Ball Body Language?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cam

Should we just stick with the gloves until about a year old then?

---

No need...
you deal with snakes your going to get bit you had much rather it be from a tiny baby than a big ole honking adult.....trust me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

No need...
you deal with snakes your going to get bit you had much rather it be from a tiny baby than a big ole honking adult.....trust me.

---

I should have clarified...our 8 yr old already got tagged...I am thinking the kids need to stick with gloves...Should I expect his 'BP phase' to last about a year?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cam

I should have clarified...our 8 yr old already got tagged...I am thinking the kids need to stick with gloves...Should I expect his 'BP phase' to last about a year?

---

Its great that your snake will generally "let everyone grab it" and all, but errrmmm....if your 8 year old got tagged and you have not, maybe you should consider teaching everyone in your household about being gentle and as non-threatening as possible.

Just because the bp does not strike, it doesn't mean he is not frightened and stressed out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sonya610

Its great that your snake will generally "let everyone grab it" and all, but errrmmm....if your 8 year old got tagged and you have not, maybe you should consider teaching everyone in your household about being gentle and as non-threatening as possible.

Just because the bp does not strike, it doesn't mean he is not frightened and stressed out.

---

WARNING: This is a long explanation.

Just to clarify again...I guess I am not expressing my ideas very well.
I never said our BP 'lets everyone grab it'.
We had the baby BP home for only a few days...(yes should have left it alone for a week)
hubby came home from out of town...
took baby BP out to show hubby...
hubby held Baby in hands for 3 minutes...
8 year old offered to put baby back...I said sure...
son reached out towards baby BP...
baby BP struck out a full foot from where my husband was holding him...punctured sons hand (4 teeth marks)...bled a bit...
son said "well he must have been scared and used the only defense he has...

We have had corn snakes for over 5 years...I am very respectful as are my children of all our animals. We have spent a lot of time teaching everyone in our household to be gentle so as not to stress out the animals.

But I obviously missed reading the BP body language...that is why O came here to ask for help. Our corns are very predictable in their postures, movement and signals.

I was NOT saying that just because the animal does not strike it is not stressed. Truth be told all of the BPs being held most everywhere are experiencing stress. They are a secretive snake (like most) and it is not in their genetic code to seek out human interaction...

Obviously the BP is a completely different snake than a corn.
I wish some of the folks I spoke with who own both would have mentioned that. They said the BP was bigger but more docile than the corn...They said the two snakes were both 'beginner snakes because they are so docile' 'the doggies of the snake world'
Yes. It is ALL MY FAULT...that is why I came here for clarification and help. I have read 4 books, talked and quizzed people for the last 6+ months and have searched here too. Mostly around feeding and humidity issues since those are the 2 things that I was told were the tough parts of caring for BPs.

Thank you to everyone for their help.
I hope you now understand we are not just yanking the snakes out and running through the house with them for something to do. We really care about our animals and consider them a part of the family and a valuable part of the world to be respected.

Consistent short handling session of 5-10 minutes every few days will teach you and the BP about each other.

The best you can do to help him calm down is to offer ample cover and hides, proper husbandry, and give him 2 weeks to just chill by himself with no interruptions.

When it comes time to handle, move slow, stay quiet and try to remain as calm and still as possible for the short handling session. After the 5-10 minutes, put him back into his cage.

Don't handle on feeding day, dont handle for 48 hours or more after feeding depending on the size of meal. Handle during mid day when he is "sleeping" and from these sessions you'll quickly see what really stresses him out and when he wants to go hide again.

Our ball has trained us to read a different meaning with some of her body language: "I'm hungry".

When Cleo is hungry, she a third of the way out her hide, hovering, slightly S'ed and "throbbing" or "bouncing". She is so excited and ready to eat, her weight must be near where her heart is and her heartbeat causes her front third to bounce. =)

If she's not bouncing, she's not hungry (or at least she hasn't eaten in recent history when she wasn't exhibiting this body language).

She was so excited last night, she even struck at glass - "HUNGRY NOW!" She let's us know, hehe...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Consistent short handling session of 5-10 minutes every few days will teach you and the BP about each other.

The best you can do to help him calm down is to offer ample cover and hides, proper husbandry, and give him 2 weeks to just chill by himself with no interruptions.

When it comes time to handle, move slow, stay quiet and try to remain as calm and still as possible for the short handling session. After the 5-10 minutes, put him back into his cage.

Don't handle on feeding day, dont handle for 48 hours or more after feeding depending on the size of meal. Handle during mid day when he is "sleeping" and from these sessions you'll quickly see what really stresses him out and when he wants to go hide again.

---

Thank you:D
I really appreciate how you laid it all out.
He ate last Friday (the day before we brought him home). He has poo'd twice already...should I go ahead and feed him this Friday (sooner/later?).

'Frank' is in a 20 gallon long, UTH on one end with a dimmed black light over the middle to maintain the ambient temps.

Water bowl, 2" aspen bedding, 3 small/snug hides (I have oriented the entrances to the back of the tank so he hopefully feels more secure, and 2 moss/moist hides...he seems to spend the most time in the moist hide that is at 82-84*F.
Cool side is at 80-82*F warm side is at 90-95*F where the 'basking' site is.

Open to suggestions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Same thing with Ball pythons you'll be able to tell (most of the time) when a strike is coming. I can go to a show or to a store look at a group of young snake at tell you which ones will make you bleed picking through them.. It's really kind of fun once you get over the shock of getting struck at.

---

How do you tell just by looking? What are the cues you see?
Thanks:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mochelem

With most snakes the initial picking up is the time you are most likely to get bit, once you have picked them up they seem to calm down a bit... Just remember keep your hands away from the front of their face...

---

Do you use a snake hook?
Or just plan for the best:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sonya610

Not to hijack the thread but it does say "body language". What about other types of body language? Yawning while being held, etc... Any clue on how to tell if the bp is relaxed?

Also are the girls often a bit more temperamental than the boys? There are always exceptions, but in many species (except humans...haha) it seems females can be a bit more moody.

---

i have an unsexed big ole honker BP and i'm pretty sure he's a Heeee. but i'm not positive. ne who, i think he's a boy cuz he's nicer too ;) and i've heard as well that lady snakes are a bit more hissy pissy and ornery when it comes down to it!

and PS, haha @ the purple part i highlighted ;)