New baby keeps trying to strike - HELP!

Wow, you've all been a giving me such great information! Thanks so much!!!!

I did forget to mention that I do already have a thermometer in the tank with the probe on the hot side floor. I also have an infrared laser thermometer that I can point at any location as well.

I'll go get a few more things to clutter up the tank floor. A couple paper towel rolls maybe and some plastic vines.

Thanks for the great drawing and video too! They are great!

I feel a bit better now. I hope she decides to come out of her hide a bit more once there's more places to hide.

I wish snakes could know how much we really love them, lol.



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Just curious as well, has anyone here ever had a snappy baby turn out to be a calm non-snappy adult? I know each snake has their own personality, but just wondering how often the snappiness is grown out of.

Thanks again all! You've made me feel a lot better and more confident already :)

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Originally Posted by lafasta

Just curious as well, has anyone here ever had a snappy baby turn out to be a calm non-snappy adult? I know each snake has their own personality, but just wondering how often the snappiness is grown out of.

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Yes most do grow out of it eventually with time and patient handling.

Also remember if the snake does bite you, don't put it away immediately as you will be rewarding it for striking.

Finally, while ball pythons are often recommended for new snake keepers because they are docile, 1) that usually applies to older, settled critters, not to defensive babies, and 2) if their husbandry isn't on point they stop eating or can get sick easily. So I don't recommend them for someone who has never had a snake before.

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Originally Posted by lafasta

Just curious as well, has anyone here ever had a snappy baby turn out to be a calm non-snappy adult? I know each snake has their own personality, but just wondering how often the snappiness is grown out of.

Thanks again all! You've made me feel a lot better and more confident already :)

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Yes, like I said. Mine was very snappy. Whenever I pulled him out I'd get bit about 3 or 4 times and that's not mentioning all the other times he tried to bite. I gave him a lot of alone time before I started handling him and he may not be an adult now but he's a good four times bigger than when I got him and he is the sweetest now. It was a lot of patience, keeping his husbandry just right, and fattening him up.
And if she does bite, don't react by putting her back into her enclosure, she will learn rather quickly that all she has to do is bite you to be left alone. If she tags you just act like it didn't phase you. Especially since it doesn't hurt. She'll realize that trying to intimidate and bite you does nothing.

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Originally Posted by Tash

Yes, like I said. Mine was very snappy. Whenever I pulled him out I'd get bit about 3 or 4 times and that's not mentioning all the other times he tried to bite. I gave him a lot of alone time before I started handling him and he may not be an adult now but he's a good four times bigger than when I got him and he is the sweetest now. It was a lot of patience, keeping his husbandry just right, and fattening him up.
And if she does bite, don't react by putting her back into her enclosure, she will learn rather quickly that all she has to do is bite you to be left alone. If she tags you just act like it didn't phase you. Especially since it doesn't hurt. She'll realize that trying to intimidate and bite you does nothing.

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Well hopefully our story ends like yours :) Maybe with a few less bites, lol.
I reached in today to fill up her water bowl and she stayed very still between her hide and wall. No snapping, but I stayed away from where she was hiding.

My daughter and I spent the morning making popcicle stick houses for her new hides. We'll put a couple in and see if she checks them out. We'll take a drive over to the nearest craft store to get some plastic vines today too.

And I thought you might all like to know the name my daughter picked for her:

Snazzy Snake-a-bella [emoji1]

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welcome to BP ownership and the forum. :)

everyone here are has provided great info and tips.

did your baby BP miss when it struck? if it did, i think it's important to note that there's an almost certainty that u will be bitten at some point. it's an animal, it has a mouth, it happens. just check out this thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...en-bit-by-a-BP. (i have pix on the last page of a bite.) the good thing is that BP bites don't really hurt esp. one from a baby. it hurts less than a papercut.

anyway i just wanted to prepare u for that and how to have the talk with your daughter when it happens. just follow all the info and advice provided in this thread and bites will be minimal.

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Originally Posted by AKA Dave

To the OP,

I made a video last week in another thread about handling a snippy BP. You can see it here. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...P-Handling-101

Hope it helps,

Dave

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AKA Dave, that video was great! I think with time I'll get more and more confident with our girl and hopefully she will too. Thank you so much for giving me that link.

So after we give her some time and begin handling her, if she keeps trying to strike should we just keep at it until she eventually realizes we won't hurt her? Also, how often should we handle her? I've read conflicting info on this. I've ready daily, weekly, multiple times a day even. I don't want to stress her out more by over or under handling her.

Thanks again for your help! I'm going to re-watch your video again :)

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

You have to remember a hatchling thinks everything it trying to kill and eat it. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Most will calm with time, though I do have a large male that doesn't trust me and I don't trust him.
As already mentioned, leave it alone for about a week.
Also double check your husbandry to make sure its comfortable.
What temperatures are you heating to and what are you using to heat the enclosure?

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How to you deal with, handle and maintain, a snake you do not trust ? I am curious because I am not to trusting of my new Bp.

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Originally Posted by jimmysmom

How to you deal with, handle and maintain, a snake you do not trust ? I am curious because I am not to trusting of my new Bp.

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http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps4kcc65vv.jpg
quickly :rofl::rofl:

i experience my first BP bite last night. Ironically it was to my girlfriend.

She was terrify of snakes before but have been slowly coming around ever since she meet me. Work up the courage to hold my baby male only few months ago. I guess the snake can sense fear because he never looked comfortable on her hands, and even pee on her once. Last night though i thought was a clear feeding response. He tense up when i pick him up, and i put him on my gf's hand he immediately lunged for her pinky and started to coil. I pulled him off immediately and he let go.

Interesting cause I always thought food response bites usually happens inside the cage.

Good signs though i think, this baby boy is not a problem eater at all