There is a Spotted at my local pet store. Said to be very vicious. But when I asked her to explain she said he wraps around the victims hands (the victims being every employee at the store so far). Hunger strike???
I'm thinking that he might have just been underfed. He only looks to be 2 foot at the most. She said he is three!!! WHAT are the chances of this snake coming to live a happy life (with me)?

That doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. That's all she said? Snakes do wrap around things to hold on, it's really the only way they can. It also depends on how they're holding him. If he feels as if he will lose his balance and fall, he is going to tighten up his hold so he won't. To me, that doesn't really justify something as being "vicious".

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No, what she said was that he has bitten everybody that has opened his enclosure to handle him. But that he not only strikes, he strikes and wraps himself around their hand. She laughed and said that "He has a really good feeding reflex."
She also said that maybe he hadn't been handled much as a younger snake.
The local has only had him now for six months. And as soon as the gate opened and my hand went in he coiled for strike. I would consider him vicious also, but what are the chances, at three years old, he could make a recovery from this inner turmoil? Will he be a hands off snake forever?
Should I get him anyway? Just about all my animals were once rescues. I am quite drawn.

Well, if you get him, that's your choice. If you do, I would suggest a snake hook for removing him. If he was fed in his enclosure, its a good chance he will strike at anything that appears to be food, especially if he was underfed.

Curious? What store? I have been trying to find a reptile store every time I return home (Amherst), but no luck.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Markheim's on Sheridan.
I am not quite sure if he was underfed. I just remember that they are suppose to get up to 4 feet and he looks two/two & a half. It is hard to judge the size of a snake in an enclosure but I think at three years old he should be at his full four. I'm going to insist upon the background info. Because I think he will be coming home with me.

Yup, best to know all the background info. I'll check out that store next time I'm visiting! thanks.

Even if he wasn't underfed, if he was fed in his enclosure, he associates a hand coming in with feeding, not with removal, especially if he wasn't handled much.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

If you bring him home you'll definitely want to feed him in a separate feeding bin of some sort and not his enclosure. I used to work in a pet store and I can tell you first hand that not all pet stores feed their snakes in their own separate little bins. Depending on the number of snakes and what they have available to put them into for a feeding bin, there's just not enough room.

You may have your work cut out for you getting him to associate a hand coming into his cage with more than just the intention to feed him. It's hard to tell at this point. With regular handling some snakes will calm down and others won't.

One thing to put into consideration is if by chance he does not calm down, would you be willing to still have him as a hands off snake? Not saying it to be rude or anything, just a valid point as many people want snakes so they can handle them and sometimes when they find that their snake is too much to handle, they regret bringing them home.

__________________
Professional Pet Sitting/Dog Walking
http://niksscalesandtails.com/



yes i am a she ^_^

~My Babies~

1 Rosy Boa (male) Chaos
1 Snow Corn (male) Blizzard
1 Anertherystic Corn (male) Bullet
1 Senegal Parrot (male) Shadow
2 dogs (male) Spot (RIP) and Bear

What you are describing sounds to me like a very hungry snake!
Those sound like feeding strikes. Its possible that they are so underfeeding the snake it is perpetually hungry.
Ask to watch them feed the snake and see what they are feeding, how they are feeding it and then observe its behavior afterwards.
An aggressive strike would be to hit you and pull back, not to coil on you.
And if they refuse to allow you to watch a feeding,...take your business elsewhere!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

No, I think that if he has to be a hands off snake then so be it. At least he can be that in a bigger enclosure while getting the right amount of food (not just enough to sustain life, but enough to make full and sassy sometimes too!)

Well, here is Chance. Our extremely vicious children's python. And, Merlin, you were right. Hunger strike all the way. When I paid for and picked up his tank, I insisted that they feed him an extra hopper. This caused quite a fuss the next day because I had no right to feed a snake that was in the care of their store. It was their responsibility until I brought him home. They insisted on keeping him for observation (because he had just been fed two hoppers the day prior). Well, the observation was astounding and the pet store was more than happy to hand him over free of charge. "He has never been so docile," they said.
Anyway. Here are some pics. And, thanks again.