baby red tail attitudes

[redtailedmel]

i recently purchased my first baby red tail. i have owned red tails before but have always gotten them when they were larger. my question is probably a rather common question you may answer, but i was wondering how to correct the problem properly. my new baby seems to be a little bit edgy. she sometimes strikes the leather gloves i wear for protection and she is not very docile at times. ive never had this problem before, all my other snakes have never offered to strike or bite me. she does this when i take her out of her enclosure or when i place her into a different enclosure to feed her. when i handle her after about a minute i can take the glove off and she seems to be find but every now and then she will try to strike at me. i usually act like it dont bother me and keep handling her and shes fine. its like she has sudden mood swings .ive read a few books that say that handleing is the key. i try to handle her on average of 4 to 5 times a day. but ive had her 3 weeks now and to no avail she still tries to strike. will this go away with age and handling or is this her personality?? also is this normal behavior for a baby red tail? thanks melissa snake owner in texas

[eViL_KaRoT]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

I wouldn't worry about it just yet. Give it time. Handle her as often as you can to get her use to your scent. Also make sure she has plenty of places to hide. You may want to leave her alone for a week or two though so that she can get use to her new surroundings. Let her calm down a bit, then try to handle her. They usually calm down over time.

[redtailedmel]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

thanks , thats what i was hoping would happen that they calm with age i just wanted to be sure. id like to hear other people accounts with wild " so i say" babies :O) oh i couldnt think of a name for her my hubby says rosie but thats so common any suggestions LOL
melissa

[eViL_KaRoT]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

I don't know, there are so many names out there. How about Moxie which means:Aggressive energy; initiative. From her 'tude, it seems fitting.

[Doug]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

HI,
They seem to mellow with age, My Hog was an extremly edgy baby snake , she looks like she's out of here when I open the cage she tries to hide.I just try and pick her up and support most of her body before I lift ,,she's ok out of the cage, and usally dosen't want to go back. The really young boa's are just trying to look like their tough little snake so you'll leave them alone, proably in the wild all the sweet ones are lunch and the edgy nervous one do great. My most difficult baby was my Guyana she huffed and puffed if you looked at her in the cage
she looked like a baby hognose and would jump and try to nip you every time..
  She's very calm now thank goodness she's over 6 ft and growing like a weed. at 26 months.
     all my boa's seem to chill after a few months. Proably they learn to trust you as not wanting to harm them.
       Doug

[redtailedmel]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

well ive had her about a month now and she still has her attitude, i thought about calling her ferocious cuz thats what she "THINKS" she is. my leather gloves are definatly broke in now!!! never had to use them before but she is an all new experience. still havent decided on a name for her yet. i was hoping to name her something that went with her personality but she doesnt really have one yet hahahah. though about rebel but my hubby says he doesnt like anything i pick. so we are back to square one. mel

[redtailedmel]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

well ive been talking about her now here she is shes aprox 25 inches long and still evil as ever but getting better the put something with your cent on it seems to be working plus i handle her alot, shes our new lil baby. this pic was taken in her tank she has a 7'x2'x2' tank so she'll stay in that tank till we no longer have her with us. which i hope never happens, even though shes not quite as gentle as i like i still love her shes a cutie. shes a dark color but has orange spots all over her. she even has one on the top of her head. i was told when i bought her she was a columbian so im assuming shes a BCI

[eViL_KaRoT]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

How many hides do you have in the tank? With a tank that large and a snake that small. YOu are going to need plenty of hides so that he feels comfortable and secure. That may be the reason that he is so agressive and striking at you, he does not feel secure and safe. Basicly, too much room, not enough places to hide.

[redtailedmel]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

she has 2 hides and a sheet but she prefers just the on hide closest to the higher heat end which is normally around 85 and the lower end round 80 she even has rocks and climbing limbs and a log . ive created her own lil paradise lol my other snake was happy with nothing she didnt like a hide box just the log shed bask on it

[redtailedmel]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

geesh blonde moment not a sheet a pillow case that has my scent on it. grr long work week im loosing my mind

[eViL_KaRoT]

Re: baby red tail attitudes

Well, she has one on each end and she can hide in the pillow case. Maybe put a basket or some other type of hide in the middle of the cage, might help. Just give it time. Sometimes it can take up to 3 months for a Snake to feel totally secure and to get use to it's surroundings and being handled. Just give it time.