My first snake! Not what I expected ...

Watching them eat never gets old! Glad first few feedings have been a breeze for you. And since you haven't heard it yet today - he's beautiful!

If you like him, you will love your ball python, they are very chill cuddly fatsos! *except as snappy hatchlings, they chill out quick thoough.

Awesome little guy! So glad he's eating! Colubrids, once settled, rarely refuse a meal! Not like pesky BP's :).

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Originally Posted by hilabeans

Watching them eat never gets old! Glad first few feedings have been a breeze for you. And since you haven't heard it yet today - he's beautiful!

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Thank you so much ! Very kind!

he sure is a cool dude. I can’t wait to see this red on his sides come in.

Apparently getting them eith with the red on the sides im being told is rather rare. Cool stuff if you ask
me.

i also have heard they can kinda be jerks. Lol. Hope this one goes against the grain in that regard.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

If you like him, you will love your ball python, they are very chill cuddly fatsos! *except as snappy hatchlings, they chill out quick thoough.

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I already seem to have me a fatty he’s a big boy and 250 at about 5 months I believe he’s got a tukkas! Lol

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Originally Posted by dakski

Awesome little guy! So glad he's eating! Colubrids, once settled, rarely refuse a meal! Not like pesky BP's :).

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I hope this is the case !! What’s your experience handling them. I know they can be flighty movers.

Dakski... funny you ask because he’s been on do not touch me until I show I can eat consistently mode. Now that he has been, I gave him time to digest from his Friday meal and had my first handling session with him today. I’m new to handling snakes in general so it’s all an experience for me and I need to get over my nerves and issues.

They are supposed to be a tad flighty and he was once I removed the hide. I gave him a chance to adjust to the hide being lifted and he took off a bit which was expected since this is really his first time with someone in his tank as he’s exposed. Once I got a hold of him he was pretty good. I tried to keel the handling short. Towards the end he was either stressed or I was getting too cocky or close to his head and he took a slight pop at me. Soooo that was my sign that he needed to go back. I’m going to try again Wednesday and then leave him alone for his Friday feed. 2 Days to digest and do it again. At least that’s my plan.

I didn’t intend to get him as a
Snake to handle a ton and hang out with Per say I just loved his look and the fact that you don’t see them a ton especially with his red sides. And the ease of care and husbandry. But I don’t want him to never be handled and not be used to it. He’s a small baby and I think if I start a handling routine now as he grows with me he will calm down and be used to me and that way I can handle him at times and show him to folks who are interested and maintain his tank and clean it as needed without him thinking I’m going to hurt him.


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Here are some pics from his first handling session: any tips or advice is as always welcome especially from those with rat snakes or similar types and or flighty type snakes.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a5776c9473.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5b02ad78c9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ca8d393a5a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...78665ae357.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...93605041ae.jpg


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Actually, if he makes a strike at you *don’t* put him back. If you do, it’ll teach him that being a jerk gets him put back in his enclosure. Hold on to him a little longer until he’s being (relatively) well-behaved again.

It’s like hook/tap-training - snakes aren’t geniuses, but they can learn straightforward things.


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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

Actually, if he makes a strike at you *don’t* put him back. If you do, it’ll teach him that being a jerk gets him put back in his enclosure. Hold on to him a little longer until he’s being (relatively) well-behaved again.

It’s like hook/tap-training - snakes aren’t geniuses, but they can learn straightforward things.


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That’s great advice and I thought about that after the fact. I guess being the first time I just reacted that way. It makes total sense though. I hope this doesn’t become a routine as far as the striking but I’m going to keep at it. It was nice to know it didn’t hurt or anything so that will make me less anxious and shaky.

Thank you for the thought !


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Originally Posted by Phillydubs

Dakski... funny you ask because he’s been on do not touch me until I show I can eat consistently mode. Now that he has been, I gave him time to digest from his Friday meal and had my first handling session with him today. I’m new to handling snakes in general so it’s all an experience for me and I need to get over my nerves and issues.

They are supposed to be a tad flighty and he was once I removed the hide. I gave him a chance to adjust to the hide being lifted and he took off a bit which was expected since this is really his first time with someone in his tank as he’s exposed. Once I got a hold of him he was pretty good. I tried to keel the handling short. Towards the end he was either stressed or I was getting too cocky or close to his head and he took a slight pop at me. Soooo that was my sign that he needed to go back. I’m going to try again Wednesday and then leave him alone for his Friday feed. 2 Days to digest and do it again. At least that’s my plan.

I didn’t intend to get him as a
Snake to handle a ton and hang out with Per say I just loved his look and the fact that you don’t see them a ton especially with his red sides. And the ease of care and husbandry. But I don’t want him to never be handled and not be used to it. He’s a small baby and I think if I start a handling routine now as he grows with me he will calm down and be used to me and that way I can handle him at times and show him to folks who are interested and maintain his tank and clean it as needed without him thinking I’m going to hurt him.


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First of all, baby colubrids are mostly bark and no bite. A lot of hysterics. Even they do bite you, it won't hurt, and as stated, don't put him back. It will teach him that biting gets him what he wants.

Secondly, the best lesson for baby colubrids I can think of is SUPPORT! All snakes like to be supported, but colubrids don't have the same muscle/body makeup of say, boids. So they don't just like the support, they NEED the support. Even my adult corn snake, Figment, likes to feel completely supported when handled. Babies will want their entire body supported. They also will probably not like being squeezed, at least initially. You are big, they are small, and they know it. Their initial response is going to be SURVIVAL, thinking you will probably eat them! Once that goes away, they should calm down, but I would limit handling to short sessions initially.

Finally, I would begin handling in the tank. I did this with my baby geckos too. They like to run, so the worst case, they run off my hand into the tank and drop an inch.

I would pick him up and let him slither through your hands gently so he gets used to you and your scent, etc.

Not sure the demeanor of your little guy, or his species, but this has worked well for me.

Figment was 9G when I got him. He was flighty, but not bitey. After a couple of weeks, I could handle him no problem and he's been awesome ever since. However, I started with slow handling and observed the above rules.

Good luck and keep us in the loop!

Putting him back after striking the one time (or down the road some day when he’s having a bad day) isn’t going to be a big deal, it’s the pattern of behavior that’s important.


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