Snake training/taming???

Well during one feeding session i gave my snake (Penelope)
a live rat to eat. She would always be mean to me, like she
wouldnt like me holding her for long times, she wouldnt let
my fingers get close to her head, she would slither away
from me etc.
so during that feeding session, she sprang out but the mouse jumped just in time to have its head free and was trying to bite my snake. It was just barely able to scrape its teeth on its scales so i quickly grab a pen that was conviniently there ;) and push its head away from her and honestly, even though it might sound stupid, shes actually been very nice to me now.
She actually does this cool trick where if i make a cave with my hands she'll go in my hands :D
well the point is, do any of your snakes do cool tricks? can they be taught
to do any? any other crazy snake stories?

Not really. If it is that much of a problem, I would recommend trying to feed frozen instead of live.

Are you feeding outside of your enclosure? You really shouldn't handle your snake directly before or for 48 hours after feeding. They go into 'feeding mode' when they smell rats or see them, so it's never a good idea to handle them in that period.

outside of enclosure-yes
feeding frozen-no, im scared that if id have to get rid of it, it wont be adept at killing on its own. i try to put it at my backyard with tall grass and some rocks as a natural grassland so it'll actually learn to hunt on its own.
and yes i do make sure that neither the rat or snake can get away.
gotta love grandma made fences :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 17sleep

outside of enclosure-yes
feeding frozen-no, im scared that if id have to get rid of it, it wont be adept at killing on its own. i try to put it at my backyard with tall grass and some rocks as a natural grassland so it'll actually learn to hunt on its own.
and yes i do make sure that neither the rat or snake can get away.
gotta love grandma made fences :P

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Are you saying that you feed your snake in the back yard so it will know how to hunt in case you ever have to get rid of it? Ball Pythons, as well as any captive reptile should never be released... :colbert:

Feeding outside the enclosure can be stressful and isn't necessary, I used to feed in a seperate container and find much more success feeding in the cage.

I will say there is nothing wrong with feeding live, so if that works for you that's great. I find feeding f/t more convinient which is why I switched over from live.

Also, snakes are instinctive hunters meaning they already know what to do and don't need to learn anything.




As far as my snakes doing tricks... they like to take a huge dump right after I clean the enclosure and put fresh newspaper in there... :(

nooooo, i was actually thinking zoo.
ive heard you could donate your animals to the zoo.
and i live in San Diego, so im really close and would
get to see it alot :)
although i would be sad if i ever did have to let it go :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 17sleep

nooooo, i was actually thinking zoo.
ive heard you could donate your animals to the zoo.
and i live in San Diego, so im really close and would
get to see it alot :)
although i would be sad if i ever did have to let it go :(

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I doubt the zoo would take in a ball python. The best way to rehome a snake would be post local ads or contact local herpers who work with them.

I may have misinterpretted what you are saying at the end, so no offense meant- Just so you know it is illegal to release an animal, animals escaping or being released is one of the reasons that people use in order to try to ban pythons/reptiles. To release a snake would be as damaging to the reptile community as it would be cruel to your snake.

I can guarantee you that the San Diego zoo won't just take a donated snake. I mean last time I was there every single reptile enclosure in the exhibit was full of snakes that are probably more rare than yours. Plus ... how is "training" it in the wild going to help it eat in the zoo?

Just feed it in it's enclosure ... maybe consider switching to frozen/thawed and you'll be good to go. :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 17sleep

nooooo, i was actually thinking zoo.
ive heard you could donate your animals to the zoo.
and i live in San Diego, so im really close and would
get to see it alot :)
although i would be sad if i ever did have to let it go :(

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Ah, ok...

There is no need to feed them out side. Snakes know how to get their food from the time they are born and leave the nest soon after. They don't learn anything from the mother...

Keep in mind that pesticides can be in the grass:(

Snakes are natural born killers. Their instinct is to kill, and right out of the egg/litter they already know what to do.

Feeding outside is not very necessary, and very stressful, especially during daylight hours. Most snakes, such as pythons, hunt at night because they are nocturnal. Hunting in the daylight is very rare for a wild python to seek out food.

Please consider feeding your snake in its own enclosure. This way there is very little stress during feeding time. Some Ball pythons will stress so much from being outside of their enclosure that they will refuse food being offered to them.

Also note that snakes cannot be trained. They can be handled often to tolerate handling and human contact, but never be trained for anything special. They do not have any similar emotions (or none at all) that dogs, cats, or even humans do. They are reptiles and were never meant for being in captivity and being accustomed to human contact.

For that reason, we snake hobbyists and keepers keep our Ball pythons in enclosures that mimmick their natural homes where they are native. Tubs, for example, mimmick the old termite mounds Ball python will hide in. Tubs retain humidity extremely well, as well as keeping temperatures right where you want them. All we do is provide a hide (except in some snake racks) or two, water dish, substrate, and belly heat with a little extra room and they will feel most comfortable.