Aggresive ball...

[Ofromda860]

Well this is my first herp ever and I love it, BUT I have become afraid of it. When ever I change the water or just stand in front of the tank to check humidity he strikes out like he's nuts! He bit a buddy of mine who came over when I went to clean his tank, he reached in to grab him and whack, he got bit! It's only been 3mnths and don't want to give up , any help is glady appreciated!

[PitOnTheProwl]

try dropping a towel over him and then taking him out of his tank.
is he still nippy when he is out?
how old is he?

[PitOnTheProwl]

also make sure everything is right and he has a couple good hides

[Skittles1101]

Is your husbandry correct? He may be very uncomfortable causing him to be defensive...what are your temps, humidity, setup?

[Ofromda860]

Well as far as age I was told a lil over a year and a half, I'm not 100% positive. It wasn't like that at the begining, I would take her out and handle it here and there so my 5yr old daughter wouldn't be scared of it. Temp is alway between 78-81 & humidity is 48 to 55 at times.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Temp is alway between 78-81 & humidity is 48 to 55 at times.

Those temps are fine for the cool side, what about the hot side?
I would rather see humidity a little higher but that is not too bad.

[Skittles1101]

Agreed, those are great temps for the cool side but hot side should be up to about 90, no more than 92. How do you read temps and humidity?

[Evenstar]

And what about hide boxes? BPs can get very defensive if they don't feel secure in their environment. He needs a hide on the hot side and one on the cool side. And if the cage is too big, that could contribute to the problem too. You might have to 'clutter it up' a bit to help him feel more secure. What do you have in there now?

Also, you shouldn't just "reach in and grab" him. Go slow and gentle. Ella couldn't be more docile, but I still gently stroke her for a moment before picking her up. It lets them know you're there and you aren't food. When they're prepared, they're much easier to handle.

How often are you feeding and what prey size? He may be snapping if he's hungry, if the prey size is too small, etc.....

[Nektu]

I agree. Put a towel over him when doing cage maintenance. My female pastel is cage aggressive and that is what I do. Her temps are on target but still. Some bp's are just like that sometimes. He may even grow out of it. Mine is fine when being handled. Is yours?

[j_h_smith]

Just reach in and grab him. Sure, you'll be biten a few times, but it will learn that you are not going to give in to him. I believe many snakes will show this agression by your actions. If you reach in to pick him up and he strikes at you, he's learned how to control his environment. If he does this a few times and you stop reaching in to pick him up, he's won. Reach in, get bit or wear gloves the first few times if you need to, but never give up. If you reach in to pick him up, do it. Even if you only hold him for 1-2 minutes. Show him he's your pet and not the other way around.

One caviat. I have a female lesser that's about the same age as your snake, and she's been a biter since day one. She thinks she's a viper. She hisses to the point that the wife questioned what that noise was while in the other room.

Getting bit is just one part of snake ownership. It's going to happen, get used to it. After the first dozen bites or so, you'll realize it's the shock of the strike and the bite isn't all that bad.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith