Few questions...aggressive balls...not eating....

Hey everyone! Have a few questions....just so everyone knows I did search this forum for answers, and although I did find some threads regarding some of these issues, I feel like I need some "personalized" advice....every BP is different...and perhaps I just need some new suggestions for each of my "problem children".

#1 "Tango" my gorgeous pastel male....I love him, but he's nasty. He's the first BP to ever bite me...and I've been bitten so many times I've lost count. I got him a few weeks ago...the day I picked him up the owner bred him to his blood python (attempting to make superballs(?)) Anyway, when I got him home he was extremely hissy and struck at me a few times. The guy I got him from said it was because he was just bred and thats why he was acting aggressive. He told me to give it a few days and let the hormones cool off. He was due to eat the next evening, so I offered f/t and he ate a rat pup but that was it. Which was fine. The following week I offered again, he just balled up and hissed. If I try to handle him he will strike at me. I had him in a tank...(with hides, and a heat lamp, etc) I thought maybe it was stressing him out so I put him in a tub (with a hide, which he uses). But even if I get him out of his tub and am holding him, he will strike at whatever part of my body he can reach. I feel like the Crocodile Hunter catching a wild python---holding him by his tail as he stikes at my stomach. :weirdfaceHe's just mean. I don't mind the mean part as much as I mind him not eating. I am about to go offering him live, although he was eating f/t before so I'm not sure why he's not eating for me. He just balls up and hisses.

#2 is a 1200 gram spider ball female I just got from a local guy....he warned me she isn't the nicest, and tonight she literally launched herself out of the tub when she tried to strike at me. :taz: HELLO!! I took her tub out and put it in the bathroom to clean the corner where she went potty and she literally was jumping out of the tub to try to strike at me. Yeesh!! I offered her f/t as well....she was too busy trying to strike at me to even notice the rat. She has eaten f/t before, although most recently the previous owner had switched to live. He thinks she will come around and eat the f/t so as far as her not eating I will give it another week, but in the meantime....I can handle hissing, but I can't handle attacking me when I open the tub......suggestions??


#3 the one i'm most concerned with. got her from a friend of a breeder i went to see a few weeks ago (end of May). she's a 1000 gram normal. very sweet, a little shy. she had several (fresh looking) bite marks on her when I got her....she came from a guy who has a ton of snakes so I'm assuming it was one of those feeding routines where they toss the live rat in the bin and come back later to check. anyway, she won't eat for me. she acts like she is TERRIFIED of the rat. :( I have offered f/t rats...large mice...I even offered a small rat fuzzy thinking maybe she was intimidated by size. I tried everything....she just balls up. She doesn't hiss, she is not mean, she's a sweet girl, but she acts terrified. I have read on this forum that sometimes when a snake is attacked by a rat, it takes one time for them to be afraid. what do you do when a snake is afraid of their food?? obviously she was fed live before i got her....she is not interested in my f/t but I am scared to death to put a live rat in there with her if she's not eating and has obviously before been bitten. suggestions?? last resort is my friend who owns a store said he'd sell me an african soft fur. i guess they are like a double chocolate truffle for a python....but i have also heard that once they have an african soft fur, that's all the snake will want! i just don't know what to do with her.:(


no one else is having problems....the majority of my snakes that I have got have previously been on live and I have had absolutely no issues switching them over. These 3 are the only problem ones I have--the 2 aggressive ones that are part pitbull....and the shy normal who is scared of anything that moves.:confused:

I greatly appreciate suggestions....and FYI, heat and humitity are fine. They all have hides (although the spider female won't use hers.) Substrate is aspen bedding. My rats are thawed in water for a couple hours and then warmed in hot water and then the head is heated with a blow dryer. I have read a few threads where people suggest to leave the rat in the tank overnight but.....it only takes a couple minutes before it's cold. and with it being cold and not moving it definately does not look alive....and i really don't want to leave a dead cold rat in there all night...right?

Thanks much everyone, greatly appreciate advice! :)

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Originally Posted by tikigator

#3 the one i'm most concerned with. got her from a friend of a breeder i went to see a few weeks ago (end of May). she's a 1000 gram normal. very sweet, a little shy. she had several (fresh looking) bite marks on her when I got her....she came from a guy who has a ton of snakes so I'm assuming it was one of those feeding routines where they toss the live rat in the bin and come back later to check. anyway, she won't eat for me. she acts like she is TERRIFIED of the rat. :( I have offered f/t rats...large mice...I even offered a small rat fuzzy thinking maybe she was intimidated by size. I tried everything....she just balls up. She doesn't hiss, she is not mean, she's a sweet girl, but she acts terrified. I have read on this forum that sometimes when a snake is attacked by a rat, it takes one time for them to be afraid. what do you do when a snake is afraid of their food?? obviously she was fed live before i got her....she is not interested in my f/t but I am scared to death to put a live rat in there with her if she's not eating and has obviously before been bitten. suggestions?? last resort is my friend who owns a store said he'd sell me an african soft fur. i guess they are like a double chocolate truffle for a python....but i have also heard that once they have an african soft fur, that's all the snake will want! i just don't know what to do with her.:(

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Ive rescued an 09 female who had fresh bite wounds from rats all along her body she wouldnt eat anything dead or alive no rats no mice not even gerbils I put a gerbil in with her and it burrowed under her I tried every week with a mouse and she would just strike at it in defense until what I think hunger drove her to eat finally so far for the first 4 months she ate mice until I got her to eat a medium rat now slowly shes switching to rats with snakes like that it takes ALOT of patience just be lucky she doesnt try to take your face off when you reach in for her lol well mine doesnt do that anymore but it was still scary

This all sounds like defensive striking. They sound very very stressed. What's their set up like? Hides? How often are you offering food? Handling? Temps?

I suggest leaving all three alone for 2 weeks no food,no handling, just bare maintenance. Make sure they Have tight fitting hides, and excellent temps. I've experienced a few defensive strikers and it's usually bc they feel Insecure in their enclosure.

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

This all sounds like defensive striking. They sound very very stressed. What's their set up like? Hides? How often are you offering food? Handling? Temps?

I suggest leaving all three alone for 2 weeks no food,no handling, just bare maintenance. Make sure they Have tight fitting hides, and excellent temps. I've experienced a few defensive strikers and it's usually bc they feel Insecure in their enclosure.

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As I said in my original post, heat and humidity are fine.....the pastel male I had in a tank 30 breeder with 2 hides, water bowl, (because thats what he was in at his previous home) but I thought maybe he was stressed so I put him in a tub with a hide and a water bowl. The big female normal was in a tub at her previous home so I had her in a tub and then switched her to a tank thinking maybe that would help. The female spider has only been in a tub her whole life so she is in a tub now with a hide although she doesn't use it. All hides are the proper size (bought from reptile basics).

I have offered food once a week and have not tried to handle either one of them unless I need to get them out to clean their enclosure/tub.

I'm most concerned with the normal female not eating....@python addict, that is the reason I absolutely will not feed live :( I feel so bad for the poor girl. And its frustrating for me.

Thanks for the responses!