Bad attitude!

[Possum]

Hey guys. My bf Gavin and I got a ball python just before christmas

We were told they are laid back snakes, but our girl has an attitude problem. She hisses, she strikes,she bites, but only in her contico, out of her home and shes back to being an angel, seems shes just terratorial! Its quite funny tho, shes a big girl, 3 foot long, year and a half old, but you cannot feel her bites!

Does anyone else have a bp with an attitude?

x

[Kilo]

My HET Albino male has a bit of an attitude. Every now and then when I pull his tub from the rack he will poke his little head outside of the hide catch a glimpse of me and just come full on striking.

[rabernet]

Attitude can also be a sign of stress. Are you sure you have all the temps correct and have the proper sized hides and enclosure for her?

[Broseph]

i have a normal female i had shipped from utah after thanksgiving and she struck a few times so i leave her alone and only handle her to take her out for cleaning day.

[Rapture]

I have an acclimated female that is pretty aggressive. I took her to the vet and forgot to warn them... then my vet reminded me to warn them next time, hahaha. My het. albino male is also strikey and was sold to me with that description.

[NCKarlov]

i have a female that is a bit jumpy, i think it's more attributed to stress. i built her cage with no knowledge of what they need, so she gets changes to her cage almost 3 times a week and her humidity and temps are off

[frankykeno]

First start off with husbandry and double check her enclosure specs against what's suggested here in threads and in our caresheet. That's always first in my mind when anything is going on with snakes. What is your setup like? Can you describe it, the temps and humidity, and where it's placed in your home.

Next, remember that this is a snake, not a puppy or kitten. It won't ever need to socialize with you as those sorts of pets do. It's already over a year old so you also have no idea what it's life was before you got it and the level of stress that human interactions put on it. It may never have been handled much, it may have got the idea that striking works to drive humans away, who really knows. Snakes have a very simple reptilian brain. You are either something it can eat or you may eat it sort of thing.

Also you've really only had this snake a very short time. It's barely settled in at all. Try looking up threads on the newspaper trick. Sometimes adding in all that scrunched up newspaper can really help a snake feel less exposed in it's enclosure and less likely to strike out defensively.

In the end though this is a snake. Some accept captivity and handling, some never do and others to some degree or other. Handling is more for us humans, for the snake it's a necessary evil of living with people but they just don't need it like a socialized, domesticated cat or dog does.

[Freakie_frog]

I have one we loving call ms gloves. Cause unless you just like getting bit thats what you have to have

[Possum]

She lives in a contico box. Shell be in it for another month or so till gav moves and we can get her viv sorted (no room in uni accomodation!). Her temps and humidity are all good She just genuinley has an attitude problem!

She was well looked after in the shop we got her from, I worked there for a week so I know all the reptiles are 100%, they did have her for a long time, and she has always just been a nipper, they warned us before we got her :p

Shes eating like a pig (she even ate a day after a three hour train journey) and just shed fine, shes active as well, so I dont think tis stress!

[West Coast Jungle]

I have a female pastel that was striking from the moment I took her out of the bag. The breeder I got her from gave me the bag and warned me (she didn't want to take her out) LOL. She hasn't got me yet but I'm always prepared. Out of all my 17 snakes she is the only one I take out with a snake hook. So I decided to call her Grace. Great feeding response! LOL
Adam says they are all different in their own way and he is right. This one is handled totally different than any other BP but as long as you know her agenda you are fine.