All Forums  Royal Python Posts  General Posts  Aggression

Note: You must be registered in order to post a reply.
To register, click here. Registration is FREE!

Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by Jayde[/i] [br]I don't post too often, but I feel I need a little collaborative input on this one. My 2012 Female Lesser has been with since the Portsmouth show back in October. She's taken the longest to settle in and fed at a total of 4 weeks. (Yes yes, I know that's nothing!!) Since then she has fed well, and takes a rat pup every 4-5 days. She currently weighs around 160-170g although she wasn't completely empty on last weigh in. She's in a faunarium, which if I remember rightly is the medium sized option (1 x 0.5 ft approx), Thermostat controlled mat, 2 hides, plenty of foliage and cover. Fresh water every few days, temperature stable and monitored using digital thermometers. Currently not having the best of sheds, which Im putting down to the temperatures in the house having a knock effect with the humidity due to 2.5 foot of snow outside!! So bathing and the damp pillow case tricks are in use, just the head, most awkward part, because..... [b]She is one aggressive son of a b!tch!!![/b] I don't mean she is just a bit fiesty or flighty because she is small and vision is even less great due to the shed. Some days its as bad as walking past her and her taking 2 or 3 strikes at the plastic. Handling has got to the point where it's a chore because once the lid is off, anything is fair game. I've yet to find a way of handling her that doesn't result in getting bitten (which isn't horrendous because she isn't a 12ft rock) but it does get to the point where enough is enough and I can't & don't want to brush off a few tags any more. Now I know the automatic response to the claim of aggressive Royals, is frequent handling and they will calm, but alas there is an issue with this too!! I tried this, handling every to every other day, and the more you try, the more it seems to stress her out, causing her to strike out more. Plus this girl comes with tail shaking and a hiss like a foul mouthed cat. I've tried setting her down on various items of clothing that smell like me, attempting to let her rest on me, she's been moved to the quietest, least used part of the house and only being looked upon for water and food, the only thing I haven't done is move her into something bigger, but judging how she has been so far, I don't feel like this would be the best option. I've tested the theory of maybe she's still hungry by offering 2 rat pups at feeds, and larger prey items but she isn't interested and takes herself away once she has finished her first. I'll also add that for the smallest royal I've ever had, she is surprisingly strong. There have been a few instances where she has been perched on top of her log hide and struck out as I've been there, and it has dislodged / knocked off the plastic lid off of the faunarium. I am OCD thorough with checking lids doors locks and wedges are all secure before walking away from any of my snakes, so I know that they weren't loose before hand. [i](FYI plastic locking handles/clip devices have now been places on each edge of the lid so that there is no possibility of her escaping) [/i] Tonight, she had a bathe in the bath and in the less than 5 minutes of handling that was involved in moving her into the bath, out again and back into the faunarium, the bite total was 9/12 tries. Sore little fingers for me! SO! Thoughts, suggestions, tips, ideas, would be most welcome at this point. Thank-you [:)] [/quote]   Check here to include your profile signature.