biter?

[mccobs]

I am a new owner of a ball python, and did research saying these gorgeous things are docile and dont usually bite. i had to pick her up the first night to put in her water dish, and i got a bite. i'm a bit afraid to pick her up now althopugh it didnt hurt. lol i was gonna let her chill for a while of course, so i'm wondering if anyone thinks the behaviour will change... i here they rarely bite... i have had corn snakes in the past and have never recieved a bite..

[Vypyrz]

Since it was her first night, I would say she is stressed out and being defensive. Being moved, a new home, new smells, etc. Give her about a week to settle in with no handling or feeding, unless it is to clean poo or urates out of the cage. She will calm down after a few days and relax with regular handling. Look at it like this, you got the hard part out of the way right from the start. Now you don't have that anxiety of "When is it going to happen?" hanging over you. And welcome to the bite club...

One last thing. Most people fail to remember this. One of the most important pieces of equipment you need to keep near your herp supplies is a camera, because we loooove to see pics of stuff like that....

[AjBalls]

All snakes can bite. I've been bit by ball pythons more than anything though. I've had one snake 5 years and bit me for the first time last week.

[Vypyrz]

I've had one snake 5 years and bit me for the first time last week.

Valentine's kiss...

[kc261]

Since it was her first night, I would say she is stressed out and being defensive. Being moved, a new home, new smells, etc. Give her about a week to settle in with no handling or feeding, unless it is to clean poo or urates out of the cage. She will calm down after a few days and relax with regular handling. Look at it like this, you got the hard part out of the way right from the start. Now you don't have that anxiety of "When is it going to happen?" hanging over you. And welcome to the bite club...

One last thing. Most people fail to remember this. One of the most important pieces of equipment you need to keep near your herp supplies is a camera, because we loooove to see pics of stuff like that....

x2! Especially the bit about the camera. That stuff is important!

Stressed, scared snakes will react defensively. For BPs, this often means curling up in to a ball, but not always. My first bite came when I started my girl when she was deep in shed. It didn't mean she was a biter, though. The only other time this snake has bitten was when my husband made a mistake at feeding time. Here's a hint, if you drop the mouse off the tongs, don't reach in the enclosure to pick it up!

[BPelizabeth]

Just go slow. Give her a week and then try to feed her. Give her another week after that. Then try to handle her like 10 min. at a time. See how it goes. Try putting a blanket down on the floor and lay down with her and try to pet her. Never going from the front always the back. She will eventually calm down. May never be a love bug....but I think she will stop biting for sure. Remember in her mind you are a huge scary giant out to eat her.

[Bundu Boy]

Yep, give her a week or two to settle in before handling, feeding etc.....

Also, I like your comment about not wanting to handle her now because she bit you. This is nature in action, her action have had the desired result, at least in her eyes.

Don't worry about it, give her time to settle and then start by handling a few minutes each day. The most likely point to be bitten is when you put your hand in to take her out, you can can get a small hook stick to get her out to start with. You will find that once she is in your hands that she will mellow out after a while.

Don't not handle her, if you do not handle her then it will just serve to re-enforce to her that if she bites then she will be left alone.....