BHP Behaviour

[harmac]

Hi there, just after some advice as I'm new to snakes.

I was taking my 1yr old BHP out for a poo and a walk on the grass this morning (which we do twice a week) and while I was carrying him outside he rested his head on my wrist (near my pulse) and then proceeded to open his mouth and it looked like he was trying to fit my wrist in his mouth??? He never bit or struck just very slowly and lazily opened his mouth wrapped around and tried to eat my wrist.....

Then my hubby came out and he did the same thing to his wrist but started to constrict around his arm as well. It's like he's smelling something on us which was instigating his desire to eat??? He fed on Thursday arvo so surely he wouldn't be hungry. Neither of us had handled rodents/lizards before hand etc but when carrying him outside we do have to pass the bearded dragon enclosure - would this set him off? He was unusually active last night and was bumping around his box all night.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[bitey]

Not sure but my woma does the same thing almost every time I get him out lately, seems to realise after about a minute that he cant eat me

 

[diamond_man]

my diamonds done that a few times with my fingers but thats whe i smell like rat... have you been touching any dogs cats or other furry things? Its not really a sign of agression or anything I dont think, maybe the bearded dragons get him worked up... BHP's do like to eat reptiles.

 

[harmac]

Yeah, he did realise that he couldn't eat us and stopped. He was more huff and puff than usual and hissed when we went to put him away, so I would just be interested to know what it means. I haven't had him long enough to understand his quirks.....

 

[diamond_man]

Yeah, he did realise that he couldn't eat us and stopped. He was more huff and puff than usual and hissed when we went to put him away, so I would just be interested to know what it means. I haven't had him long enough to understand his quirks.....

got any pics of him?

 

[snocodile]

Not sure but my woma does the same thing almost every time I get him out lately, seems to realise after about a minute that he cant eat me

lol:lol:

 

[andyscott]

It a food responce that is very common in Aspidites.
A lot of BHPs and Womas do this at some stage, from hatchling to sub-adult.
He should grow out of it.

 

[Khagan]

I had a spotted that would do this too, cept it would take him a while to realise he couldn't eat my hand. I never had the scent of anything food related on me either.

 

[Ewan]

Maybe it's telling you it's hungry. A full snake is a happy snake. One of my BHPs, when he gets a decent feed, I don't see him for a week. If he gets a small feed he is out and about and he is a monster till he gets a decent feed. Like Andy said it's some kind of feeding responce. Maybe look into your feed size and/or frequency.

 

[arbok]

definatly hungry, ive seen this in my bhp just make sure they dont get your fingers! really dont like coming off when they get a move on things

 

[cement]

Yes it is a food response. Mine do the same thing only they don't do it lazyily. If I left my hand in the enclosure they will try to eat it. When you get them out and handle them, just move with the snake but keep your skin,hands and fingers and feet and toes away from their mouth.
Learn this handling technique because when they get older, and bigger ............

 

[harmac]

Thanks everyone for your replies, it's appreciated. Maybe we need to up his food a bit - he's currently feeding on 1 x 60g rat evey 10 days.

got any pics of him?

Some pics below.

 

[Brigsy]

Hi there, just after some advice as I'm new to snakes.

I was taking my 1yr old BHP out for a poo and a walk on the grass this morning (which we do twice a week) and while I was carrying him outside he rested his head on my wrist (near my pulse) and then proceeded to open his mouth and it looked like he was trying to fit my wrist in his mouth??? He never bit or struck just very slowly and lazily opened his mouth wrapped around and tried to eat my wrist.....

Then my hubby came out and he did the same thing to his wrist but started to constrict around his arm as well. It's like he's smelling something on us which was instigating his desire to eat??? He fed on Thursday arvo so surely he wouldn't be hungry. Neither of us had handled rodents/lizards before hand etc but when carrying him outside we do have to pass the bearded dragon enclosure - would this set him off? He was unusually active last night and was bumping around his box all night.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

I had a mates normaly docile olive do the same thing a while back , was pushin nose into wrist a bit then slowly opened and tried to chomp!!

 

[FAY]

I reckon they are worse this time of year, their little body clocks are telling them to bulk up as winter isn't a hell of a long time off.

 

[andyscott]

Looking at the size of him compaired to the young bloke next to it.
I would guess its about 4 foot long.
If so it will handle 2 x 100 gram rats a fortnight.

 

[harmac]

Looking at the size of him compaired to the young bloke next to it. I would guess its about 4 foot long. If so it will handle 2 x 100 gram rats a fortnight.

Really, wow. Ok will bump up the size and see how we go. You guessed right, he'd be somewhere between 3 and 4ft. Thanks for your help.

 

[andyscott]

Really, wow. Ok will bump up the size and see how we go. You guessed right, he'd be somewhere between 3 and 4ft. Thanks for your help.

If he is under 4 foot, go 2 x 80 gram rats. Over 4 foot 2 x 100 gramers.

 

[inthegrass]

I had a mates normaly docile olive do the same thing a while back , was pushin nose into wrist a bit then slowly opened and tried to chomp!!

i have a docile male olive that started to chomp on a mates wrist.:lol::lol::lol::lol:
cheers

 

[Chrisreptile]

My woma's do it all the time, even if i give them a huge feed lol.

Its just the aspidites food response