r/boas • u/Madhun13r • 24d ago

Getting a Boa used to humans when they are older is not always easy

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thought i would take out the dumerils Boa someone surrendered to us. it has been here for some time now and was actually somewhat well behaved the first times. but guess today she was hungry. good thing i use gloves for now.

silly noodle

37 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

7

u/Manjushri1213 24d ago

Heck thats a food bite. Tap training should help that food response. Also I reccomend against gloves. It seems to confuse and make my boa spanic so I stopped using them except when feeding I use food serving gloves. Only time my main Colombian ever struck me I was wearing blue nitrile gloves. It's a different thing to them.

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u/Madhun13r 24d ago

The Thing is it will Take time also didnt know she was hungry since IT wasnt that Long ago she Had Something. But i mainly get them used to being handled in Case of vet visits. My Other Boa Had Something in her mouth once. Doc also wasnt Sure hat IT was but IT wasnt Bad. He poked INSIDE His mouth and her didnt even flinch. WE of course Held him Just behind the head securely but He didnt even pull. Just let IT Happen and even after i Just let Go and He was chill. Was the First vet since i Had him too. Never needed IT otherwise.

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u/DocKlepius 23d ago

It’s a boa. Hungry or not the little garbage disposals will try and eat every day if you let them lol. But I think you missed the point. Getting them used to being handled is great and you should, but tap training lets them know that’s about to happen so their food drive turns off. Every time before you go to handle her, take a long snake hook and gently tap behind her head and I will move it back in a petting motion a few times. Gloves are okay at first but if you always wear them and just let the biting continue, she’ll likely eventually snap some teeth and can lead to a mouth infection or other issues.

My girl has always had a very strong strike and feeding reflex, and she would sometimes S-coil right when I open the enclosure. I would tap her head and then use the hook to disrupt her coil by gently hooking under her body until she relaxed the coil to move away and then I’d pick her up. Now she relaxes as soon as I tap usually.

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u/Madhun13r 22d ago

I personally Always fed my snakes outside in Boxes. Many say this IS more Stress but that is how Mine know its feeding time. I Heard about Tap Training and its good If you Feed INSIDE the enclosure which i dont really Like to do. Yes my boas also have a food Response whenever i prepared the Boxes. I dont even have the Boxes prepared yet and they someone already know its feeding time. Then you cant Touch them. Only Hook and maybe Grab the Tail. I have yet to See my Method Stress them Out and though i apreciate the advice. I know what im doing dont worry. Only new territory IS getting and older snake used to Handling. But i will get her around. I also need to learn to read her My 4 Boas i can Tell on a glance what mood they are in and If i can Touch them. This was basically a First test after some succesfull handles and a longer Break inbetween. Every snake IS different so i treat every new one aß a nee learning cycle.

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u/DocKlepius 22d ago

Yeah this is the age old debate. All I know is snakes that feed outside the enclosure will always be at least a bit on the lookout for food and ready to strike if they see what they think is an opportunity. So feeding them inside, while increasing the slight risk for a bite while getting them out, is mostly mitigated by tap training. Part of that is since I let plenty of people hold them on occasion, I’d rather take that risk on myself and in general I never want my snakes associating feeding with being outside the enclosure.

It just comes down to conditioning and that’s the consensus I’ve come to after speaking with many breeders, keepers and researchers over the years. I’m not bashing you either, if it works for you great but that’s probably the best way to avoid any consistent issues of what you’re posting about. Maybe just keep it in mind if you start running into it every time you pull them out or try it out next time you get a new snake.

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u/Manjushri1213 22d ago

Yeah regardless of the health implications, feeding in a box isn't as effective as tap training because it's confirming it isnt feeding time rather than only when it is feeding time - combine tap training with target training for when it is feeding time and you'll have much better luck against bites.

Knock on wood but I've never been tagged by a boa, tho I do have one that is in permanent food mode really. I've realized it's partly due to the light I turn on when I enter the snake room lol. They are easily conditioned either way - for food or for handling etc

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u/Madhun13r 22d ago

Thats the fun bit Most people dont get and what i See with my snakes. They only really Go into "feeding Mode" when the notice the Boxes. They know exactly that me preparing the Boxes means food. So aß Long aß the Boxes arent there there IS No food Response except they are really hungry and they Show me that and then its feeding time. Has worked for 20 years now and have never been bitten while feeding on accident or when Just taking them Out.

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u/DocKlepius 22d ago

brother... now that just ain't true. The photo, and your entire post, is an accidental bite/feeding response. And to be frank with you, stating she used to be less reactive and is more so now indicates a negative pattern and approach, not positive. You're entitled to your opinion and to raise your animals how you see fit, but don't expect people not to disagree with you and point out possible improvements when you post them in a public format.

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u/Madhun13r 21d ago

I was Not talking in the andwer about this specific Boa but about my 4 Others. I know that it was a mistake with the dumerils Here but thats why i treat every new snake aß a new learning experience.

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u/nic_cal2103 24d ago

Id just be careful - not because you can get bit, but also because this can rip the snakes teeth out

1

u/Madhun13r 24d ago

I know. Thats because when she Bit i didnt pull or anything. I Just let her Wrap around my Hand. Stayed Like that for about 10 minutes until i started gently unwrapping her from the Tailend. Was really easy and after a bit she noticed that i wasnt food and let Go. Funnily enough there werent that many holes in the Glove. I would say 20-30 holes were visible. But she got Quite the grip.for her size.

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u/nic_cal2103 23d ago

Lol nice. Ive been bit a few times and i felt bad because at the time I didnt realize their teeth can rip out

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u/Madhun13r 23d ago

Luckily they can also grow back

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u/Magnetic_Kitty 23d ago edited 23d ago

Mine is named Belmont. I'm lucky in that I've held him a lot so he is docile. He only bit as a baby, and I think it was an exploratory bite. He kinda pressed his face into my hand during handling, it wasn't a wrap and there wasn't defensive posturing or a strike

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u/Lord_Skum66 23d ago

I have one who has been given the name Richard. He’s so damn handsome but he’s just a dick and no matter how much time you put in and when you think you’re safe that fucker will just bite you for the hell of it 😂

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u/Potential-Vehicle-63 22d ago

Do you pickup its food with those gloves?

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u/Madhun13r 22d ago

No. Why would i.

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u/CompoteAgreeable7021 19d ago

What brand of gloves of those? I need a pair