How to "tame" my bp?

I just adopted a male, 5yo ball python from a guy who didn't take very good care of it. Yes, the set-up is perfect and yes, the snake is in good health, but he didn't know the simple things.

For instance, he would put 2 or 3 live mice in the cage with the python and watch him hunt them. I'm going to try to transition him from live to frozen. He did say the snake wouldn't take f/t, but I figured his other advice was so useless I would try anyway. If not, I would be sure to stun or kill the mice before feeding Radi.

But what this post is really about is how he handled him. This guy bought him when he was only as big as a pencil and has had him for really his whole life. He told me he was really tempremental and didn't like to be held, but when he showed me how to pick him up I was appalled! :O

I think his exact words were "He will bite you, so I just try to be quick and then grab his neck." He then proceeded to snatch the snake by the middle of his tail and yank him from his cage where he was peacefully chilling in the corner. And, of course, the poor thing hissed and lashed around a bit so he grabbed his neck to stop him from squirming. After a few moments he just gave up and dropped him back into the tank again where the terrified creature immediatly darted under a log.

When I picked him up today- I used a technique I learned in a reptile handling class. I slowly lifted up the log he was under, then stroked the thickest part of his body with a paper towel roll a couple of times. When I got no reaction other than the the usual tensing up, I stroked him with one finger. When that received no reaction either, I slowly put my hands under him and lifted him from the tank.

No hissing, no thrashing, no striking.

I wasn't suprised and handled him for about 30 minutes, including picking him up and putting him down to take pictures and letting him climb my body.

But sometimes, if I touch/hold him the wrong way, accidently stroke him from tail to head, or handle him when he doesn't want to he will hiss at me. Of course, I wasn't suprised, and if he hisses I either stop what I was doing and let him relax or (if I just picked him up) put him back in his tank.

My question is- will Radi (rah-dee) get over this when he realizes I am no threat or will he always be this frightened?

Please and Thanks!:snake:

Don't put him back if he hisses or bites you. Just keep handling him, and he should hopefully chill out.

I like how you put tame in quotations. That tells me you understand that the snake wont be tame by the definition of the word.

That's great, a really good state of mind to be in.

I can say that consistency is the key. He will never come to be tame, but will come to tolerate you; again, consistency is the key. Just keeps trying. There are people who still have head shy snakes. Being taken by the neck isn't a very pleasant thing, I sure would be head shy if that happened to me. ;)


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Thanks guys!(: I'll keep this in mind.

- - - Updated - - -

I also forgot to mention that sometimes when I lift him out of his cage he strikes at the air. Not even in the general range of my body and I don't even think he opens his mouth (he goes to fast for me to be able to tell) but he does it without warning and without hissing.

I should have read this one first. In five years the person never learned if it was a morph our regular.

Its a good practice to let a new snake settle in to a new home for 7-10 days without any handling. But if you are able to pick it up with just alittle hiss already, I wouldn't be to worried. Even the nicest snake will hiss. That's what snakes do. Now if it is hissing and taking a defensive position or striking that is different.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bobbafett

Don't put him back if he hisses or bites you. Just keep handling him, and he should hopefully chill out.

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^^^This

Yeah, let him get the hissing out of his system. He'll get over it after a while if you handle in persistently. And the air biting is probably either more of that, or something to do with the way he was hunting in his tank? But if you're keeping him well-fed, and if you stick to gentle, consistent handling, that'll probably go away, too.

Just don't drop him! That'll set you back a year at least.

(I did that---dropped my enchi when she was a baby. She hissed every time I picked her up after that. Can't really blame her.)

I'll be the voice of dissent. I really don't care if mine hiss or not. Sometimes they are just having a bad day. They don't have any way to really communicate like our furred friends.

If you had a cat that was hissing at you, would you read their signs that they are unhappy and let them be, or would you force them to continue to endure what made them unhappy?

It's not teaching the snake anything, forcing them to continue to be handled if they are stressed out and trying to tell you to "hiss off".

From Another post, others have commented that he's very thin. Rather than try to "tame" him right now, I'd focus more on rehabilitating him, and slowly getting him up to a healthy weight before starting with a lot of handling sessions.

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Yes, I agree, he IS very thin. I'm just letting him settle in before I feed him so he doesn't freak out and regurgitate. He is already loads better- he hasn't hissed or struck and is content just chillaxing in my hands while I watch TV or sit on the porch with him and let him get some sun (even though bp's don't require UV, I feel like I should give him some anyway).

Thanks for the help!