how to tell if a ball python is relaxed?

What indicators/ body language is there to tell if your BP is relaxed? Or not relaxed?

Obviously there's the striking pose, and then I saw in a video if you rub your finger along the body and the body moves away, then they're relaxed (based on the premise that they puff full of air to look bigger when scared).

Is there anything else? Does moving faster than normal, not flicking tongue, that kind of stuff give any information?

In the enclosure I've heard that moving around during the day is a sign of a stress, is just lying around also a sign?

cheers :)

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Originally Posted by Dumdum333

What indicators/ body language is there to tell if your BP is relaxed? Or not relaxed?

Obviously there's the striking pose, and then I saw in a video if you rub your finger along the body and the body moves away, then they're relaxed (based on the premise that they puff full of air to look bigger when scared).

Is there anything else? Does moving faster than normal, not flicking tongue, that kind of stuff give any information?

In the enclosure I've heard that moving around during the day is a sign of a stress, is just lying around also a sign?

cheers :)

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Also, moving around during the day means they are hungry or that they pooped inside their hide, at least both my snakes do that lol

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I think it gets obvious the longer someone has owned a BP... If they're stiff, moving quickly, flinching, this is all stress or fear.

If they're slowly checking things out, looking around a bit, stopping to relax, and their bodies are squishy (lol), they are relaxed.

Yeah, moving around too much inside the enclosure means something is off. Either they pooped, they're hungry, the temps are wrong, or they don't have good hides/don't feel secure in there.

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Originally Posted by Dumdum333

I saw in a video if you rub your finger along the body and the body moves away, then they're relaxed (based on the premise that they puff full of air to look bigger when scared).

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I thought it was completely the opposite, I guess I was wrong?

When I grab my baby 7 months old, if I start the session by rubbing a finger along her body she moves away, and I figured it was because she was not comfortable with it. After some 10-15 minutes and she is done to the idea that it is handling time if I do it again she doesn't have that reaction, meaning she is more comfortable with the handling and rubbing. At least that's what I thought.


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Here is a great video to teach you about snake posture/behavior.

https://youtu.be/tFX4yVrx2h8

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dumdum333

What indicators/ body language is there to tell if your BP is relaxed? Or not relaxed?

Obviously there's the striking pose, and then I saw in a video if you rub your finger along the body and the body moves away, then they're relaxed (based on the premise that they puff full of air to look bigger when scared).

cheers :)

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Mmmmm ...this is a funny one for me as I've only ever had relaxed Royal / Ball pythons .... I've had a couple that were a tad head shy but that can be sorted easily enough .


As to the huffing and puffing you mention , again not one of my a Royals have ever done that . I have had two Burmese pythons and they are the only species of snakes that I've ever notice hug and puff and even inflate themselves when you disturb them ....


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One of my royal girls will typically give a good huff when you take her out from her tub. Then calms down as soon as you get her out and hold her to your body for a few moments. Then she's calm and good to handle. She did give one BIG hiss one time. She was in the middle of shed and wasn't too happy to be touched.

Kyle


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When mine is calm he is sort of more pliable, if that makes sense? If I remove him from his enclosure, he is somewhat lazy, maybe explorative and outstretching his neck and tongue flicking a bit, but generally his body just seems to loosely drape my hands/arms. When he's nervous you can feel his muscles get very tense, and he might be moving very quickly trying to get away. If he's feeling shy he will go into a ball, and if he's really nervous he will go into a very tight ball and not change his position at all, even if I put him back in his enclosure.

When he's agitated in his enclosure, for instance, when the temp went off he was constantly reaching to escape and very active within his cage. When he's hungry he just explores a lot, and seems to pay more attention to me, turning to stare at me and smelling the air a ton with his tongue.