hubby must be trying to knock peanut off?!

[schelmischekitty]

hubby felt sorry for yet another creature and brought it home just now.  don't get me wrong, i feel sorry for it too,  it's a 4 1/2 foot-ish columbian boa who is very darkly colored.  apparently, the guy (at least i'm assuming, haven't checked) has been living in a Tupperware container that when he is balled up tightly isn't even twice size and only about 4" tall for an undetermined time with no heat, etc.  don't get me wrong, i LOVE snakes (especially columbian boas / "red tail boas") but he's semi aggressive and i'm kinda worried he'll try to eat peanut if given the chance.  he's pretty grouchy bowing up at my legs etc when i give him water or let him stretch.  hopefully once we get him into his new enclosure he'll be happier.  i know he'll feel better being able to stretch out and actually having a heat source, and stuff to get up on instead of being in that tupperware box.  this is my 4th columbian boa, and i've had ball pythons, rat snakes, king snakes, etc also but unfortunately had to rehome them when we had to move on post (couldn't sneak my snake room in there).  the columbian's have always been super sweet, so it kinda took me off guard when he bowed up like that.  any tips on how i could go about making him more comfortable with being handled would be appreciated.  the guy sent a handling stick with him that he says he used to move him around, telling hubby to hold his head down when he goes to grab him.  i'd like to get where one day we don't need it, and even now we just put it under him, lift him and then work up his tail to his body.  that seems to work well for now.

[Anakalia]

OMG I'm deathly afraid of snakes.  Tony wanted one once so I did a bunch of research and decided I just couldn't deal with them! lol  I always think they're going to automatically bite.  I do remember reading snakes get grouchy when they're hungry, whens the last time he's eaten? 

[schelmischekitty]

he ate yesterday before he came home, so i know he's not hungry.  it's probably just a combination of being cooped up, no heat, nowhere to go, etc.  he's complete opposite of "cupcake" my favorite red tail i've ever had.  we got her after she had been lose in a house for 6 months or so without eating, and was super skinny.  she was a lover, she'd run lose in our house and sit on bookshelves and climb on you at random times and "snuggle".  or you'd wake up with her under the cover.  she also loved to snuggle with aiden who wasn't even one when we got her, we'd find her sleeping with him, or under him in his car seat all the time.  he couldn't even walk yet, but she went to him and he handled her amazingly well. she went to work with me and sat on my shoulder for 12 hours at a time with no complaining, so he's a big change from her!  he's actually the first "red tail" i've had who acted like this.  they're usually very calm and great snakes.

[Anakalia]

HAHAHAHA! Your story of Cupcake running free reminds me of one of the reasons I am afraid of snakes.  About 12 yrs ago I went over to these peoples house (friend of a friend deal) and was sitting there socializing I looked to my left and out of no where I seen what appeared to be a tail end of something slithery going across their living room floor and went under the curtains, I've never screamed so loud in all my life!  They had a 2 ft. python they just let slither loose throughout the house and as soon as I heard that I left, never to return again! hahahahaha 

[schelmischekitty]

hee hee hee, at one point in time we had just 3 snakes and my hubby's family came up to nc from ms.  they saw the tank and asked what was in it, hubby played the "didn't i tell you we had snakes?"  they started flipping out, and hubby said, "don't worry let me show them to you" at which time he opened the cage to find they were ALL gone...  his whole family was frantic because mean a** (that was his snakes name because he always nipped) was also loose as well as cupcake and another.  finally, his uncle stopped and goes, "is that them curled up together on your bookshelf?"  and sure enough, there they were, all in a pile loving the sight.  they never caused a stir but that was the last time they came to our house too for a long time ha ha.

[Gracie Belle]

Run Peanut!  RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[schelmischekitty]

ha ha my little "genius" sits and barks at the snake.  he's instigating him, you can see it in the snake's eyes.  what was that one movie where the little dog kept barking at the alligator and then it got eaten?  it's gonna be like that only with a snake!

[mama23+pyrs2]

ugh, good luck- i'll let the snakes stay outside thanks.

[Gracie Belle]

Well I appreciate and respect all things living but I can honestly say I do not see a snake adopting me or my family any time soon should I have anything to say about it.    I do wish your newbie pet luck and you as well in helping him/her become comfortable with being handled and Peanuts (ahem) tude.......  I would like to see pictures of this new guy.  Oh yeah, and tell Peanut I'm sorry.  Sadly Peanut is still at the bottom of the food chain.      Gracie wishes you luck little dude!!!! So do I honey.  -misty     

[schelmischekitty]

i'll take a picture of him tonight...  when hubby is holding him and NOT me ha ha.  not sure how he'll react to the flash.  when i picked him up earlier he got on my shoulder and hten bowed up at my nose, which didn't make me feel any better about how he's acting towards me.  so i pushed his head away and he puffed up super big (you could actually hear him take a huge breath), but he still has yet to bite.  that's a good sign, so now i guess with time he'll probably calm down.  he seems to like wrapping around me and sitting, although he still gives me chills when he sticks his tongue in my ear   

[Gracie Belle]

OH MY GAWD!!!  This thread is totally creeping me out but I can't stop reading.  You are a brave brave woman....  So I admit I'm afraid of snakes and in the past couple of years I've noticed I have a fear of flying insects..  I'm becoming a wuss in my old age.  But I really can't stop reading this.  Weird...  Oh, and if you think the flash will scare him then no worries.  I'll google red tail boa's.

[schelmischekitty]

they're gorgeous snakes.  they're typically very calm and nice, he just hasn't been handled.  i've had a good # of snakes, and most are very nice if they're handled properly.  honestly, i'd be crabby too if i lived in a tupperware container!

[schelmischekitty]

ok, so until i can get a picture of ours, here's a snake that looks just like him just a little bigger.  the pic on the top (the dark colored one) has the same colors as him.

http://www.blackpineanimalpark.com/Animals/boa.htm

[kathryn]

We have a children's python at work that wasn't handled very much and has bitten several people in the education department.  For some reason they don't want to use him for the school groups that come through.  Anyway, we started handling him with gloves on to get him used to being handled and protect the handler.  Now he's much better about getting picked up and not biting.  The only time he bites now is when he's hungry.  You might try that but mainly handling him is going to be the only way to calm him down and it may never calm him down.  Hope that helps.

[schelmischekitty]

ours hasn't bit yet, but he sure can puff up and put up a big show!  we started a routine we intend on keeping today, where we'll be handling him 3 times a day for short times so he gets used to it and calms down.  i noticed if i talk on the phone he relaxes and goes to sleep, but then you have the problem of getting him off you or moving him without upsetting him ha ha.  our booger got fed yesterday, so he's full, i wonder how he'll act when he's hungry again.  we'll be feeding him often to make sure that he stays on a routine for now, and doesn't see our hand as food.  do you have a picture of the enclosure you have for the one at work?  we're debating on how we want to set up ours.  we have a 55 gal. for him for now, until this weekend when we'll be setting up a multi-layer enclosure that we hope will make him happier.