Python attitude

[herptrader]

With pythons I generally find that they will settle with age if well treated. There are a few in my collection that started out very feisty and I used to have leather gloves in my herp tools to handle them.

I have not needed the gloves for years.... actually the gloves now live in my tool shed ;-). I can now now handle all our pythons and know that they will tollerate it well,

Patients and respect will help a lot.

 

[bigguy]

I must say Scrub Pythons can be particually nasty. You get about 2 out of 50 that will tame down, maybe 10 out of 50 only bite every now or then, but most will hammer you if you get careless.

I have had some horrific bites from these snake. One of my worst was as I was about to leave to give a talk at the AHS on Childrens Pythons. I was just about out the door running late as usual, when I noticed my 16ft scrub had knock over his water bowl. I quickly opened the door to grab the dish and he lashed out. I backed up till I hit a cage behind me, and he just hammered my chest straight through my shirt. It took me about ten minutes to unhook my flesh from his massive teeth. Blood was flowing freely out of all the wounds.

I had no time to clean up or change as now I was really late. When I arrived and moved to the front to give my talk, all mouths hit the floor. There was so much blood down my front it looked like I had been in a knife fight. My first words to the audience was to never keep Scrubbies, and to back up my statement I lifted my shirt to show the wounds. I think most people at the meeting turned right off scubbies that night. Hey Splitmore, were you at that meeting.

 

[Tommo]

hahaha bigguy, atleast you got the point across about not messing with snakes

 

[Sdaji]

You should get some saltwater crocs, arrange to do a talk for us at the VHS and then just as you're leaving notice that their heat source has failed

 

[Ricko]

sdaji do u haave a croc? and also do u go to the vhs meetings?

 

[Sdaji]

No, I don't have a croc, yes I go to the meetings.

 

[Guest]

I have a croc, and I dont go to the meetings.....hehe

 

[Sdaji]

I'm planning to get a croc in the not too distant future. Will you then start coming to the meetings, Baritji?

 

[Nome]

I've heard that scrub pythons tend to have a lot of attitude, and unlike a lot of other species, they don't lose the tude as they get older and bigger. Will find out for myself next year hopefully

I've got a 6 - month old scrub, about 4 and a half foot, and he's my most placid snake. he hasn't bitten for 2 months, and he's very tame. He has definately quietened down as he's got older. I just handled and handled in the beginning and he's quietened down beautifully. His person of choice is my 5 year old son, and as much as it worried me that he went to him at first, I've fast realized I can't stop it. As soon as he is out, he rushes over to him, and sits around his neck for hours. They are best friends

My coastal hatchie who is handled just as regulary, is still psycho and hasn't settled down at all.

I know scrubs are supposed to be tempermental, but in my case at least, it was another case of it's what you make it.

-Nome

 

[Ricko]

let the scrub get more size and then he will think he will own you all. there are a few exceptions in scrubs, as bob said 2 in 50 will be ok to handle once they get bigger.

 

[Fuscus]

As bg has previous said, if he says "this is how the species tends to behave, but there are always exceptions", someone will allways post an exception But its all part of the game. Snakes wouldn't be as much fun if they were 100% predicable.

 

[BROWNS]

I have had some nasty coastals as hatchies and adults and also had some with great tempraments...Have had maccys that were nutters and others that were fine..

Overall i've found murrays,bredli and cape yorks to have great tempraments pretty much through and through(with there always being exceptions,i know a guy who has a murray that constricts his arm and proceeds to start swallowing his hand)

Worst tempraments or attitudes i've encountered are jungles on top of the list...some are just absolute scizos and never changed as adults..Darwins and some waters also tend to have a bad attitude in what i've experienced anyway..Is it just me or is it many of our Northern species seem to be more snappy in general?

 

[kevyn]

One of the Spotted Pythons I sold to a friend of mine has developed a bit of an attitude problem. She has become extremely snappy. It's kind of funny really.

 

[instar]

Hey Brodes, what happened to the freshy caresheet mate?
:?

 

[herptrader]

Many of the larger pythons and boas are generally assumed to have quiter tempraments. Olives, Boas and Burms are all generally described as docile and these are some of the largest snakes on the planet.

(Obligatory warning: Never assume that any large snake is always going to be calm and good to handle regardless of their normal temprament. You never know when they are having a bad day or will smell something on you that you have not accounted for. They always deserve your respect.)

On scrubbies, I find it intersting to note that they go against this trend, though as always there are exceptions. (I have spoked to two keepers of large adult scrubbies that claim them to be very calm.)

In addition to BG's story there is one that Brian Barnett (of the Herp Shop) tells of having his footware litterally nailed to his feet by the teeth a large scrubby left behind after deciding that Brian's foot might be worth a taste.

Dave Barker in his book "Pythons of the World - Volume 1, Australia" has this very quotable description of Scrubbies (p41):

"But scrub pythons have a reputation for biting. In fact , their reputation is that they don't just bite, them seem to explode out of their cages, like-seeking guided missiles tipped with teeth."