Bi-Polar snakes

[Laa Laa]

Yeah it's actually pronounced as alana just spelt different (thanks mum:lol: ). Personally hate the name but I guess we all do. Let me know how the gloves go

Well, i didn't have a birth certificate til i was 5, and when Dad filled it in, he spelt it wrong so i got stuck with this way. Should have been Alannah.

Anyways, back to topic: Would you suggest ,like a latex or rubber glove, or a woolen, or cotton one?

 

[Laa Laa]

the fact the come up slowely (not striking) and kinda try to stretch their mouths over your finger, to me, suggests that you should try larger prey, rather than more of it? i think they want to open their mouths more!

The pinkies were larger than we would normally give them. We wanted to see how big they could go. They struggled, but got there eventually. They seem quite content for now.

 

[ALLANA]

Well, i didn't have a birth certificate til i was 5, and when Dad filled it in, he spelt it wrong so i got stuck with this way. Should have been Alannah.

Anyways, back to topic: Would you suggest ,like a latex or rubber glove, or a woolen, or cotton one?

Rubber glove like the gloves you buy at woolworths for washing up etc should be fine. Don't use woolen or cotton gloves as there teeth could get caught in the thread. I honestly don't think size of food or hungry has anything to do with it myself. Might just be something to do with the look and feel of your knuckles that they like, and even though they go for them without seeing them they proberbly remember the minute you pick them up were they are (god that sounds funny lol). I just think if you use the gloves they can't see your knuckles or smell your hands if that be the case so even though they might go straight back there to get them, they won't be there. Also like I said snakes dont' like the taste of gloves so when they bite they very hesitently will bite again. If they continue to go to the same spot and bite over and over even with gloves on then smell etc can't be the cause, if they don't bite your hands with the gloves on then it has got to be the smell of your hands or something simular. It may have nothing to do with what your washing your hands with, maybe something else your using different to what you usually would such as different dish washing detergent etc etc as even though you wash your hands before handling them, snakes have a great sense of smell and it could possibly still be there. Just see how that goes anyhow.

 

[morgs202]

It's odd, but I actually know somone who has a female spotted that does exactly the same thing. Doesn't strike, just opens its mouth and tries to eat your hand.

 

[grimbeny]

It seems very unusual.

 

[ALLANA]

Also things such as hand creams, face washes anything that you might touch or use before handling them that you've changed recently could be the cause, not always what you have just used before picking them up. Also do they alwasy just bite your knuckles or is it other parts of your hands as well?

 

[Just_Joshin]

Try keeping a squirt bottle of metho handy and some cotton buds. When they bite you take a cotton bud wiht metho on it and dab it near their mouth. That should make them let go quick smart. Doc rock uses this as one method of 'training' snakes not to bite.

Otherwise you could try dabbing a little metho on your knuckles prior to picking them up. Then when they go to bite your knuckles they taste like crap.

 

[Laa Laa]

Also things such as hand creams, face washes anything that you might touch or use before handling them that you've changed recently could be the cause, not always what you have just used before picking them up. Also do they alwasy just bite your knuckles or is it other parts of your hands as well?

As far as i have seen, always going for the knuckle. once tried the side of my hand but that was pretty much my knuckle on my little finger from the side. But i could be wrong, and she might have tried other spots wothout my noticing.

 

[Laa Laa]

Update time

Feed 2 x fuzzy mice Tuesday night (quite large size)

Got the little lady out on Friday night and she proceded to head to the knuckle side of my hand. After a minute or so, she started to sniff my pinky then did a test size up of the knuckle. sniffed again, then slowly opened her jaws and placed them on my finger (couldn't bite the knuckle the way she wanted i guess). After biting for a minute or so, she slowly started to constrict and continued to do this for 2 mins (approx). All of a sudden she lets go (must not have tasted nice enough).

Proceeds to my next finger, and does the same. sniff, bite for a while then bite harder while constricting. She bites this finger for a few minutes as well, then lets go.

Moves to the middle finger, sniffs, then moves to my index finger and proceeds to bite this finger for a few minutes (following the same sniffing then biting procedure) and lets go again.

She then lets go and goes back to being completely normal. Held her for another 10 mins and she didn't bite or sniff, just kinda sat in my hand then went for a little cruise around my hand and the duvet cover.

Its the way she completely changes personality in a split second that gets me.

I have some pics of the Friday biting at home, so they will be posted tonight hopefully.

Any thoughts?

 

[junglist*]

My male water python does this, except he decides that not only is he going to bite, but also to wrap the coil or two over his head and drive his teeth in as far as they will go.

I think that its the pulse that can be felt, which makes them think the hand is swallowable. That being said, one of my fuscus has decided that biting is too much of an issue, and has attempted to dock one of my fingers for about an hour anda half before he gave up and let go.

It does sound like a feeding response, or a really curious response. It does seem that over time, they will grow out of it, At least i hope my fuscus does, he's growing fast.

 

[Chris1]

that sounds totally bizzarre,....

how disappointing realising theres a hand attached to each bite sized finger,...!!

 

[Laa Laa]

Yer, i do feel bad that i can't accommodate her eating my hand more.

 

[Laa Laa]

Here are a few of the pics of her biting.

 

[Chris1]

sorry, that made me laugh,..its incredibly cute,...

 

[Jill]

I agree with Chris, the pics made me giggle, they have such cute little heads with big eyes when they are little.

 

[mrsshep77]

Here are a few of the pics of her biting.

Oh my god that's exactly what Chokko looks like when he does it too!! You can nearly see the disappointment in their eyes that they can't really eat what they have a hold of!!!
I wish I got photo's of Chokko doing it! My hubby didn't really believe me when I told him what he was doing.... until he saw it himself!!! hehe!!
It's so cute to watch them do it because it's so slow, not a normal feeding response of attack!!
Thanks for the pics!!

 

[Laa Laa]

Yer, when she lets go, she kinda looks at my hand like "oh, i was SO sure i could get that down. Maybe next time"

She just shed last night and is looking super pretty, so if she bites again and i can get pics, she will be looking hot for any future boyfriends she may have.

 

[foxeyroxy]

Spotted girl

Hello

I was just reading your post, and was wondering if your spotted was snappy when you first got it home? I have just purchased a Spotted, she is 6 months old and I have had her for two days. When purchased she was easy to handle and when I brought her home she was fine too. Then my house mate put her away and left the house. I went to get her out and realised that I had not picked her up from her enclosure and I hesitated for some time, she then began getting into strike mode and struck towards me, by this time I had completely freaked out and closed the enclosure lid. My mum went in a little later and picked her up using the hidy hole she was in and I had to grab her, she was ok for a while until she crawled up my arm and then struck my jumper, this freaked me out and I put her into the enclosure straight away, she didnt want to go in and I pushed her in anyway and closed the lid. I then asked my housemate to go check on her the next day at lunch and she was striking at him while he was holding her, everytime I go near the enclosure she goes into strike mode straight away, and I cannot get up the courage to pick her up, when I put my hand near the enclosure she strikes and I start shaking!!
Have I ruined this poor snake? I dont know what to do as she is my first snake and I havent dealt with striking before and it really scares me!!
Thanks heaps

 

[Chris1]

haha, its a snake, they do that!
so no, u didnt ruin her,..

if ur that nervous of her use a paper towel to pick her up till u both settle down that way she cant get u and its something her teeth wont get stuck in.

or a hook, but i'm not very good with them

 

[pythonz]

i was just reading the post and y female spotted does that too i think its cute tho theres not anything rong with her tho is there