A little concerned

Yeah hope it works for you, but i do no what it is like. I am working on my new yellowbelly right now, i guess that plane ride from the east coast to the west set him off. He got me three times just getting him out of the shipping box into his new home!

Should u wear gloves in this "getting used to u" phase? I just got a carpet last week and I am in the same boat! Maybe we can get through this together, lol

I noticed you mentioned you are handling her daily. You might want to cut back on that to three times a week for short periods of time. Don't set her down in open spaces to roam quite yet. Open spaces are triggers for small snakes. Their instincts tell them they are prey as much as they are predators when they are small, so wide open areas freak them out. So does overhandling on a species that is very shy and very nocturnal. Do you do most of your handling at night?

I would suggest you add in crumpled newspaper. It's not pretty to look at but I've seen it be very effective in helping a stressed snake of any size, settle in and calm down.

Tub without newspaper....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MuirnesTub.jpg

Tub top view.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ickTopView.jpg

Tub side view....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ckSideView.jpg

This will help the little one feel safer and less defensive. Slowly over weeks/months you can remove the newspaper bit by bit once you see a lessening of stress reactions with her.

Develop very simple handling routines. Same days of the week, same time of day, same length of time, same area of the house, same hand movements by you....over and over and over again. Simple basic things that do not trigger her. If she acts up, don't react...avoid the bite but don't show any reaction. Don't allow anyone but yourself to handle her for now.

I'd just remove her in as gentle a manner as possible (gentle but firm, don't let her make you nervous or jumpy), stroke her lower back first if she will allow that, if not simply remove her, sit on your bed and let her sit on your lap. Don't remove her to another room, don't allow anyone else in the room....just quiet time you and her at first. Don't fuss with her or touch her head. If she stays balled up or hisses, no big deal. After 15 minutes gently put her back in her home.

That is a successful handling session. Do it again, then again, then again (not every day though and not for 48 hours after she eats). It's all about patience and baby steps. You want to try and condition this snake that these simple routines do not mean danger, do not need to trigger defensive behaviour. It could take awhile but most come around. I know the big female we thought would never be calm now is handled by our kids. It can work, it just requires understanding of what a snake is, a LOT of patience and sticking to an absolute and simple routine with them.

The biggest thing is to know that this isn't aggressive behaviour, it's all about a simple animal reacting to perceived danger. It's all about her instinct to survive and that's actually a good thing if you think about it. It's up to you as the thinking, caring owner you are to adjust things, to slowly move this snake into another place of being, another way of reacting to a set of circumstances. Never think she's being mean or nasty, she's just reacting.

When we have done rescues I'd rather see a snake hissing and reacting, even badly than one balled up waiting to die. At least the hissing, striking one is engaged in life. You'll be fine and so will she, just be patient.

Got a couple more questions/thoughts for you to consider that might help in figuring out what's going on:
What size prey are you feeding and how often do you feed?
Have you checked her over really carefully for possible injuries/parasites?
I agree with Sparky and franky: Handling should be limited to the keeper during the first weeks. Your baby has otherwise no chance to learn where it is safe and will identify everyone (including you) as a possible threat.

I had the same problem when I first got my bp. The thing that I did was leave him alone for a week right after I feed him. Then took him out 1 a week for 10 minutes for 3 weeks. He started to lighten up a bit, and now I am able to take him out 3 times a week for 15 minutes. He likes to be on me and not on the ground. He is about to shed and now going to leave him alone till he sheds all the way. Has your BP shed yet?

Thanks for the help everyone, it really helps alot just to have the encouragement that this wont last forever, since my friends and family seem to think she's just mean. The routine thing might actually be the problem now that you brought it up. I've been pretty selfish with her I guess, I just take her out whenever I feel like I have the time and I would like to see her. I will establish a routine now, and hopefully we will begin to make progress from there.

Right now she has been eating mice hoppers once a week, but I fed her 2 at once 2 weeks ago (my feeder store has been only been getting such tiny little hoppers) and she gobbled them up, and last week she ate a very small adult without a problem, so I'm considering moving up to adults, but I'm afraid she's terribly young for that still. What do you guys think? http://www.4freeimagehost.com/show.p...3681c03658.jpg

http://www.4freeimagehost.com/resize...3681c03658.jpg

Thats her