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Striking babies.

Dahliasmom2012

Dahliasmom2012

New member
I have 2 more babies that arrived last week. I left them alone other than placing them in their homes after unpacking them for the week and yesterday got a quick weight on both and a small feeding in a deli cup for each.

The weighing went fine but shortly after they each turned into hissing striking little squiggles of snakey fury. I'm feeling badly that I may have done too much too soon.

I managed not to get bit, did the bare minimum contact possible for feeding after the weight check and both managed to eat and settled back in the safety of their little tubs but still feel rotten that they were nervous enough to strike and hiss as they were.

Poor babies.
 
I guess I'm spoiled with how mellow the other 4 are. I'm glad it's normal and not just me having a big fail moment with them. Hope I can get them to realize we will never let them come to harm soon.
 
As a breeder, I do not handle my babies very often. I want them to eat and grow, and try to limit the stress as much as possible.

Each has individual personalities, and some never grow accustomed to being handled, but most, in time do just fine.
 
MysticExotics said:
As a breeder, I do not handle my babies very often. I want them to eat and grow, and try to limit the stress as much as possible.
Click to expand...

The two I got from you are very mellow! You would think you handled them all the time. They are part of the reason I think I got so spoiled.
 
Dahliasmom2012 said:
The two I got from you are very mellow! You would think you handled them all the time. They are part of the reason I think I got so spoiled.
Click to expand...

I am glad they have done well with you. :)

I think because I see whole clutches at a time, from time of hatch until they go to a new home, I see the defensive behavior that many display as babies.
I usually only have a couple clutches a year, but it is fun to watch them grow, from the beginning.

Do you have updated pics of your two from me?
 
I do!
1028f7bd57060633f49fb0effec81ca6.jpg
Una
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Seven
 
Thanks! They are so much fun to handle. Seven loves food, Una likes to try and explore a bunch before eating but this last feeding she struck and ate pretty quickly.

The new stripey babies, the amel seems to be settling but the blood red stripe seems to be completely terrified of me. I'm not sure if I should let her settle in another week with no handling or keep working on short handling sessions to try and help her adjust. She will just freeze when lifted, won't move until I go to place her back she will strike and try to escape the bin. What would be the best way to help her?

471ac3babad28ca1ffecbe7707de97a4.jpg
here is the one photo I got of her during the initial weigh and feed attempt.
 
They are all different. Your best judgment is probably as good as anyone's at this point. I'd leave her alone for another week and then start with very short handling sessions if she were mine, but you go with your gut on this one.
 
Spot cleaned the baby bins yesterday. Was able to handle my chicken little girl, she actually moved around on me this time instead of being a frozen snake statue. I only held her a few minutes as I didn't want to stress ger, go to put her back and bam she struck a pose. She was so riled up she struck the bin side twice after. Her poor little face.

So, minor improvements with her so far. Her sibling ate while I watched, she still needs lots of privacy but is eating well too.
 
One thing that I used to do for stressed babies is use a hook to pick them up and move them, even to drop them into my hands. The smaller they are the scarier our giant hands and heads are to them. A tiny extender hook they usually don't see. After a while you wont need to use the hook. I did it for their benefit not mine tiny corn nips are harmless.
 
Ah takes a bit of practice, just get them above your hand while still over the tank so there's a soft landing. They are hardy and a small drop won't hurt. It works best when they are coiled. Also if you can get one with a rubber coated tip they won't slide of easily.
 
f02d0db697c124e34a5ac15731da871a.jpg
Zelda was much better. Got to weigh her, live on her a bit and although she's still a shy eater but she didn't pretend to be a cobra at all and she just finished her first shed with me. Pretty proud of her.
 
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