aggressive ball python question

i have two youngish ball pythons that used to love being handled. i'm guessing they were born around august. the male was a little skittish when we got him, but it didn't take him long to warm up. the female had always been a very docile snake. the male was housed with a much larger snake before we got him and i housed him with my female for a bit before i was recomended to separate them. they have been in their own enclosures for a while now. we used to keep their tanks in the living room where all the activity was. with four kids, the living room is never quiet. we moved their enclosures to our bedroom before christmas to make room for the christmas tree. since they've been back there, where there is little to no activity, they both have gotten quite skittish. we moved our big boy back there as well, but with no attitude change. the male has resorted to striking at me when i walk past the cage, and the female has gotten very defensive within the past couple of days. could it be because they are in a secluded roomwith no activity that they have become aggressive? should i move them back into the hub of the house?

Are your temperatures/humidity good? Are they eating well? Have you changed anything in their cages?

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Originally Posted by TktMeyer

could it be because they are in a secluded room with no activity that they have become aggressive? should i move them back into the hub of the house?

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Unlikely. They typically do better with less activity. Has anything else changed? Temps different in your bedroom? These are both very young snakes - and young snakes are usually more aggressive. As long as your husbandry is spot on, I wouldn't worry too much about it. They'll probably grow out of it.

the temps and humidity are good. i actually had to fix the humidity in their tanks and they are just now starting to have good sheds. i did have to separate them recently. the male was starting to act aggressive before hand and i was starting to worry for the female's well being. i was holding off on separating them at first because of space issues. i am aware now, that keeping ball pythons in the same enclosure is not a good idea. the male kept the tank he was in and the female got a new tank. she has pretty much the exact same set up as in the previous tank. once the male is out of his tank he seems to be calm down a bit, but getting him out of the tank is the fun part. i'm still working on a strategy to get the female out of her tank to see how she reacts to being held.

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Originally Posted by swansonbb

Unlikely. They typically do better with less activity. Has anything else changed? Temps different in your bedroom? These are both very young snakes - and young snakes are usually more aggressive. As long as your husbandry is spot on, I wouldn't worry too much about it. They'll probably grow out of it.

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i do believe the temps in our room are different than the living room. i've actually been able to regulate them better, and have been able to keep the humidity stable. i haven't been handling them as much this past month because of the holidays. maybe that is a factor as well?

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Originally Posted by TktMeyer

once the male is out of his tank he seems to be calm down a bit, but getting him out of the tank is the fun part. i'm still working on a strategy to get the female out of her tank to see how she reacts to being held.

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Just reach in and pick them up. I assure you, getting bit by a bp that small is barely noticeable.

Not handling them much could be part of it. But seriously, I wouldn't worry about it. They'll calm down.

awesome, thank you for your input. i was sure i was going to be dealing with some big meanies in the future. i'll just keep at it and hopefully soon they're back to their sweet selves again!