Nippy Ball Python Question and Update!

Hey everybody! This is a question and a quick update on one of my ball pythons, Veneno.

He's grown up so much, he no longer need the "ito" at the end of his name :D (I used to call him "Venenito") For those of you that don't speak much spanish, puttin "ito/ita" at the end of the word makes it seem small/cute/young. :P

I've had Veneno for almost a year now, and he's about a year old or so. When I first got him, I was skeptical to hold him. He was always very nippy. Veneno, being my first snake, and first ball python, made me nervous when I held him, and only did so every so often.

Now that I am more experienced with handling snakes, and have gained much more knowledge of him [Veneno] and BP's in general, I have been holding him almost everyday, or at least every few days (also depending on when he's eaten), for the last couple of months.

It seems to me, he is getting much more used to me. This makes me happy :D So that answers my own question, kind of, but my question is:

In your experience, can a ball python, although still very young by BP age, become as docile as a usual Ball is if it has not been used to being handled/Just nippy in general?


As I said before, he is getting much more used to me.... I think.
He used to try to get away from me and thrash when I picked him up...

Now, he hisses when I first take him out of his cage, but only once. Then again, so does my other baby :P And he's the most friendly BP ever!
Just the other day, he simply lied out on my lap, and just chilled!

I was amazed he was being so calm. To reward him for being so good, I took someone's advice from on here that told me "When they get calm, place them back in their cage so they associate good behavior with getting what they want."


And I'm positive his nippy-ness doesn't come from stress, really. His temps and humidity are good, and he eats every meal no problem :)


Whoa. Sorry for so much ready everybody! :]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Venenito_X_Remedito

Hey everybody! This is a question and a quick update on one of my ball pythons, Veneno.

He's grown up so much, he no longer need the "ito" at the end of his name :D (I used to call him "Venenito") For those of you that don't speak much spanish, puttin "ito/ita" at the end of the word makes it seem small/cute/young. :P

I've had Veneno for almost a year now, and he's about a year old or so. When I first got him, I was skeptical to hold him. He was always very nippy. Veneno, being my first snake, and first ball python, made me nervous when I held him, and only did so every so often.

Now that I am more experienced with handling snakes, and have gained much more knowledge of him [Veneno] and BP's in general, I have been holding him almost everyday, or at least every few days (also depending on when he's eaten), for the last couple of months.

It seems to me, he is getting much more used to me. This makes me happy :D So that answers my own question, kind of, but my question is:

In your experience, can a ball python, although still very young by BP age, become as docile as a usual Ball is if it has not been used to being handled/Just nippy in general?


As I said before, he is getting much more used to me.... I think.
He used to try to get away from me and thrash when I picked him up...

Now, he hisses when I first take him out of his cage, but only once. Then again, so does my other baby :P And he's the most friendly BP ever!
Just the other day, he simply lied out on my lap, and just chilled!

I was amazed he was being so calm. To reward him for being so good, I took someone's advice from on here that told me "When they get calm, place them back in their cage so they associate good behavior with getting what they want."


And I'm positive his nippy-ness doesn't come from stress, really. His temps and humidity are good, and he eats every meal no problem :)


Whoa. Sorry for so much ready everybody! :]

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Estoy feliz que estés feliz. También, está superbien que la culebra es tranquilo ahora. Bueno suerte. Me gusta el nombre de la culebra también.

jeez, 1st year spanish.... ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ThyTempest

Estoy feliz que estés feliz. También, está superbien que la culebra es tranquilo ahora. Bueno suerte. Me gusta el nombre de la culebra también.

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Hablas mucho español? O es tu idioma segundo? Estoy estudiando español en mi escuela, y estaré en Español tres el proximo año. Sigo estudiando en mi tiempo libre aunque no tengo cualquiera clases de español ahorita. Mi novio habla español y me ayuda con la idioma.


Sorry if I wrote too much in Spanish, but I haven't used it in a while and it was good to refresh my memory a bit :P

Consider this, wild caught Ball pythons are sold everyday in stores all over the place. They haven't been regularly handled since birth and they are some of the most naturally docile creatures you'll come across. In my experience a Ball isn't the way it is because of handling, but because of a genetic disposition.

So yes even if nippy at a young age it will settle in. And the fact is that the more time you spend handling it the more it will come to trust you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Venenito_X_Remedito

Hablas mucho español? O es tu idioma segundo? Estoy estudiando español en mi escuela, y estaré en Español tres el proximo año. Sigo estudiando en mi tiempo libre aunque no tengo cualquiera clases de español ahorita. Mi novio habla español y me ayuda con la idioma.


Sorry if I wrote too much in Spanish, but I haven't used it in a while and it was good to refresh my memory a bit :P

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Hablo un poquito solamente, pero estudio en la universidad de Michigan State. Al final de este semestre, cumpliré el curso de doscientos y uno, y quiero tomar la misma meastro por el semestre de otoño. Mi padre está fluido, ý él está estudiando a hacerse un maestro de Español. ¡Me gusta conocer más personas que pueden hablar en español! Si quieres hablar en español una vez más, mandeme un correo electrónico en este sitio de red. Me llamo Austin si no sabes. Hasta luego