Aggressive Female

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Originally Posted by ca_101

The fist couple of times I picked her up, I just reached in, because I never thought she would bite me. Now I'm hesitant, but I'll give it a try.

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If the nipping really bothers you, you can pick up a pair of snake handling gloves or even use some clean gardening gloves that don't penetrate easily. Wear a long sleeved sweater and try to keep her away from your face. Out of curiosity, where did you pick her up?

I tried picking her up in different spots, middle up to behind her head.
Getting bit doesn't really bother me, I just want her to be comfortable.

I mean where did you get her from?
Breeder or pet store?

Oh, I got her at a small reptile shop near here.

My female Spider ball is very odd, she is really cage aggressive but once i get her out and onto my bed she get really curious and does not try to eat me! the trick is getting her out of the cage... but she is also about 1.5 years old and not a neonate... give your snake some time and make sure you make it feel safe. as some suggested try blocking off 3 sides of the enclosure so its more secure feeling.

hell maybe she thinks she is part retic!

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Originally Posted by ca_101

I tried picking her up in different spots, middle up to behind her head.
Getting bit doesn't really bother me, I just want her to be comfortable.

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going for the head usually gets a "ball up" or nippy reaction. they get a little scared is all :) try from the tail area then lift and place your empty hand under her for support as your lifting her out

also out of curiosity is her enclosure made from pine? the fumes that it can let off are toxic to reptiles. this could be part of the aggression maybe she isnt feeling to hot.

What is the best location in the tank for the thermo? I have a digital thermometer/hygrometer (no probes). I have it laying on the surface in the middle of the tank right now. Would it be a good idea to have one for each side? If I got the thermos with probes ( I hear there better), do the probes go into the substrate or up in the middle of the tank or something else??
This is my fist reptile. Just trying to give it the best home

you need a probe thermometer to measure temps of your hot side. The probe goes in the tank, under the substrate and right above the uth. If you aren't measuring the hot side with a probe or heat gun you don't know how hot it can get if your snake burrows into the substrate. You should also keep your uth on a thermostat or dimmer.

Just a quick question about that enclosure. It appears to me from those pictures to be tall rather than long so it has more height than floor space. If you wouldn't mind while you are posting new pictures of it, could you post the actual dimensions as well. Also what your current temps are both cool and warm side and ambient humidity.

This store you got this snake from, what info did they give you about it as far as age, whether it was captive born, it's feeding history, how long they'd had it and where they got it from. Remember this snake came out of a store environment which likely means it was either never handled much or handled incorrectly. It may also have been exposed to customers knocking on it's enclosure glass, making it nervous and stressed when approached.

More info on this snake, it's living arrangment and it's past will likely help us help you better. :)

The tank is a regular 10g tank, I just modified it a little.
I have the temp/hygro sitting on the substrate, in the middle of the tank, and it read 84 F / 60% this morning when I left for work.
Where are good places to mount the thermometers for hot/cold side and ambient (are they supposed to be down low next to the substrate or higher)?

I've been in the shop a number of times before I bought her. They pulled her and her two roommates right out with no problem for me to hold and choose which one I wanted. They never seemed stressed at all. They said that she was a good eater, and she ate perfectly a week after I brought her home.

I only had one hide (half log, which I now realize everyone hate on this site) on the hot side. So, last night I made a temporary hide on the cold side and will be replacing both of them asap, along with some other cover (fake plants).