Ball Python Keeps Biting and Holding

Yes, sounds like an RI...I'm so sorry! :( Poor snakes cannot cough out mucus, so they really need help with an RI to breathe. I can see where an RI
could impair her scent discrimination, but the degree of enthusiasm she shows for your hands is still pretty unusual, especially for a BP.

The fresher the better for a poop sample.
If you can manage to scoop one while it's still moist, seal it up in a zip lock baggie and store it in the fridge. 48 hours like that can still be okay. A dried up dusty poop won't reveal as much sadly.

Sorry to hear she may have a RI ;n;
The open mouth breathing and mucus are classic signs.

The fart sound... I know a couple of mine let one rip when they urinate or poop. But if that's not the case for yours it could have been her trying to clear that excess mucus. Just rare for it to be so loud.

Maybe she’s one of those “bite first and decide if it’s food later” personalities, I’ve met a couple rat snakes and a juvenile woma like that (where anything that’s warm and moves is food until proven otherwise) but never a ball. That’s very odd for a ball python. You should check out “Snake Discovery” on YouTube, I believe they have a Rosy boa like that and they may have some ideas you can try. I think they put their email in the descriptions of their videos.

It’s a good thing you’re making an appointment with the vet. RI can definitely impede a snakes ability to smell, but I would think the feeding response would be hampered by the illness as well. Snakes usually don’t tend to eat well when they’re sick, and I wouldn’t expect her to be as food aggressive as she is if she’s also ill with an RI... so strange. As for stool samples I would assume the fresher the better but asking the vet office will give you the best answer. Please keep us updated

Okay, so I brought her to the vet today and she said Freya wasn’t showing any signs of an RI, and that I should slightly raise the temps to activate her immune system in case something mild is lingering. She opened up her mouth and it was clean and clear of mucus. I was thinking that maybe since my apartment is usually in the lower 70’s, and my parents house is in the low 80’s, the move may have helped her to fight off any symptoms she was showing.

I also told her about the biting, and she said maybe her feeding response it just very active and maybe I should only handle her on Monday and Tuesday when she’s completely full. When I explained the “nosing into my arm/hand and then biting it” phenomenon, she said that she’s seen snakes that do that to potential prey before consuming it, so maybe that’s just a weird ball python behavior. She also recommended vinegar for releasing snake bites, so I’ll be sure to keep both vinegar and hand sanitizer near her tub Incase I need it in the future.

I’m glad she’s completely healthy, but I’m still a bit worried about the biting. It’s honestly the anticipation of whether she’s going to decide to bite or not that raises my heartbeat rather than the actual bite (because after than I’m just like “welp, I guess I’ll just wait around for her to release”).

Also, I’m gonna bring in a stool sample whenever she decides to defecate this week to rule out parasites, and I purchased a snake hook to see if I can associate the hook to ‘handling time’ instead of ‘feeding time’.

I have to admit that I was a bit jealous when the vet picked her up and handled her a ton without any signs of biting or running away. She just wrapped onto her hand and didn’t flinch much even when she was gesturing. I guess she’s a lot more experienced with handling, being an exotic animal vet. Perhaps my nervousness makes me a target?


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I forgot to mention Freya’s a whopping 273 grams now according to the scale at the vet’s office! That seems like a huge jump from just a few months ago. I’m guessing their growth starts to ramp up once prey items increase in size.


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Originally Posted by GoldenRoyal

I forgot to mention Freya’s a whopping 273 grams now according to the scale at the vet’s office! That seems like a huge jump from just a few months ago. I’m guessing their growth starts to ramp up once prey items increase in size.


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Most snakes put weight on fast, once they start taking hands...;) LOL

That's great that her health has checked out, pending her stool check too...just frustrating that she still thinks you're edible. That's unusual for most snakes,
but especially for BPs. Maybe in time & with more handling she'll get the right idea...I hope so, for your sake. Hang in there, glad you're trying to hook train too. :gj:

The vet's confidence in handling her might play some part in who your snake thinks is edible, but I think it's more likely that she was inhibited by the new
unfamiliar surroundings & unusual smells.