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Welly
Hatchling
United Kingdom
164 Posts |
 Posted - 16/06/2011 : 22:13:01
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Jeez, nearly lost my face!
Samson is getting really nippy lately, never normally is but in the past few days he has bit me once and just dived for my face. Lucky my reactions are faster than his or i'd be sporting a munched nose.
I know they are nippy when young but he is over a year old now. Do they remain nippy?
All i was doing tonight was handling. |
0.1.0 Royal Python
0.0.1 Mexican Black King
1.0.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
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gmac
Grumpy Scots Admin
United Kingdom
710 Posts |
Posted - 16/06/2011 : 22:29:24
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they can be unpredictable and will mostly always be unpredictable. Most will calm down with regular handling but really is upto the snake.
Is it coming upto a shed, possibly why it may be more feisty than usual. |
GMac
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CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 16/06/2011 : 23:07:44
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If the handling is gentle, it's likely to get over the biting. If the handling is rough and the snake never gets to feel secure, it's likely to remain unpredictable. Rainbow boas are shy and gentle, so adapting handling to their likes can be very beneficial, but you always have to remain a little bold at the same time. If they learn that biting will get you to put them down, they won't be forgetting it anytime soon :)
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TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 00:08:37
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| He's still a juvenile, and they sometimes "forget" their training and nip. I've found each age bracket (newborn, baby, juvenile, adult) results in a further reduction of biting. Be regular, be gentle, and all should be fine. :D |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
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Welly
Hatchling
United Kingdom
164 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 10:20:54
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He was crawling round the sofa and i picked him up, only when i pulled him up to look at him.
Im not fussed on getting bit, had quite a few now not to worry. Just his teeth are like razors |
0.1.0 Royal Python
0.0.1 Mexican Black King
1.0.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
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newbie
Hatchling
184 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 10:30:37
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Does it hurt when BRBs bite? *starts to nervously look for a pair of gloves*  |
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CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 12:23:03
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quote:
Originally posted by newbie
Does it hurt when BRBs bite? *starts to nervously look for a pair of gloves*
It's usually all over before you even know it happened and it doesn't normally hurt at all. It's not like they can do too much damage with those tiny heads. The funny thing is that they'll nip and then seemingly go back to 'normal'. The worst possible thing is to put them down after they nip - once they learn that it works, they wont' forget it.
I *never* recommend gloves, but that's just me :) |
TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
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newbie
Hatchling
184 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 14:01:21
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| Think I'd be too worried about wearing gloves in case they got their teeth caught or something! |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 18:25:48
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Welly, it's pretty common for a Brazilian to react that way to "recapture" when they're crawling "free." Most of my nip attempts are not from animals I remove from their vivs/hides and hold throughout, but from the ones I put down to let explore, and then pick up again.
Newbie, I would say skip the gloves as well. As Todd said, it's usually over before you know it, and you just have a few tiny pinpoints of blood to mark the spot. No pain though. |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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newbie
Hatchling
184 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 18:35:37
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| In spite of potential nipping I can't wait to be the owner of one of these beautiful creatures! |
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tango
Snake mite
United Kingdom
40 Posts |
Posted - 18/06/2011 : 19:34:22
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like has already been said they will carm down with age but very occasionly might nip,
but nothing to worry about.
dont like the idea of gloves, as you cant fill the snake properly. |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 20/06/2011 : 19:10:37
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| One other point worth making: I've found my Brazilians are much more likely to nip when they've been "set free" to explore for a bit, and are then picked up again. After a few minutes of freedom, they seem to resent the "recapture." |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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flaboye
Hatchling
USA
178 Posts |
Posted - 21/06/2011 : 04:03:00
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As was mentioned, as they are slender boas, (including heads) their bite isn't like a large redtail or a blood python (those hit like a freaking truck), and the bruises will be as bad as the punctures, lol.
However, that being said, I got to work with a few which were 10 years old, and older and VERY large (brazilians) and they could put a hurtin on ya. I've had rainbow's cut through Class 0 Honeywell Lineman's gloves (yep)!!! Best bet is to be persistent but gentle, and the worst thing you can do is teach them that once they bite they get their way (also previously mentioned) So, stick the bite(s) out and continue on with whatever it was you were doing, or they'll get it imprinted that they get their way with a strike.
I know that once you barely miss having your eye bit, it can be hard to trust. But you've got to trust the snake somehow, if you can't, well you know...
If the snake is "mad" at you, it will bite more than once, sometimes repeatedly, and I mean repeatedly! (I've been there too, lol). You can read their body language, there are a few tips I have on that issue from working with so many of them. If you want, contact me and I can give them to you.
Best of luck!
Joe |
0.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow
1.0.0 Hypo BCI
1.0.0 Columbian RedTail
1.0.0 Great Pyrenees
0.0.1 Armadillo under house |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 21/06/2011 : 04:25:42
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| Well said, Joe! And actually, I'd be interested to hear your tips, too! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 21/06/2011 : 13:05:25
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Alright, now that someone mentioned Bloods biting, I feel compelled to throw-in 2 more of my cents, lol.
When your average snake strikes, it's usually a defensive move, which is why I chose the word 'strike'. A strike is, of course, a lunge forward followed immediately by a recoil, which is how a snake warns you to keep your distance. This is sometimes done without even opening their mouths, which would be considered 'butting'. The vast majority of times, there will be warning signs in the body language that this is coming.
Oddly enough, the Rainbow boa that I have which is prone to striking doesn't display any warning and a strike will often just come out of the blue, so to speak. I have to add that my Bloods don't display any signs that this might be coming either, but will instead strike if they're startled, but only if I've startled them and am within *very* close range (e.g. approaching my youngest/smallest entirely too quickly).
9 out of 10 strikes are usually our fault - whether we're moving too fast for the animal's comfort, we're asking for it by pushing our luck doing something we know that particular animal doesn't like, teasing the snake, etc., however, I'm not so sure the same can be said for these Rainbow hits (and/or misses). Mine will sometimes lunge if, as Cliff mentioned, I'm approaching it after letting it free-roam, and those I consider my fault, but my 1 particular lunger will often strike from a seemingly content position. It's almost like she does it out of pure spite because she resents my interference with her existence, lol.
Now, let's cover the last kind of bite, which is an unmistakeable food-related bite. This is a bite and wrap, and this is almost always the keeper's fault. If you get one of these and you haven't been handling other animals that smell like food to your snake, it's probably safe to take it as a sign that the snake is *really* hungry. This type of attack are usually a result of us forgetting ourselves, they're usually warranted and usually avoidable if you think about why you got tagged.
All-in-all, a little closed-mouth butting, open-mouthed striking or even nipping/biting kinda goes with the territory, as much as I hate to say it, but of course anything with a mouth can bite, so just always be aware of the potential of your animals.
For the record, I've been raising Bloods for 10 years and have only been tagged twice by them, both times by the same hatchling, both times my fault, both times I could have avoided it by acting more appropriately. I just don't want people getting the wrong impression of them - they're not all prickly customers, you just need to respect them :) |
TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
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Welly
Hatchling
United Kingdom
164 Posts |
Posted - 21/06/2011 : 14:12:30
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| All interesting. Im not fussed on getting bit, it doesnt really hurt its the shock more than anything else. |
0.1.0 Royal Python
0.0.1 Mexican Black King
1.0.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
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Topic |
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Biting
