Red Tail Boa problem....

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kntrygrl4lyfe

kntrygrl4lyfe

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2007
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Pensacola, fl
So I've had this RTB since December. Everything has been going great. This past time I went to feed him he was very aggressive after he was done, which he never is. Usually after he is done I can pick him right up and put him back in his cage. (I take him out and set him on a towel when it comes to feeding. I didn't want him to associate my hand going in the tank as food. I also feed frozen.) But Yesterday when I fed him like I said after he was done, he tried striking me and struck my pant leg and wouldn't let go! Usually after I give him the mouse I will go wash up so I don't have the smell on my hand. I just figured he was grumpy. So I put him in his tank to calm down, but he kept striking at me when I walked by. Well today I picked him up in the morning and he seemed fine untill later in the day.... I was cleaning up my room and he got in the striking pose and anytime I went by the tank he struck at me. He has not got out of that pose for about an hour now. I used to feed him the same time every week, but he started to get less interested and so I would wait every week and a half. Should I go back to feeding him once a week? Is he just still hungry? I feed him a small/med sized mouse. He is about 28" now.
 
I always hear mixed opinions on taking the snake out of the enclosure for feeding. I personally believe that it adds unneccessary stress to the snake. Snakes generally will not associate putting your hand in the cage with food as long as you handle them regularly and your hands do not smell like mouse (or any other animal for that matter). Snakes simply do not like being touched for about 48 hours after they eat because they feel more vulnerable to predators with a full belly. I would recommend feeding inside of the enclosure and see how that works out for you.
 
I agree with the above.

Get your snake stick/hook trained and feed in the enclosure. Every one of mine (from my 14' female Burm to my hatchling Retic) are all stick trained and I've never had a problem with them associating my hand for food.

With too much stress around feeding, can cause regurgitation and bad news for your snake.
 
I agree with the hook trainigng. Most people who say to feed the snake outside the enclosure have smaller species of snakes. It is also much safer to leave the snake in his cage, imagine the same snake 8 ft latched onto your pants.

I also wood feed a snake that young every week. Make sure the temps are correct with a good hot spot.
 
Why would all the sudden he snap lately? I've been doing this since the beginning of December when I got him, and only did the other day this start to happen. Why is he being aggressive when I go around his tank
 
It is porbably due to changing his feeding schedule. If that is the only thing that has changed I would attribute it to that. So, him striking may be a feeding reaction. He also may be starting to associate him comming out of the cage means feeding time .Also check temps. It is getting hotter outside and if your cage is too hot that may also attribute to aggression.

I would first change the feeding schedule back to every week to see if this solves the problem.

I would still really consider feeding in the cage. Boas tend to have a killer feeding response. When the snake is 8ft long you are not going to want to take a hungry boa out of the cage to eat.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies.

I'm going to go back to the once a week feeding.
He doesn't associate me taking him out as feeding. He knows that once placed on that towel he is going to get food. I take him out everyday and I'm not having the problem when he's out, just later in the day the past two nights he has been pretty aggressive in the tank. I've held him yesterday though and today, so I just wasn't sure why he was being like that. I'll see if the feeding once a week again changes his mood.

Thanks again for the replies.
 
A 28" boa eating mice is probably very hungry. I'd have him on at least 2 mice at once or a small rat by now...

Feed your snake in its enclosure. When grown, you don't want to be wrestling a hungry, 7ft snake out of its enclosure to be fed.
 
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