Ball Python striking

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Originally Posted by Lilcricketdummy

I'm embarrassed to say I do not know how much she ways, but I'm pretty sure I'm feeding her the right amount. I think you all have a point about the snake hook, handling her more, and the separate enclosure. I'll give all of it a shot. I'm determined to be a good snake owner!

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Sounds like you're on the right track, but I would look into buying a scale. Anything that can weigh in grams is fine (you can just get a kitchen scale). I mean, unless those are mutant giant mice from outer space, there's a good chance they're a bit small for her. I would also look into switching her to rats if you can, it'll save you money later. :)

Glad to know you care for your snake :D just follow those few things and see if her striking stops or at least slows down so you know your on the right track, keep up the good work man.

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Your ball python's behavior is precisely the reason you should feed in the tank. You've taught her that leaving her home means she gets fed, so she starts striking once she's out. If she eats in the enclosure then she will learn that when she's removed from it, she does not get fed.

She should be eating a meal that is the same size as the thickest part of her body. I have fed my guys both in their home tubs and in a feeding tub. Lately I have been moving them to a feeding tub only because I have had issues with their rats exploding and spraying gore all over the snake and the tub (I have a new supplier now so hoping that issue is gone!), and removing them to clean the animal and the rub is a lot easier if they're in a dedicated feeder tub. I do handle my snakes quiet a lot though. If they haven't just eaten I often hold each one for about an hour a day. I've had them long enough now I can handle them when they are in shed too. Also when I do a feeding I feed on a day where I have time to pick one up, walk around and hang out with them for a bit, then put them in the feeder tub and leave them there for 15 mins or so before offering a rat. I have had no issues doing it this way so far. They don't seem to associate the tub with eating. I also use cypress bedding in their home tub and don't want them gulping any. How big is your enclosure for your snake? When I first got mine they were small enough I could pull the tubs out and put them on my lap with the lid off, talk to the snakes and let them smell me before I reached in. If I was worried I would sometimes wait until they uncoiled and started checking things out and then picked them up back end first while talking to them. Taking the time to do this has made both them and me very comfortable and now I'm starting to just reach in, with some talking. My female was very hissy when I first got her but now she's ok because she knows it's just me lol. A bit of time and respect should turn things around for you and your snake. I'm not super experienced but this is what has worked for me :D

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I've brought her out of the tank for feeding time, she strikes before I get her into the separate feeding tank.

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You are basically moving a snake that is already in feeding mode which increase the risk of getting tagged

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She should be eating a meal that is the same size as the thickest part of her body.

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Not necessarily and can actually be the wrong advice in some cases, all you know right now is that this female is 1.5 year what if she was 1500 or 1800 grams would you still feed her a prey as wide as it's widest part? The answer is NO

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They don't see to associate the tub with eating

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Not why you should avoid a feeding tub, it's not the association with the tub it's the mode they are in, a BP on a regular feeding schedule can be in feed mod HOURS before and after feeding.

When you move a snake in feeding mode you are taking a risk same thing when you decide to do maintenance on feeding day.

Yeah like I said, I'm not super experienced with them yet that's just what has worked for me. They haven't gotten any worse, in fact they've only become more gentle. I always talk to them before I try to handle them. I'm sure some snakes are more gentle than others but even when I had to wash off my male because he exploded a rat all over himself and was in shed and not seeing well he never tried to strike at me. If he was ever in feeding mode it was then lol He didn't even get to eat his rat it was in parts, I had to get him a new one.

I would like to know though, as my snakes are still small, how does their weight effect the size of the meal they should get? If they are heavier they can handle larger potentially?

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Originally Posted by KodiakFox

I would like to know though, as my snakes are still small, how does their weight effect the size of the meal they should get? If they are heavier they can handle larger potentially?

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As they get heavier yes they can handle larger preys however one thing to keep in mind is that in captivity they are overfed, and because they can handle large preys does not mean they should.

Generally speaking smaller is better especially once their metabolism start changing. Am hatchling or Juvy can definitely eat something as big as the widest part of their body but as they grow they will never need anything larger than a medium rats.

My largest females 2800+ grams all they way to 4000 grams never get anything bigger than a 180 grams for example. They could handle something much larger however you than end up with a very sluggish animal that take days to digest and that usually will not eat with consistency.

Males even the largest ones get even less food something more along the lines of a small rats 80 grams max.