I need help!

[Andrew24]

my female pastel ball python who is bout 6 months old.. i just got her last sunday.. and i fed her for the 1st time yesterday... and so i got her out today just to handle her a lil bit.. 10 maybe 15 mins.. is a lil bit.. well i put her on the floor and let her kinda look around a lil bit.. and she was headin to the sofa so i picked her up so she wouldn't go under it.... and when i put her down she turnd aournd and tried bitting me...

wel i know you got a snake its only a matter a time before you get bit ..

but she wouldn't STOP!!!! she was on the floor at this point and i kept trying to pick her up so could put her back in her aquarium but everytime i got close to her she would try to bite me again and again.. i had to go head to head with her for over 30 mins! before she finaly turned around and i grabbed her by her tail .. which i DID NOT ! want to do .. but i didn't know what else to do... so now she finaly back in her home... BUT NOW WHAT DO I DO!???!! for all i know the next time i open up the screen top she will bite me lol... which i guess if i get bit i get bit... she's just a ball python so it shouldn't hurt too bad i don't think.. but if i can avoid getting bit at least for the time being i will do so .. LOL!

anyone got some good ideas? i could use them! if you do lol

[Gordon21]

Well for one after u feed your BP give it 2 days before handling again and for the biting try wearing some glove so u dont get bit and that about it from me i cant think of anything else

[ladywhipple02]

Sounds like she was feeling her oats

A baby like that is going to be pretty darn intimidated by something as big as you are swooping down on top of her. She was probably scared and just wanted to be left alone. Striking is a snake's way of saying "I'm uneasy, you're scaring me, leave me alone!"

A bite from a bitty one doesn't hurt at all. Won't even bleed. But if you just don't want to take the chance, try using a hook... or, better yet, hook training her. When you're ready to pick her up from her cage or the floor, rub the hook over her head and down her back before sliding it under her to pick her up. She'll start understanding that the hook means it's time to be picked up, and will stop striking.

[Freakie_frog]

You activated the "HOLY CRAP A HUGE FREAKING PREDATOR!!!" response..Your a big huge hot, thing coming at her when she's vulnerable (after a feed) she doesn't want to get eaten so she scare's you off the only way she knows how..

[Andrew24]

Sounds like she was feeling her oats

A baby like that is going to be pretty darn intimidated by something as big as you are swooping down on top of her. She was probably scared and just wanted to be left alone. Striking is a snake's way of saying "I'm uneasy, you're scaring me, leave me alone!"

A bite from a bitty one doesn't hurt at all. Won't even bleed. But if you just don't want to take the chance, try using a hook... or, better yet, hook training her. When you're ready to pick her up from her cage or the floor, rub the hook over her head and down her back before sliding it under her to pick her up. She'll start understanding that the hook means it's time to be picked up, and will stop striking.

well she's not really that small lol.. not like my other one is anyways.. she is over 2 ft long.. maybe even close to 3ft... which seems big for her age.. but
im going to post pics of her and my normal here in a lil bit

[ladywhipple02]

Still, a 2.5--3ft snake is tiny compared to you and me.

And trust me... Ever been bitten or scratched by a cat playing? The cat scratch hurts worse than a BP bite.

[Andrew24]

oh really??? wow that makes me feel better no joke.. i use to get my arm all torn up from my cat back in the day lol.. i got nothing to worry bout =) thanks !

[ladywhipple02]

Lol, no worries. The first bite is always the worst. Something moving that fast triggers our instinctual "Holy crap that thing is going to bite me, run away!"

[BPelizabeth]

ditto on what Gordon said....no touchy touchy for 48 hours after feeding. She could regurgitate her food.

Other than that she thought she was getting away and you ruined it....lol

You just freaked her out...you are the jolly green giant and she is soooooooo tiny...lol

Just when you get her from now on...don't think about it. I totally think animals can sense that stuff when you are nervous.

[SnakeGirl3]

Definitely keep handling her, despite the strikes. If she strikes and you back off, basically you're telling her: "OK, if you bite, then I'll leave you alone." You definitely don't want her to still be doing this when she's big. Get her trained NOW that biting doesn't make you back off. And I agree, a cat scratch hurts worse than a ball python bite, so let her nail you once and you'll know you have nothing to fear. Just don't jerk your hand back if she does get you--you don't want to rip any teeth out since it could cause an infection in her mouth. If you choose to go with gloves, try to get a pair of leather ones--the soft fuzzy gloves could get stuck in her teeth as well.