mean boa?

Question
i recently bought a 6 month old columbian red tail boa. everytime i touch him he hisses viciously at me.  its not the hissing that scares me, i just dont want to have a snake thats not good around people and especially me.  i have only been able to pick him up a few times without aggression, but after i put him in his cage he hides and becomes very protective, i understand that he is still adjusting to a new environment, but could you tell me what the probability is if him becoming an affectionate snake, or if i should return him to his previous owner( he has only had 1 in his lifetime)?

Answer
Unfortunately, I don't have any really wonderful news for you.  If your baby is hissing, he's probably scared of you.  You should leave him alone for about a week so to allow him to become comfortable in his new environment and then make sure he is eating well for you before addressing the behavioral issue.  (And remember, never handle a snake too soon after it has eaten -- based on the size of the meal relative to the size of the snake, I always leave mine alone for *at least* 24 hours and more often closer to 72 hours before handling them.)

However, since he is young and especially since he is a red-tailed boa, chances are extremely good that he will settle down and become a really wonderful little animal.  I recommend getting in touch with your local herp society and learning to use a snake hook so you can hook him out of his cage until he is comfortable with you or, if that isn't conveniant, purchasing a good pair of leather gloves for getting him out of his cage for the time being.  

After he's out, you'll need to handle him every day (except after you have fed him) for about fifteen to thirty minutes.  Just be patient with him and don't make sudden movements.  Remember, even if he does bite you, his teeth are so small that it won't really hurt and it's the only way to let him know that you're not going to hurt him.  Within a month or two at most, you'll have a docile little creature who you'll strongly believe is well worth the initial work you had to put into him.

All that said, it sounds to me very much like he is an import, so you're going to want to take him to the vet to get a stool smear to make sure he doesn't have parasites and treat them if he does.  (Do your homework to make sure the vet knows a lot about reptiles!)  And with all snakes, you'll need to get a stool smear every six months to make sure he hasn't picked up something bad from a mouse.  You'll also want to switch him over to frozen/thawed mice if he's eating live because that will decrease his agression level.  You can get a lot more information on basic care and where to buy captive bred animals at www.kingsnake.com  It's a great resource and I highly recommend that you check it out.

I hope that helps, and best of luck with your new little baby!