Bit new to the BP world. Anyone mind answering a few questions?

Hi, guys! Fairly new to raising ball pythons, although I've done research for the last two years or so before buying my first. Even with all of that, I still have just a few questions and I hope you guys don't mind helping out. :).

First, my husband smokes cigarettes. Never indoors, or around the snake, but would the smell on my husbands clothes clothes bother or harm my snake?

Second, my daughter will be five this year. We have two lizards, one of which she handles on her own. That one is a fat tailed gecko. Would she be okay if I let my ball on her hands? She knows not to squeeze or put pressure on him, after dealing with her gecko.

Finallt, I've read in multiple places that spraying alcohol (not isopropyl) into their snout is an effective way of getting them to release if they bite and won't let go. Have any of you tried this? And how effective is it?

Sorry if these are silly questions. I just want to be 100% sure that my family and my snake are safe.

I would not think there is a problem with him being a smoker. Obviouslly nobody is blowing smoke at the snake.

I have a 5 year old and would let her hold ours with direct supervision. I would not suggest going around the neck or shoulders.

Just get a water bottle IF it happens. I would not use any type of alchohol.

Don't know about the first question, as I am a kid and none of my parents smoke.

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Originally Posted by CarrieAnnx3

Second, my daughter will be five this year. We have two lizards, one of which she handles on her own. That one is a fat tailed gecko. Would she be okay if I let my ball on her hands? She knows not to squeeze or put pressure on him, after dealing with her gecko.

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I let my little sister, who will be 6 soon hold one of mine, and if they know how to hold them and not drop them I think they'll be fine. c: I watch her though to make sure.

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Originally Posted by CarrieAnnx3

Finallt, I've read in multiple places that spraying alcohol (not isopropyl) into their snout is an effective way of getting them to release if they bite and won't let go. Have any of you tried this? And how effective is it?

Sorry if these are silly questions. I just want to be 100% sure that my family and my snake are safe.

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I wouldn't.. Try dipping in warm water and that might help him/her to release. c:

Ah! Alright, thank you guys!
much obliged!

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Originally Posted by h20hunter

I would not think there is a problem with him being a smoker. Obviouslly nobody is blowing smoke at the snake.

I have a 5 year old and would let her hold ours with direct supervision. I would not suggest going around the neck or shoulders.

Just get a water bottle IF it happens. I would not use any type of alchohol.

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I've not had to do it but from what other people have said, water does the trick. I wouldn't use alcohol. Aside from potentially irritating or being noxious to your snake, I could see that stinging if you get it in the bite wound!

Hello! Congrats on your ball python

Cigarette smoke would probably only really be a problem if it was floating in the same air as your snakes enclosure. Second hand smoke affects animals much more than humans simply because of their size. However since your husband smokes outside I really don't see a problem. And if someone says that somehow the smell on his clothes might harm your snake, they miiiiiight be a little dramatic.

As for your daughter, I would agree with h20hunter on the lines of not letting her put it around her neck, but as for handling in general it all depends on the snake. In my opinion I wouldn't let her handle it until you've had it for 2 or 3 months while regularly handling it without an incident. If you find it's temperament to be very docile then I don't see a problem! Some pythons however can be a bit jumpy and easily startled which could lead to a quick tag. Lots of times they will bite and let go just to scare you away. One word of advice though, never handle your snake if there is the scent of a mouse/rat in the room, and especially if the scent is on you. Pythons have poor eyesight and could mistaken you for food if it has the scent!

That would lead to your last question, if a python mistakens you for food because of the scent of a rodent, it will probably bite and not let go, along with it wrapping around your arm or wherever it bit you. I'm not completely certain of the correct way to get them to release, but I really don't think alcohol is a good idea. Sounds like that could harm your snake. I do know that you don't want to PULL the snakes head, which could cause damage to the snake and cause some pretty good damage to your skin. Don't quote me on this but I think I read somewhere to push the snakes head forward a bit to get the teeth to slide out of your skin. Don't take my word for it though I'm not too sure about that one!


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Save the alcohol for drinking. I can't say about BP's because I've never had one tag me as a food response, only as a defensive bite, but when my boa and king both mistook my hand for a rat ,spraying water didn't work, and neither did a cotton ball soaked with Listerine mouthwash. A cotton ball with a few drops of white vinegar waved in front of the snake's nose did the trick immediately.

And as was mentioned, if the snake bites and holds, don't pull away or you will do more damage to yourself, and possibly to your snake's teeth.

BPs have two kinds of bite.

one is the defensive bite, also called tagging. they hit you with the teeth and retreat immediately, and the time the teeth will be in contact with your skin is measured in milliseconds. not even close to 1 second.

the second one is the feeding bite. then they hold on and will attempt constricting. these can be nasty, not only for you, the snake may also break its teeth. here it can take a while until their small brain realizes the mistake. a bit of cold water on the heat pits may help, what can also help is to blow against their nose really hard. with some distance, so that they feel the wind in their heat pits, dont blow them up like a party balloon. i would not use alcohol, the reasoning behind alcohol is that it feels even colder than cold water, but its not worth the risk. if you do nothing, the snake will eventually stop moving and start thinking, and then it can take a few minutes until the snake reaches a conclusion. blowing at their head and cold water will speed up or cut short that decision process.

i think handling is fine for a 5-year old if its done under supervision. when you daughter gets nervous or the snake gets nervous its time to stop.

While I've got you guys here, I've got one more question.

I'm a makeup artist, so my hands get covered in gunk all the time. I'm very meticulous about washing my hands before handling Riley (finally settled on a name) but I know, sometimes, small amounts will stay under my cuticles or my nails. Will that small amount harm him if it gets on him?

I'm one of those super worrisome pet owners. Hah.

It's better to wash your hands if they have stuff on them before and after handling.