My ball python suddenly hates being touched

Back in july I rescued a 4 year old ball python when I first got him he didnt mind being held and being out of his tank exploding but late September he suddenly started to be super defensive when I would bring him out. He would become super tense and get into a striking position and when I touch his body he pushes back with his body. He has no medical issues and I'm not sure what to do.

Well for starter it not like they enjoy being handled they tolerate it, the enjoyment is yours not your snake's.

As for defensive behaviour you are looking either at husbandry issues that have led to stress overtime or underfeeding.

He is in a 40G tank with his warm end 90 and a cool side in the high to mid 80s but he spends the majority of his time on his warm side his humidity is in the 60% and I feed him a small rat once a week hes never refused a meal since I had him hes active during the night and I just find it strange that for the first months I had him he didnt mind being touched but all of a sudden he hates it he also had a full shed September 11

He is in a 40G tank with his warm end 90 and a cool side in the high to mid 80s but he spends the majority of his time on his warm side his humidity is in the 60% and I feed him a small rat once a week hes never refused a meal since I had him hes active during the night and I just find it strange that for the first months I had him he didnt mind being touched but all of a sudden he hates it he also had a full shed September 11

Has he recently shed? Their skin is more sensitive right afterwards.

You say he was rescued & he's a good eater, so it just may be that he's feeling BETTER now -with better conditions & enough warmth & food to give him the energy
to fight back about handling. Sometimes a snake that is passive about handling is just one that doesn't feel well...;) so look at the bright side, maybe you've made
him healthier & he's giving his "opinions" on things now?

Don't jump to conclusions that he "hates handling"...just try to be patient & understand where he's coming from...we are still big scary predators for all that snakes
know...if we were his size, we'd be defensive too. Maybe a lighter touch, & taking it slower would help...

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Has he recently shed? Their skin is more sensitive right afterwards.

You say he was rescued & he's a good eater, so it just may be that he's feeling BETTER now -with better conditions & enough warmth & food to give him the energy
to fight back about handling. Sometimes a snake that is passive about handling is just one that doesn't feel well...;) so look at the bright side, maybe you've made
him healthier & he's giving his "opinions" on things now?

Don't jump to conclusions that he "hates handling"...just try to be patient & understand where he's coming from...we are still big scary predators for all that snakes
know...if we were his size, we'd be defensive too. Maybe a lighter touch, & taking it slower would help...

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Thanks for the help! I think you are right when I first got him he was under weight and didnt have alot of energy would mostly stay in his hid which is understandable the lady I rescued him from was not feeding him the correct size meal shed feed one small mouse every 14 days. I haven't brought him out since he started being defensive because I didnt want to stress him out for now I'm just putting my hand in his tank for him to smell and light touches on his back.

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Originally Posted by MsSerpent

Thanks for the help! I think you are right when I first got him he was under weight and didnt have alot of energy would mostly stay in his hid which is understandable the lady I rescued him from was not feeding him the correct size meal shed feed one small mouse every 14 days. I haven't brought him out since he started being defensive because I didnt want to stress him out for now I'm just putting my hand in his tank for him to smell and light touches on his back.

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Sounds good...he has to re-learn to trust people around him, or maybe even for the first time, IMO. :gj:
And since he's four years old, it make take him longer to adjust...just be patient.

Then again, I re-read the first post & maybe it's really those "explosions"? That would make ME nervous too. :rofl: (sorry, I had to!)

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Originally Posted by MsSerpent

...when I first got him he didnt mind being held and being out of his tank exploding ...

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