Ball python turned EVIL

[RoyalGuardian]

So I go on vacation for 3 days and had my friend sarah take care of my two ball pythons... BIG MISTAKE!!! I come home and there is blood all over Kyros's cage and I don't know if its his. so I go to check and he strikes at me at least 3 times in 10 seconds. I was so freaked I called up sarah and asked what she did. " Well uh. Kyros ate a mouse but its eyes popped so it got blood everywhere ( ok at least it wasn't his blood) But your baby Calypso wouldn't eat. I tried all three days to make her eat and she refused so I just fed the baby mice to ki instead, he looked so hungery I just couldn't stand it." I was IRATE. She has been overfeeding my poor kyros ( much to his amusment) but now he is really really strikey. And my poor Calypso... I told sarah NOT to feed her cause she is kinda tricky. Now Calypso is totally frazzled.. My babies are all messed up... What to do now? I'm going to leave poor Calypso alone for a few days to let her recover from all the stress of my EX friend trying to make her eat.... now Kyros on the other hand is just plain mean now.... So what do i do to make him normal again? will getting him back to his normal feeding schedual make him nice again. I love him so much and he is really a sweet sweet snake. Please help us!

[RoyalGuardian]

Also I just got them some tubs! HURRAY! Will moving him to his new enclosure chill him out do you think? I want my little mama's boy back

[lillyorchid]

If you want to move them in to a tub then do so but leave them completely alone for a good week. No handling, no changing his bedding tho make sure they has enough water, no trying to feed them. No nothing!!! It sounds like they are stressed out of their minds. They will calm down and go back to being a normal ball pythons who aren't striking at everything that moves. They are scared and stressed and that is why they iare striking. Make sure they both have 2 hides (one on the warm side and one of the cool side) and just let them both be.

You really didn't have to take either of your snakes over to a friends house while you were only gone 3 days, they would have been completely fine at home left alone. Specially don't let someone who isn't used to feeding snake, try to feed yours. It will only do more harm then good specially to young baby BPs!

[RoyalGuardian]

also before anyone asks I gave sarah written instructions.. Sarah ( I think now) is either mentally retarded or she can't read. I'm not being mean I really think she is now. when I got home she asked me 2 questions that made me want to strangle myself. 1.) Are birds a kind of reptile... 2.) do mice breast feed their babies.... I kicked myself so hard for having her watch over my babies.. I should have done more of an intellegence check... next time I'm asking my boyfriends buddy to watch them... I feel so bad its all my fault for letting her pet sit...

[RoyalGuardian]

If you want to move him in to a tub then do so but leave him completly alone for a good week. No handling, no changing his bedding tho make sure he has enough water, no trying to feed him. No nothing!!! It sounds like he is stressed out of his mind. He will calm down and go back to being a normal ball python who isn't striking at everything that moves. He is scared and stressed and that is why he is striking. Make sure he has 2 hides (one on the warm side and one of the cool side) and just let him be.

You really didn't have to take him over to a friends house while you were only gone 3 days, he would have been completly fine at home left alone.

Their temps and humidity needs to be regulated daily. Believe me if i didn't think i had to pay someone to pet sit I wouldn't have. They are currently in aquariums that is why I said I was excited about their new tubs. and as for leaving him alone I was going to leave him alone anyway he is striking left and right! Its crazy!

[lillyorchid]

Please do move them both in to tubs~you won't have to regulate there temps anymore. Also I would not worry about having someone pet sit them again enless you are going to be away for 2+ weeks then I'd have someone comes over to make sure they had water and still had heat going to them.

[blackcrystal22]

So I go on vacation for 3 days and had my friend sarah take care of my two ball pythons... BIG MISTAKE!!! I come home and there is blood all over Kyros's cage and I don't know if its his. so I go to check and he strikes at me at least 3 times in 10 seconds. I was so freaked I called up sarah and asked what she did. " Well uh. Kyros ate a mouse but its eyes popped so it got blood everywhere ( ok at least it wasn't his blood) But your baby Calypso wouldn't eat. I tried all three days to make her eat and she refused so I just fed the baby mice to ki instead, he looked so hungery I just couldn't stand it." I was IRATE. She has been overfeeding my poor kyros ( much to his amusment) but now he is really really strikey. And my poor Calypso... I told sarah NOT to feed her cause she is kinda tricky. Now Calypso is totally frazzled.. My babies are all messed up... What to do now? I'm going to leave poor Calypso alone for a few days to let her recover from all the stress of my EX friend trying to make her eat.... now Kyros on the other hand is just plain mean now.... So what do i do to make him normal again? will getting him back to his normal feeding schedual make him nice again. I love him so much and he is really a sweet sweet snake. Please help us!

I think it was kind of a mistake on your part to ask her to feed your snakes in the first place. They would've been fine with 1 skipped meal, or a few days delayed.
They are stressed. Put them in the tubs, get the heat set, and leave them completely alone for a week.

[wolfy-hound]

First, remember the snake is not being "evil" or "mean". It's stressed out. It's not it's fault that some strange woman messed with him.
I'm not going to say "you shouldn't have... " because that won't help you now. I'm sure YOU learned from the experiance.
Right now, leave them alone totally. Snakes don't have long memories. Once you have left them along to relax, you can try opening the cage a few times, without reaching in, without feeding, etc. It's possible that he just thinking he's getting fed every time it's open.
I'm sure they'll settle down. Ball pythons are hardy critters, and just need some time when they get upset.
Good luck.

[SlitherinSisters]

Oh man.... I would leave them alone for a good week. They probably got super stresed in those three days and need a break!

You probably should have told her to do nothing with the snakes since you were only gone three days. I wouldn't want anyone messing with my snakes unless I was going to be gone for a week or more.

[rishnack]

all that blood in the tank will cause him to strike at anything that comes near him all he has been smelling for 3days is food ! clean that mess up and he will be fine and return to normal shortly
i would never trust anyone to feed my snakes imo they will just mess it up
next time offer food before you leave then leave em be just have you freind
check there water