Carpet Python Help- "Anger issues"

[Pink_Pony]

I am coming on here as a last resort, please don't shoot me down, I am seriously at a loss.

I have owed my beautiful Coastal Carpet Python Elektra for about 2 years, she is about 3 years old. She had always been a dream to handle and we got her out regularly, she gave cuddles and kisses and enjoyed our company.

About 4 months ago we purchased 2 adult bearded dragons, since then Elektra has been a nightmare. She has totally changed, she bites often and when handling she turns into "kill-mode" her pupils widen and she starts to wrap tightly around me. By this stage I panic (I know I shouldn't but it hurts when she bites!!) and its a rush to get her back into her enclosure without being bitten.

The lizards are not in eyesight of her but she can obviously smell them. I have tried changing clothes and wearing arm length gloves when handling her incase there is any scent of lizard on me but this doesn't really change anything.

I am so upset as I love her dearly, she has always been so good and friendly but now she is just awful. It's not fair on her as she always loved being handled and we loved handling her.

Can anyone help? I've asked around and really no-one has been able to help. I don't want to have to give her up I am one to keep my animals for life (I have a 20yo & 25yo horse!!) but what do I do with her???

 

[Jay84]

Why do you have to give her up just because she bites???

I have a diamond python who is 10 years old. I have had him since a hatchling and he never once bit....... Until 2 years ago when he turned psycho! Now I can't handle him as he is always looking to munch....... Do I still have him? Yes. Will I give him up? No.

 

[Pink_Pony]

because I don't find it fair she is confined to a cage her whole life.

I just want my friendly snake back =(

 

[Jay84]

ummm....... i don't understand. If you pass her on to someone else, what do you think they will do if she is a biter???

Maybe get a bigger cage if you think it is too small for her to stay in?

 

[starr9]

Iv got a friend who has horses who are 30yrs + (one is 38 in a few days!) and in very good health and she is the same (so am I) to me a pet is for life.

Have you tried not going near the bearded dragons for a day or so before you go near her? I have no idea if this would help but you could give it a try!

Good luck and I hope it works out 4 u!!!!

 

[ozziepythons]

Its important to inform us what proof you can provide that the bearded dragons have anything to do with the snakes change in behaviour. The timing of their arrival to your home and the snake changing bahaviour could well be coinsidence and not at all a demonstration of a cause and effect relationship. There could be some other underlying reason for this change that only you can analyse.

 

[Pink_Pony]

her cage us 1.7m long so quite large for her.

thanks for your help.

im more concerned about why she is suddenly so aggressive, i have tried not touching lizards but it doesn't change.

 

[Cockney_Red]

Its you, and something you are doing differently thats the problem, not the lizards....maybe she has moved on from kisses and cuddles....

 

[notechistiger]

How often is she fed? Is the large enclosure a recent upgrade? Any other changes in her environment?

I really doubt your snake will care if she's in her enclosure all the time or not. Give her plenty of heat, food, shelter and water and she'll be as happy as any snake =D

 

[GSXR_Boy]

im more concerned about why she is suddenly so aggressive, i have tried not touching lizards but it doesn't change.

Alot of snakes are in feeding mode atm, especially after winter ( was she cooled? )
so she is probably hungry. How big is she, what is she eating and how often?

 

[Pink_Pony]

thank you all for your helpful replies it is much appreciated.

ok change did happen at the same time lizards came home, she has always been in that enclosure but i did put some logs in not ling before that
which were soaked, sanded and mite sprayed first! that would be the only change recently.

she is approx 1.7m long and about an inch thick, she is fed a fuzzy rat every week,
does she need bigger?

all ideas are much appreciated, i dont want to be scared of her and want to fix anything
that may be wrong.

tasha

 

[notechistiger]

Yes, I think she definitely needs bigger food. Animals half that size could smash a fuzzy rat.

 

[humba_jumba]

my 10 month olds are smashing fuzzy rats... my mates 11 month old is smashing weaner rats... I would be upsizing her food big time... It would probably help...

 

[dangles]

my 1.8m diamond smashes large rats with ease, my 1m jungles are on weaners/hoppers.

Definately up the feed size

 

[longqi]

Up grade your food

Simple answer but most probably correct

At 1.7 metres she could slowly eat the biggest rat you could find

Id start with two mediums
Let her rest for 10 days then 2 more
Bigger feeds to get her a bit fatter than she is now
1 inch is pretty skinny for that length

When she has put on a bit of weight change to 1 large every 10 days and see how she goes

Dont sweat or push the handling thing
When she is fat and sassy she will be fine to handle again

 

[Herpaderpa]

lol I love that longqi... its true... when she is fat and sassy she will be fine to handle

Also remember... whether you handle her or not makes no difference to her quality of life. Snakes dont crave your affections, handling is purely for your own pleasure.

 

[Schnecke]

Looks like she isn't craving your attention........ She is just craving food

I know a lot of people upsize food very quickly to grow young pythons quickly (I've read that this is mainly for breeding and there is nothing wrong with feeding a young snake a lot as it'll put it into growth) but as my Jungle python is a pet I have no need to do this................. But even at only 80cm long he easily takes a weaner/hopper rat. I give him one every 10 days as it takes him a bit to get rid of the lump. He is only as thick as a man's thumb and can eat a rat that's thicker than a toilet roll (just trying to give you an idea of the size)

The others are right - your girl can eat a LOT larger item. Don't freak out if you think she can't eat it, she'll easily eat a weaner, defrosted, warmed up.

Good luck with her, she sounds like she was a lovely handler and with a bit of extra food I think you have an easy solution

 

[Fantazmic]

I always say..think sharks in the aquarium....they are well fed and sooks that allow the divers to swim with them without a problem...if they wearnt well fed...LOOK OUT

 

[ricky_91]

100 % she is hungry my coastal that is 1.8 is eating adult rats. i feed fuzzy rats to yearling snakes that are like 30 40 cm long. make sure you give her a good feed something that takes her a while to swallow and has a good size bump in her then she should be fine plus plenty of heat water and hides

 

[IgotFrogs]

i would love to know how you got on with this one sounds like the poor darlin was hungry to me .... i have childreni that can easy eat a fuzzy rat