How much Ball is in your Python?

Balling up is a defense mechanism, like a turtle retreating into its shell. Once the snake is accustomed to being handled, it will most likely not do it anymore. Over the past couple of weeks, I've hatched out about a dozen babies, and every single one of them balls up when I pick them up.

Steve

We have some that still ball up occasionally even as sub-adults but they are the shyer BP's of the collection. It may just be a temperment thing with them or they may outgrow it in time.

Hey Steve, I have a couple of hatchlings here that would rather nip me than ball up. Can you come over and have a chat with them please LOL.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

We have some that still ball up occasionally even as sub-adults but they are the shyer BP's of the collection. It may just be a temperment thing with them or they may outgrow it in time.

Hey Steve, I have a couple of hatchlings here that would rather nip me than ball up. Can you come over and have a chat with them please LOL.

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Jo, I'd be glad to! Not sure how much good it would do though. I have one hatchling that has nailed me a half dozen or so times, even brought blood! Spirited little thing! Its the new record holder for having bitten me the most times!

Steve

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Originally Posted by hoo-t

Jo, I'd be glad to! Not sure how much good it would do though. I have one hatchling that has nailed me a half dozen or so times, even brought blood! Spirited little thing! Its the new record holder for having bitten me the most times!

Steve

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LOL! I have one, a female Yellowbelly, who tried to bite me not one hour out of her egg! Darn thing is still hissing at me and trying to bite me every chance she gets. Course her mamma just managed to nail my husband, Mike, the other day. She had Mike dripping blood all across the BP room. Guess it's a daughter-like-mother situation with those two.

I always have to laugh at these little hatchlings going for me. I mean really, do they have no clue how much bigger I am than they are? Brave little things they are. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I always have to laugh at these little hatchlings going for me. I mean really, do they have no clue how much bigger I am than they are? Brave little things they are. :rofl:

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Oh, you should see the kingsnake we have at the pet store i work at. He's about 2-2.5 feet long and has a head the size of my fingernail, yet he literally tries to eat our hands when we pick him up to show customers (go figure, he hasnt sold yet! lol).

He will strike, latch on, and wrap his body around our hand and start constricting. He actually got down to the first knuckle once before we stuck him underwater so he would let go :weirdface

I'm not sure what he's trying to do since we all weigh about a hundred of him :P

Mine are more interested in "going out" and seeing what's out there.

I've got one that used to ball a lot, but she's not as shy as she used to be. It made it really easy to take some interesting photos though.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...oka1-13-07.jpg

It varies from one individual to another the more you have the more chances you have to come across some that live up to their name and ball up, regardless of their age.

Here is an adult balling up

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p.../Zora/Zora.jpg

When we first got Foster she would ball up for my son (I was still to afraid to touch her). After about a week of handing her, if even that, she came out of her ball. when I started handling her, she did the same thing. Tonight one of his friends came to stay with us so I took the time to educate him a bit on BPs since he was scared of them. He went from not wanting to touch her, to holding her to not getting enough of her in a matter of about 20 minutes. Initially she balled up on him also. I can almost guarantee that when we take her out tomorrow for him to hold she will start out in a ball. I don't know if it's possible but it appears that Foster knows who is handling her and if she is comfortable enough with them to explore.

I can't believe that just a few short months ago, I was afraid to even be in close proximity of Foster but now I'm totally comfortable even taking her out of her tank and handling her. Absolutely amazing animals and I'm dying for more!! Never thought I would say that in a million years! My next goal is to get my dad to at least be in the same room as she is in when she is not in her tank. HAHA! Doubt that will ever happen.

OOPS! Sorry for getting carried away. It's the meds talkin' again!

Mine has begun to not even ball up when i pick her up. She will tense up as i touch her to "let her know" i'm there, but before i even get her out of the tank she is already trying to slither up my arm :P

OOPS! Sorry, duplicate post!