My Pshyco Coastal

[Nome]

Hi there,

I purchased a lovely coastal hatchie female a month ago, who was handled regulary and never bitten. I found this true in her first week with me, she was lovely and not flightly at all. In her second week, I fed her a pinkie and she ate it very quickly, and wanted more within 5 mins. The next feed, 5 days later was a fuzzy, and once every 7 days a fuzzy since then.

I haven't handled her much, as I don;t want to disrupt her digestion, and I handled her 3 days after a feed, and then every 2nd day till her next feed. But now, since I started her on the fuzzies, she acts pshyco, striking the cage as we pass, and as soon as I enter her room, she maintains a 'cobra' pose, ready to go at us, and as soon as I open her lid, she shoots up and nearly grabs my face. :shock:

My quiet little girl has turned into a worse bitey snake than my scrubby, does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

Any help would be great.

~N

 

[basketcase]

for the majority of snakes u can handled them the day after a feed. as always there are exceptions.

 

[Ella]

Hi nome, are u feeding her in her cage? If so, maybe she's associating ur prescence with a feed. Also maybe the step up from pinkie to fuzzy triggered something in her body (tWeenager?)
Sorry I'm not more help

 

[Nome]

HI Ella,

Yes I am feeding her in her cage, but so did the previous owner. I worry about the stress it puts on hatchies when they are moved back after a feed, maybe needlessly, I don't know? :cry:

Thanks for the hints

~N

 

[instar]

May just be she is distressed at traffic in the room? has she places to hide? could also just be an enthusiastic feeder too. Do you feed at night? in dark? regular times? She must learn when you approach ,a difference between feed time (all exited, might be food) and just play time. Many say snakes develop a kind os "pavlovian" response to certain stimuli, for example, some people only handle during the day for play and with food at night. Others will gently touch the snake with a hook, biro etc before handling, the snake gets the idea no food is involved. In all, its only a baby, dont worry much at this point.

 

[Nome]

Hi INstar,

Very little traffic in room, (I've been told this is the problem by the previous owner, she says I need to put her where she will see more people.) She has one hide in warm in, 1 in the cool end, but she will especially leave it to have a go at us. I feed her at 7pm, any handling is usually after 9pm on non-feeding days. I try to touch her when she is getting out, and when feeding don't touch at all. Maybe it will work. I'm more worried as her temperment has changed so much from what she used to be, like worried i'm doing something wrong, or maybe she just sees me as food. She is also very bitey out of the cage, and acts scared when I have her out.

Thanks for all the advice.

~N

 

[instar]

Nome, some instincts are strong, even in captive bred animals. Consider, in the wild, hatchling snakes must be elusive and ever vigilant, since they are an easy target for predators. In captivity perhaps, the instinct to hide remains, but so does the instincts for survival, striking, being alert to any possibilty of food when anything moves, because they dont know when the next meal is coming. Your baby is learning how to be a snake. lol Dont worry, really, many "snappy" hatchlings will settle down as they get older and more used to handling. remember, handling is a form of stress for any snake, they dont really like it(i think they just want to be left alone) but they do tolerate it, with gentle persistance. You are right about not handling after a feed too, its easy to upset little tummys.

 

[Fuscus]

for the majority of snakes u can handled them the day after a feed. as always there are exceptions.

I'm under the impression that you should wait three days after a feed before handling

 

[basketcase]

youre right fuscus. however i have handled all my snakes the day after without trouble.

ive also found that snakes learn its 'normal' if done from hatching. having said that there are individual snakes that just dont wanna be handled wen theyre digesting something

 

[Guest]

I am handling my carpet hatchie 48 hours after feeding, and it loves it, i will sit with it on my hand or on the couch next to me while watching tv and when its time to go back to its home it just gets on my hand and at the cage it just slithers away into its hide no problems. the only time it is snappy (not really, but does have a go sometimes) is after a feed when i move it from its feeding box back to its cage, but im sure this is just the feeding instinct.

 

[bigguy]

Nome,

Sounds like she is starting to crave food, and associates any movement as food. Try feeding it more and see what happens, plus keep up the handling

 

[boost]

i have a bredli that has been a great handler , that is untill she grew out of her enclosure and had to be put into a new one now she is snappy even out of her cage.
something must trigger this behavure as they seem to change over night . i just try to leave them alone and hope they will come around in the end

 

[zoe]

Nome, some instincts are strong, even in captive bred animals. Consider, in the wild, hatchling snakes must be elusive and ever vigilant, since they are an easy target for predators. In captivity perhaps, the instinct to hide remains, but so does the instincts for survival, striking, being alert to any possibilty of food when anything moves, because they dont know when the next meal is coming

when you say, "even in captive bred animals" i think you have to treat a captive bred snake the same as a wild one in terms of instincts etc because you have to remember that snakes aren't domesticated animals. tame yes (some anyway :wink: ), domesticated no. sorry instar i'm not trying to pick on you or anything but i think its probably important to remember that you're not dealing with a pussycat here! we're dealing with an essentially wild animal and initially (for me anyway) its hard to realise that its nothing personal when your snake tries to take your head off lol. he/she might just be in a bad mood . if your kitty kat tries to take your head off tho thats another matter lol. anyway, sorry if i'm going off on a tangent here it made sense when i started lol.

oh and i SUPPOSE that goes for Muzzy as well :shock: (the nothing personal thing that is :wink: )

 

[instar]

Actually i meant that zoe, They still have survival instincts. I think there is a misconception,
to varying degrees, that c.b. are somehow "soft".

 

[zoe]

lol i seem to misunderstand you a lot huh :wink:
sssssoooooorrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy

I think there is a misconception,
to varying degrees, that c.b. are somehow "soft".

i agree

 

[Nome]

Thanks guys for all the input. I fed her again tonight, and she munched it up quick smart. Maybe I should be feeding her more regulary. Even though the mouse is halfway down her body, she is still out sitting up like a cobra striking at the edge.

It's just cause she's now changed I worry, and when I ring up the breeder, they say 'Well she didn't do that with me'. So, I worry I'm doing something wrong. :?

But i do think you are right, I think it's just her instincts kicking in, and also she's a hungry little bugger.

I called her Chloe, because she was so sweet, but now I''m thinking of renaming her to Cobra, she seriously looks like one. I've never seen a strike pose like she does! :shock:

~N

 

[cwarren72]

Nome I am live in north Brissy and if she gets to much for you let me know lol I will take her off your hands Pyscho or not

 

[zoe]

lol why can nobody spell psycho? :wink:

 

[Pinkie]

hehehe

 

[dobermanmick]

snappy (not really, but does have a go sometimes) is after a feed when i move it from its feeding box back to its cage, but im sure this is just the feeding instinct.

I get around this problem by using his hide box ( a light globe box ) and when i am ready to get him out of the feeding box i put the hide in front of him and he slides in and then i put him( inside the hide box )back in his enclosure but this will only work with smaller snakes when young havent expierienced big ones yet !