Nervous New Mother to a BP

[MisterDespair]

I've posted a few threads in the past couple days about husbandry, but now I need to ask about the actual snake!

I brought home my new 1 year old male BP that I named Jules yesterday. The original owner claimed that he was her number 1 most docile snake, and also the best eater. I handled him momentarily when I went to pick him up, but he did seem a bit skittish, and then I handled him for about 5 minutes when I got home. He was fine to hang on my hand, but he was a bit jumpy indeed.

I put him in his tub, and he has been a bit shy. I haven't attempted to hold him again, but I've been in and around the tub looking at him and checking on the temp/humidity gauges.


The previous owner said it had been a week since he's eaten, so I decided to feed him today. I let the mice unthaw next to his tub, and when they were ready... I opened the tub, and he got defensive and struck at me! He didn't get me, but he gave me a real scare. I threw a mouse in and he INSTANTLY devoured it, and devoured the next 2 just as fast.


I'm not too worried, I assume he struck just because he was hungry and he knew the mice were coming.

I guess my question is, I'm gonna wait the 48 hours and begin to try and hold him. I want to bond with this snake. I'm 100% new to reptiles and I'm just overall nervous about how I'm going to bond with him and to avoid getting bitten!

Does anyone just have some general handling advice?

[Francesco]

Ya wait at least a week before u hold him. Let him settle in his new habitat

Una famiglia

[WmHrbst]

I would give the snake time to get use to everything. New home, new smells, etc etc...if you thawed out the mice next to his tub he got the scent and was ready to eat! Most ball pythons are pretty docile and are head shy, just give it some time and you will get use to handling him and he will get use to you handling him in return.

[RestlessRobie]

i would give the snake time to get use to everything. New home, new smells, etc etc...if you thawed out the mice next to his tub he got the scent and was ready to eat! Most ball pythons are pretty docile and are head shy, just give it some time and you will get use to handling him and he will get use to you handling him in return.

x2

[corgigirl9]

I seem to think BPs can tell when a handler is nervous and makes them more nervous too too. Wait a week to let him settle, then give it a shot. Whats the worst that can happen? Maybe a bite, no fun but not the worst thing in the world either... but look for signs such as striking position. Anyways , good luck and congrats.

[Daybreaker]

....checking on the temp/humidity gauges.

I guess my question is, I'm gonna wait the 48 hours and begin to try and hold him. I want to bond with this snake. I'm 100% new to reptiles and I'm just overall nervous about how I'm going to bond with him and to avoid getting bitten!

Does anyone just have some general handling advice?

If you mean you have those sticky temp/humidity gauges that they sell in pet stores then I would recommend ditching those and getting a nice digital accurite duel temp and humidity gauge. Much more accurate.

My advice is to let him settle in for a week then to handle him in small spurts (avoiding 2 days or so after he eats). In time you can have him out more often and he'll grow to trust you and calm down. He is probably just nervous about the new surroundings and it might be throwing off his normally docile character.

Also, don't worry about getting bit: you will psych yourself out and may make the new BP more nervous. Getting bit isn't a big deal and it will happen sooner or later, so just don't worry about it! If you get bit don't put the snake away right away as he may see it as a way to get out of being held. If he's defensively striking at you let him calm down for a few hours and try again. Eventually with work he'll most likely snap out of that behavior: for all you know that might have just been a fluke as he's stressed from the move and he may not ever do it again.

[ReMiXeDg]

Give him a week to settle in, I remember when I was changing water of one of my BPs and instantly he struck at me, I was shocked and scared too,even sometimes now when i go to pick him up or fix something in the tank i get scared.

ah I remember when I was cleaning both tanks at the same time and put both my bps in a box and it was right by my leg as I was cleaning the tank it struck at my leg lucky he didn't get me i never gotten bitten knock on wood I don't want to know how it feels but meh some people most actrully say it dont hurt/

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

It doesn't hurt. At all. It just startles you. Then you'll laugh. I guarantee it.

I'd rather get bitten by a non venomous snake any day than by any mammal. Rats can't bite to the bone. Mice and ASF can be just as vicious. Let's not even get started on dogs and cats.

I even had a huge parrot fish that bit me twice with it's mouth full of teeth and that was worse than the bites I've gotten from snakes.

But yeah, the new BP was hungry and stressed from the trip and new home. No worries. Use a small towel or something to cover it's head when you go to pick it up. Actually just touching it's body will snap it out if defense mode and you should be able to scoop him up.

[Peoples]

If you are wary you'll get bit I suggest using a t-shirt to lightly drop over the head then pick your Bp up, usually once they are picked up they calm down right away, and as suggested before, since you thawed the mouse next to the tub you actually put it into feeding mode when it picked up the scent.

The T-shirt method works well for snapping them out of feeding mode if you feed in a separate enclosure and need to move them back.

[meowmeowkazoo]

Congrats on your new baby! As others have said, give him a bit to relax and settle into his new home, and then don't stress over getting bitten. He probably won't bite you, and if he does, it honestly does not hurt.