First time owner, having some issues

[morganklassett]

I've had my ball python for about a month now, and I am having trouble socializing him. I pick him up once every 1 or 2 days with exception to after a feed. His first shed was incomplete and he retained his eyecaps that I am still working on removing. I have tried a humidity box a couple of times with no results and I'm scared to try the tape method for fear of hurting or stressing him out. Today I tried to pick him up but he snapped at me several times. I blamed this on him maybe going into another shed. I have also noticed he spends almost a third of his time out of his hide, especially recently, and never at 10 or 11 pm like I thought he was supposed to. Is it possible that he is over active because of stress? What can I do?

[morganklassett]

I should be more specific with my questions
1. Is the agression because of shedding or something else?
2. What should be done about the eye caps?
3. Is the odd activity because of stress?
I should also add it has been a month since his last shed and he was snappy right before that one too.

[JLC]

I should be more specific with my questions
1. Is the agression because of shedding or something else?
2. What should be done about the eye caps?
3. Is the odd activity because of stress?
I should also add it has been a month since his last shed and he was snappy right before that one too.

1. The "aggression" isn't really the snake being mean just to be mean...it's scared and nervous and is simply trying to scare you off so you'll leave it alone. This is very common in baby/young snakes and usually fades as they gain some size and confidence. It can also come at times of shed, because this is a time when the snake is more vulnerable than usual....even laid-back adult snakes can get grumpy during a shed cycle, but not all of them do. Some snakes simply have a more nervous temperament than others, and may require more care and patience to become calm....and on rare occasions (rare for ball pythons, anyhow), they simply never do calm down.

2. Do NOT try tape or any other direct contact with the eyes to remove the stuck caps. The risk of causing injury to the eye is far greater than the risk of simply allowing the stuck caps to resolve themselves over time. There are some non-invasive techniques you can use.

A. Soak the snake in tepid (neither warm nor cold to the touch) water for about 30 minutes, then gently rub down with a damp towel. Allowing the snake to slither through the towel on its own, making a little cave for it to push its head through, will help it to rub its eyes on the towel without you having to force the issue.

B. Turn a pillowcase inside out and soak it in tepid water. Place the snake inside the case and tie the top securely. Leave it in there for 30-60 minutes on the warm side of its enclosure. Including a wet washcloth inside the case can help. There's a good chance the snake will rub everything off himself while inside. If nothing else, it gives a good soaking in the very moist environment and the damp towel method mentioned above can follow-up for anything still stuck on.

C. Here's an excellent thread for helping out with a troubled shed: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...hed-No-problem.

D. If all else fails, don't despair. A single layer of stuck caps won't hurt him. Just watch the humidity levels more closely from now on and try to anticipate the next shed and bump the humidity a bit before it...and the old caps will very likely come off with the next shed.

3. It's possible the snake is more active due to stress. What, exactly, is causing such stress, I don't have enough info to begin to guess. It might be annoyed at having some stuck shed and is trying to rub it off. It might be hungry. Check for bright white lights shining in the enclosure...loud noises (heavy vibrations) close by...high traffic around its cage....lack of security....etc. BUT...don't assume that there is some rule that says all ball pythons must be active between 10:00 and 11:00 at night. While it is typical that they tend to be more active in evening hours, they rarely live by a truly predictable clock.

[Monster Dodge]

Pick up a $5 gardnening glove and you will have no fears of it snapping at your hand when you try to handle it

[LeviBP]

1. I doubt it is aggression. It's probably from stress of having a sheet of dead skin he can't see through on his face.

2. An easy way to fix this is to wet an old dish rag and let him slide through it. Then slide your fingers like you are making an "OK" sign to get the skin off, make sure he is wet in warm water or this will just flake and be very annoying.

3. Not too odd, I would look over his environment and make sure he has these things; Two hides, a warm and cool side, a water dish in the center, the tank shouldn't be much longer than him himself, if it is, "clutter" it up with fake plants and what not. All in all, just give him better places to hide and feel safe and warm (:

If this proceeds, just give him a week or two break before handling again, especially if he is a new addition.

Hope this helped

[DZ Reptiles]

The posts before me really give you all the information that you need to know. DO NOT try the tape technique with the eye caps. They will most likely come off in the next shed. For the aggression issue, the only thing you can do, is to keep handling him. He may show signs of aggression because those eye caps are still on.