6 month old ball python with a bad attitude

My ball python is currently enclosed in a 50 gallon long. He has plants, a warm hide and a cool hide. He has a water bowl to soak in and one to drink from.
he has foliage on the sides of the glass to help him feel secure. I have a uvb bar and a 100w basking bulb for the day time. He also has a heat pad hooked to a thermostat for night time.

The problem I’m having is he will not eat his food (instead he strikes it repeatedly until I remove it). He will strike the glass when I walk by, he will strike me when I go to pick him up. When he’s not striking the glass he will rattle his tail.

This little guy appears to be healthy and not dehydrated at all. No stuck shed either. He is a Banana Enchilada I obtained from Royal Constrictor Designs. Any ideas guys?

He sounds like an insecure little baby. How old is he? How long have you had him? Your set up sounds nice, but pics would help us see it. This thread will show you how to post them: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures. Warm and cool side temps? Average humidity? The more info you give us, the better advice you get from us.

How long have you had him?

Are you handling him? How often?

Has he EVER fed for you? How many times, if so?

What did the seller feed him? (Exactly- type of rodent, live or dead? etc) What exactly are you offering him?

Are you feeding the exact same food?

What are the temperatures (lowest & highest) in his tank. Are all heat sources controlled by thermostat?

How large was his previous home? What did the seller/previous owner keep him in? (50 gal. is HUGE for a young BP)

Is his home in a quiet room, or do you & others walk by frequently?

Do you have other pets- are they ever near him? What are they?

Have you tried covering the back & sides of the tank, & part of the front.

When did he shed last?

Is this your first snake? How are you offering the prey? (do you use feeding tongs, do you warm the prey if dead? etc)

Perhaps he's a mind-reader & doesn't like being called a turd? ;)

I agree with everything above. We need more info for sure.

Right off the bat though, I will say it sounds like you don't have a baby with a bad attitude, you have a very nervous snake that doesn't know how to feel safe and is acting defensively.
I have the feeling you should probably consider a smaller tub setup for the first couple of months until you two get to know each other and you can learn their eating habits and normal behavior...but that can also depend on how you have things set up and answer the above as well

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Myballpythonisaturd

My ball python is currently enclosed in a 50 gallon long. He has plants, a warm hide and a cool hide. He has a water bowl to soak in and one to drink from.
he has foliage on the sides of the glass to help him feel secure. I have a uvb bar and a 100w basking bulb for the day time. He also has a heat pad hooked to a thermostat for night time.

The problem I’m having is he will not eat his food (instead he strikes it repeatedly until I remove it). He will strike the glass when I walk by, he will strike me when I go to pick him up. When he’s not striking the glass he will rattle his tail.

This little guy appears to be healthy and not dehydrated at all. No stuck shed either. He is a Banana Enchilada I obtained from Royal Constrictor Designs. Any ideas guys?

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What are the surface temperatures in both hides incidentally ?


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