTER OF IN A DIFFERENT HOME [also did u know when an animal is unloved it doesnt live its best possible life] get the guts and make the right choice which i know you will do.........well it seems you disagree now i shall say that taming a snake that is not young and doesnt like its owner it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get any improvement but i would say that their are a few things that may help your relationship with your snake------ DO NOT THINK ABOUT GETTING BITEN THE SNAKE CAN SENSE YOUR NERVES------- HANG AROUND THE SNAKE LIKE READ A BOOK RIGHT NEAR YOUR SNAKE TO GET IT USED TO YOUR PRESENTS.....these are the main things but ((taming also mean handling and making your snake and your relationship better)) here are a few things you can do ----gently stroke your snake---- AND BEFORE HANDLING LET IT KNOW YOU ARE THEIR---- if you want to tame your snake here is basicly all you could know CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS ---WATCH THIS IF YOUR SNAKE IS STRESSED = WATCH THIS FOR GENERAL TAMING= have a good day

make sure to touch a 7ft python on the bonker to let it know you're there itll tell you, maybe not in the way you expect though