Striking and Strange Shed?

[JeweledPeach]

I just had 3 new ball pythons shipped to me (I won't name who from) and although they are beautiful, I'm not so sure I got a good deal.
They are all 6-8 months old, and two of them are pretty thin, I can easily see the back bone. On top of that, two of the three have struck at me, the third is looking like she wants to as well. This was not because I was handling them, I give all my snakes AT LEAST a month to settle in. One was as I was putting her in her new enclosure, and the other was while I was changing water. I have never had this happen with any of my others. Not sure if I was just lucky?
As well as the striking, one of them started to shed while I was at work today. He had no signs of shedding yesterday, his eyes are compleatly clear and his color isn't very dull. Again, I have never had this happen. Could it be from stress?
I am, admittedly, still new to this and have MUCH to learn. Please don't tell me what I am doing wrong, I would just like some advice.
Thanks!

[Pythonfriend]

about the striking i dont know, if you later start to take them out more or less regularly, and then just let them sit on your arms until they calm down, they will get more and more tame over time. but if this really is unusual or you just were lucky in the past, i dont know.


but you dont need to worry about the shed. they get the hazy blue eyes when they go in shed, but directly before the shed the eyes get clear again. the eyes can be clear for 1-3 days and then the snake sheds. and when the snake is in that clear phase when you first see it in reallife, its not easy to notice.

about them being underfed, weight in grams and pictures would help to figure it out.

Good luck with your new additions!

[liv]

They're striking because they are stressed. They'll settle down eventually. And they clear up before they shed (go blue->go back to looking normal->shed), so that sounds normal too.

[angllady2]

Well, I don't know about you, but if somebody yanked me out of my familiar warm home, threw me in a dark box which was bumped and buffeted about for a while, then a new somebody that smells nothing like my old somebody yanked me out of the box and stuffed me into a strange new home that smelled all weird and I didn't know where anything was, I'd be crabby enough to bite someone too.

Everything you are describing is completely normal behavior for a snake that underwent the stress of being shipped and moved. Give them a few days to relax and unwind. Let them learn your routine and that you are not dangerous to them, and they'll settle down. The key is to be patient, move slowly, and don't disturb them any more than you have to. And to be prepared to get snapped at and tagged a time or two while you all get used to each other.

Gale