Can ball pythons stress themselves out because of a different owner?

[Allie Weibel]

I went on vacation with my family this past week. I have a ball python. I have had him for around 5 months lately. He is a very shy snake, except when he is with me. I've let my mom hold him a few times and each time she does he stretches out to try to get to me. He is a little more comfortable when he is with my boyfriend, but still is very shy. I handle him a lot so it's not like he's not used to it. So when I was on vacation, my boyfriend watched him for me. He has had experience with ball pythons as well, so it's not like he was doing anything wrong. I feed my ball python every Monday and as soon as I walk into the door with the mouse in the bag he goes nuts. He will uncurl himself from the ball he usually is in when he chills in his cage. As soon as the mouse is dropped he snaps for it instantly. There is never a doubt in my mind that he will not eat. He's a good eater. But when I went away, my boyfriend fed him and took care of him. He fed him like I do, bought the mouse from the same place, did it at the same time, did everything right. But my snake didn't even budge. He didn't want to eat. He tried to feed him the next day too. He didn't eat. So I am wondering if he is stressed out because he is not seeing me. It's only been a week. My snake is such a good eater that he will eat when he is about to shed, and even when he is shedding. So that's out of the question.

I know people say snakes are too stupid to recognize who people are and everything. He obviously knows who I am. He must tell by my smell or my warmth. I'm not sure but he knows me.

[Skittles1101]

Ball pythons are generally creatures of habit. If he didn't do what you normally do it could have caused him to not eat. I don't think it's about you specifically, just that something was out of order. I wouldn't worry about it, even my best eaters have off days and don't eat, I don't advise either of you to try feeding until the next scheduled time (Mondays), trying to feed every day will stress him out.

As far as recognizing, I don't think they "miss" someone that they are accustomed to. They know different scents because of how sensitive their sense of smell is, and they can see fairly well. I know mine are a lot more comfortable with me than they are if anyone else holds them, but it's more of a trust thing, not an emotion unfortunately.

[CCfive]

x2, my normal won't even unball unless I'm the one who picks him up. Like Leah said, though it's a trust factor because I'm the the one who mostly handles and cares for him.

[Jared2608]

Can they tell the difference between you and someone else, I believe they can. Do they miss you when you're not there, I'd have to say no.

Having said that, as was pointed out, they often respond best when things are done the same, so whilst your snake didn't miss you as such, the fact that he didn't smell you during feeding time could have come into play. My friends Boa will nip any one except him when you take it out the cage, but once he's out he's fine.

The jacobsons organ is very sensitive, so I really have no doubt they can tell by smell alone that the usual person is picking them up, and I suppose they figure that since it's always worked out before they'll be safe this time, lol.

[loonunit]

Yeah, mine are pretty good at handling, but some of them still do that craning-towards-me thing for a while after I've handed them off to someone new.

"Stress from new owner", however--I think that's as much about new habits and schedules and husbandry and enclosures as owner smell. I think what you're describing is mostly environmental stress.

[MoshBalls]

Very interesting. I know my dog won't eat for the first day when I go out of town and just lies around depressed, (talk about a guilt trip), she does this even though she is with my mother or brother-in-law who also has dogs and she love them.

I know snakes aren't supposed to do the same but I have heard of them being depressed. I know my son's snake prefers him even though I am the one who feeds and cleans out his enclosure. It makes you wonder.

[kitedemon]

I am quite certain that A BP can tell one person from another. We know dogs can (trained to follow a particular person) and we know snakes have much better sense of smell than dogs. I think it is individual animals as to what kind of reaction they have. I have a second gen wild caught girl that is painfully shy as long as you do what I do I don't think she would care. She trusts no one. I have 4 that are pigs and not bothered by people in the least they would not care on the other end of the scale. The others trust me or my partner and I have had them not only refuse but show 0 interest when I was away only to eat instantly upon my return. I think it is the unfamilar methods and scents made them uneasy. I think given a few months they would adapt.

[Allie Weibel]

Thanks everyone for your input