Snake wont come out of cage!!

[J-A-X]

Firstly i'd suggest reading http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-discussion-42/tips-newbies-thread-143946/ if you haven't already. some really good tips in there:

I agree with others, i'd say she is coming up for a shed, (you haven't mentioned that she has shed since she has been with you,) and they all sem to hide when they're sloughing as they cant see for a few days and feel vunerable,
warm end sounds fine, make sure there is a cool end of ~ 22c so she can cool off if needed, for the next few days have a large dish of water in there (if you dont already have one) so she can soak if she wants to,
feed something that is a bit larger in diameter of the mid section, when fed there should be a noticeable lump, i'd hold off feeding for a while, wait until she is cruising around the tank looking for food, which will likely be once she has shed
dont approach from above, - predators come from above and they will go into immediate defense mode if they see you coming, slide your hand underneath.
if she is in the hide, leave her alone, all creatures need somewhere to feel safe. once the weather warms up she will become more active.

 

[SamNabz]

I also think she might be coming to a shed soon too...
Who has been giving you all these bad husbandry instructions?? Feed her weekly on fuzzy rats (should be feeding her a rat twice the size of her head), let her settle for at least a full week without you looking at her or trying to hold her (i know you're excited and it's hard but this is best for you and your snake in the future..) and then when you do start handling her either get her out with a hook/stick or something that she can climb onto and won't be scared of or just pick her up from the middle of her body gently...
All the best and post some pics if you can so we can see her size

 

[rachy_23]

Okay cool.
I have a click clack box tho, so it is very very hard to reach underneath her and grab her, It only opens from the top??.
I will possibly try a stick of some sort to guide her out. She is happy once she is out. I havnt noticed her skin to look as if it is going to shed ( I have blue tounge's and I can easily identify now when the skin is about to go into shed.) But every reptile is different! This is the best picture I have of her. And the second one is of her eating her last meal...

 

[rachy_23]

And sorry- yes she does try to bite. Give tonight as an example- I managed to get her out with a wooden coat hanger and she was a happy chappy searching my bed and room for 15 minutes while I held her middle body. And then I left her for around 10 minutes on a wooden feature (she wrapped herself around this and sat watching me in an "s" shape) As soon as I grabbed her middle body again she swung back and tagged me around 5 times!!
So I gave up and let her find her own way back into her cage..
She is very temperamental!
Rachel

 

[kkjkdt1]

Not having a go at you but you keep saying that you do something and then "just give up".
Lots of time and patience is what you need (also a proper hook).
Just keep trying, you will get there.

 

[JAS101]

i think u just need to leave it alone for a couple of weeks , then try again. is that carpet in the click clack ?
what temp is the click clack geting too , i dont mean air temp i mean floor temp .

 

[rachy_23]

Would leaving it alone for a few weeks be a good idea??? Or should I just keep trying with it??
The floor temp is at 33 degrees at daytime and it drops a few degrees at night.

 

[kkjkdt1]

When i said keep trying i ment in the long run, leave him/her for a week and just keep trying(sorry for not being clear)
Only you can learn from YOUR snake, take in as much advice and just work out what is best for you and your snake, im no expert still learning just like you.
Good luck.

 

[GSMenardi]

Your snake may just need regular handling to quieten down, if it tags you, just hold him behind the head (support the rest of its body as well of course) and it'll writhe and squirm but eventually it'll give up. It just needs to learn that you're not a threat.

When I first got my Darwin about a week ago he was nastyyyy. He would bite me and constrict my hand everytime I got him out, I asked on here about what to do about it, and people said to leave him be for a week to settle in. I also asked the breeder I got him from and he said he just needed to get used to being handled regularly by me, so I've been getting him out 3 times a day for about an hour and just sitting still watcing tv with him. I've done that since the day after I got him, so less than a week and now he's a much happier and friendlier little guy now.

But maybe Jungle pythons are totally different to Darwins, I don't know. If it is coming up to shedding, you probably don't want to handle it though..

 

[coastalboy]

OK i have a yearling coastal carpet, i feed her fuzzie rats she eats them no worries, so feed yours fuzzie rats. ( baby carpets after they are born in the wild will go out and eat a full grown mouse.! thats a fact). and to the aggression. my aunt said to get a pillow case put her in it and rest her on your lap while patting and touching her. shes done this to some of her snakes and they are as quiet as now. and iv been told jungles are right little Bastards.. so i will never by one.

cheers
nick.

 

[rachy_23]

Thanks for your advice kkjkdt1. Its hard learning! So did you say to leave it be for a week or hold it every day?? Im confused about that now...

 

[J-A-X]

you have said the floor temp is 33c, are you measuring that above or below the carpet ? your reading needs to be where it would normally be when it is absorbing heat, a carpet like you have can stop the temp getting as high as it needs to, (33c 'under' can drop to 30 above) or if you have the probe half way along the tub then maybe the temp is too high above the heat source and she cant cool down,

lots of theories, as to what the problem could be, but i would still hold off feeding until she comes out of her hide and 'looks' for food. IF she is sloughing (shedding) then she wants to be left alone, its not uncommon.

worry about the handling once she has fed well for a couple of weeks, better to get her feeding regularly first.

maybe tell us what state/suburb you are in and maybe one of our members can mentor you for a little while until you get settled in with your new baby

 

[rachy_23]

Yeah the probe is under the carpet. Right on the hottest spot of the tank. So it may not get as hot above this. The cheeky snake gets under the carpet sometimes to hide, but it will lay in the middle of the tank.

She is out every night, on her high sticks pacing the cage, i guess looking for a meal?? she does this around 7pm every night !
So do you think I should feed her once a week for a few weeks and then go back to handling again ? She has only been offered food twice and eaten instantly each time so she is a happy snake.
I live 30mins north of Brisbane.
The trouble was - tonight i had her out for a good 20mins and she was relaxed, her muscles were relaxed. But as soon as I put her on her wooden ornament to play (for 10 mins) when I went to grab her again that is when she started striking at me.
It would be great for someone to help.
Rach

 

[Kristy_07]

If she's a yearling, you can easily be feeding her every 7-10 days. Good should be 20% of body weight, or, slightly larger than the thickest part of her mid-section.

Handling is up to you. It's a snake - it doesn't really want to be picked up by you, but, in time, will probably get used to you, and perhaps enjoy the stimulation of different surroundings to explore. If only a yearling (and a jungle, at that!), she will probably bite you. If you're going to handle her, just gently but confidently pick her up out of the click clack. Fussing and being hesitant will only stress her out more. Handling 2-3 times per week should be more than enough to get her used to you, but not if she's shedding or digesting. If she's stressed, keep handling sessions shorter.

Get used to being bitten. It's what snakes do! I'm sure you read about the "typical jungle temperament" before you bought one

 

[J-A-X]

Yeah the probe is under the carpet. Right on the hottest spot of the tank. So it may not get as hot above this. The cheeky snake gets under the carpet sometimes to hide, but it will lay in the middle of the tank.
sounds like maybe its not warm enough on top, carpet will hold the heat underneath, and she is finding the middle of the tank under the carpet is what temp she prefers

She is out every night, on her high sticks pacing the cage, i guess looking for a meal?? she does this around 7pm every night !
She will pace at night, they are mostly nocturnal, if she is cruising then offer a feed.
So do you think I should feed her once a week for a few weeks and then go back to handling again ? She has only been offered food twice and eaten instantly each time so she is a happy snake.
I would personally make sure she is feeding well and then concerntrate on the handling.
I live 30mins north of Brisbane.
Hopefully someone up that end is happy to assist and make sure everything is set up 'right'
The trouble was - tonight i had her out for a good 20mins and she was relaxed, her muscles were relaxed. But as soon as I put her on her wooden ornament to play (for 10 mins) when I went to grab her again that is when she started striking at me.
It would be great for someone to help. Rach

my Darwin taught me that he didn't enjoy having a light on behind me, all he could see was a black mass surrounded by light, and if you are coming at him from the front then you will look like a huge threat, and he is behaving accordingly,
I agree with Kristy in that they dont want to be picked up but a couple of my Darwins seem to really enjoy it, one is that comfortable with handling he will fall asleep regularly,

hopefully in time yours will settle when he finally realises you aren't a threat and he cant eat you. some dont, its a chance you take,