Ball python hatchling just diarrhea'd all over me?

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Can anyone send me pics of sausage butt? Totally serious, so I know what to look out for.
Like I said, none of my babies have done this before.

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You want us taking photos without even "hazardous duty pay"? :O LOL

Listen...your snake's ventral ("tummy") side is normally fairly flat...but if you lift him up a little & see a little bulge above the vent, you know he'll soon be needing to go,
especially with handling that stimulates & puts pressure on things. And since snakes have no social stigma about "going" in public, he has no reason to hold back...got it? :D

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

My one hatchling is super tense, strikes easily. When I was handling him just now to try to tame him down, he peed/diarrhea'd all over me. Was that out of defense???
Will he ever just chill out???

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You scared the crap out of him...


Literally


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Looks like this! I knew someone posted a pic I just had to find it. First pic of the first post. So easy to see

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t=Sausage+butt

LOL I was about to post my Noodle and then I clicked the thread Danger Noodles linked

He no longer gets sausage butts by the way, he was constipated that time but after increasing the humidity to stay between 65-75% and switching from buying Arctic Mice rats from Petsmart to rats from a local feeder breeder he has had nice soft poops and no bloating.

Also, yes, it really is hazardous duty. Never ignore a "full" tail... a mistake I have made only too many times... select pieces of furniture in my home will never be the same...

Handling helps move things along so even if the snake isn't scared they might just pee on you if they've been moving around outside of their enclosure lol. I've been "decorated" a few times.

Do you think his personality is naturally defensive/jerk or do you think we can eventually get to that sweet calm personality?

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Do you think his personality is naturally defensive/jerk or do you think we can eventually get to that sweet calm personality?

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I've personally influenced many "defensive/jerk" snakes into reliably sweet ones...only a small percentage (very "high strung" types) stay that way, in my experience, and the odds are against you having one, especially a BP.

But first, it helps to change YOUR mindset: you adopted a snake, not a puppy or a kitten, & NOT a "domestic animal". Even c/b snakes are "wild" in the sense that they rely on their instincts that evolved in nature & over time...LOTS of time. He IS "defensive" but he is NOT a "jerk". ;) And btw, if his stool continues to truly be watery "diarrhea"please do get him (w/ stool sample) checked by the vet...he might need treatment for parasites or something, ok? Diarrhea is not normal, but without seeing it, I cannot be sure how accurate your description is.

Many years ago I took in an unwanted (free) BCI that changed homes a number of times in her first year of life because she persisted in biting everyone repeatedly, & they were not homes without snake experience...they just lacked patience & empathy. She wasn't my first rodeo either & I named her Snookums, because it made me picture her like the "baby" she was "inside". She never bit me even once in all the years I had her: oh, she dearly wanted to, for the first maybe 2 months, until I patiently showed her she had nothing to fear from me. After that, she was reliably tame, & lived a good healthy life because of it (stress isn't good for animals either).

Her name always made me smile, & it did the same for others who met her when she was huge & theoretically scary...she was friendly with everyone, not just me. If that's your idea of a pet snake, then try to remember how your snake is feeling: his whole world changed without his consent or understanding, & his instincts didn't prepare him for an "owner", much less a giant with so many frightful moving parts.

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Do you think his personality is naturally defensive/jerk or do you think we can eventually get to that sweet calm personality?

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A baby BP I ended up with has the name "Bitey", for good reasons when I first got her.... Going on 2 months later my 16 y.o. daughter has no issues getting her out of her tank and handling her.

yours should calm down as it get a little older and gets used to it's new surroundings, Don't give up on him they need to get used to the new surroundings.

Also I've been bit twice by 2 of the baby BP's I ended up with, never broke the skin, felt like a pinch so have no worries if he gets you once or twice

I was about to post but boger hit the nail on the head.

This guy is a member here and has a Youtube channel. He shows u how to deal with the snappy babies in some of his videos. Maybe check this out and see if it helps https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w8fVuibzE_4

That's fair, but the other 2 hatchlings I've dealt with were nervous but they weren't defensive/aggressive about it (i.e. striking), they just hid their heads or tried to slither away quickly. This guy is striking, biting, peeing/pooping on me, etc.

Actually yesterday he first peed on me then pooped lol. It wasn't diarrhea.

Dogs aren't all the same, even of the same breed, humans aren't all the same either...so why would you think all snakes would act the same? And he cannot tell
you how people before you have treated him, can he? or what happened on the way to your house? He has every reason to be afraid, & it takes as long as it takes
for him to mellow out. Nearly all do, but some of that depends on their human's skill & empathy too.